Nick

Eubanks

Eubanks (6'5/256) was held out of last weekend’s win at Minnesota due to his undisclosed health issue, with Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker moving up in the tight end pecking order as a result. The redshirt senior, who has a shot at being selected within the first 60 picks of next spring’s NFL Draft, gives QB Joe Milton a high-level target to work with in the passing game. Eubanks caught 23 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Michigan will be without its starting tight end for Saturday’s season opener, which is not good news for new starting QB Joe Milton. Eubanks (6'5/256), a player who enters this season with some top-60 buzz among NFL scouts, caught 23 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. The redshirt senior’s absence means that either junior Luke Schoonmaker or sophomore Erick All will move into the starting lineup.

“Eubanks looks and plays like a power forward on the football field,” Pauline writes, noting that after film study on the 2019 campaign, he stands by the Day 2 grade he gave the 6-foot-5, 256-pounder last summer. Eubanks opted to return to Michigan in late December after posting a 23-240-3 receiving line. It’s not unreasonable to expect that those numbers could see a bump this fall, between the departure of fellow TE Sean McKeon and the continued development and refinement of OC Josh Gattis’ system.

Eubanks (6'5/256) returning from the locker room is good news, but it has yet to be determined whether or not he’ll be able to play. Michigan’s offense struggled during the third quarter, gaining just 11 yards, and getting players such as Eubanks and RB Zach Charbonnet (undisclosed) back on the field would give the Wolverines a much-needed boost on that side of the ball.

Eubanks (6'5/256) has put in a 23-240-3 receiving line across 11 games for the 2019 campaign. The redshirt junior -- UM was able to get him a medical redshirt due to an injury-shortened 2017 season -- will have the inside track at a starting gig next fall with Sean McKeon set to graduate upcoming. Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker could also be factors in the tight ends room in 2020.

Eubanks was back on the field for Michigan’s first offensive drive of the second half, meaning that the Wolverines were able to call upon two offensive players who went down in the first half. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, who left the game late in the first half, was also back on the field.

Team trainers examined Eubanks’ ankle on the Michigan sideline, and the junior was eventually able to do some walking around to test it out. There’s been no update with regard to the junior’s status for the remainder of the game, but it was reported that Eubanks’ ankle was re-taped.

While Eubanks is currently committed to the Wolverines, he’s taking an official visit to USC this weekend. Should he opt to stick with Michigan, he’ll make a nice piece. We’ve already seen Jim Harbaugh run TE-oriented playbooks, be it with Jake Butt in recent days or Vernon Davis at the NFL level. ESPN’s Craig Haubert calls the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder out of American Heritage High School in Florida a “tall, athletic prospect who is more of a big wide receiver at this stage.” The physicality as a blocker isn’t quite there yet, but Haubert already likes his ability to stretch the field deep. He also compares Eubanks to former Michigan TE Devin Funchess.