Michigan
Drake Nugent NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Michigan IOL
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— Operates with spark-plug energy, aggression and initial quickness.
— Can work inside/under his target to win the initial leverage battle on base and overtake blocks.
— Quick feet and processing skills put him in proper position to adjust to slants and gap exchanges.
— Works in an effective snatch-trap technique to steal leverage and give him a shot against nose tackle bull-rush attempts.
— Fights and claws to stay attached to blocks with active feet and excellent effort.
— Short, compact frame and build with mediocre play strength and stopping power.
— Buttery soft edges routinely are captured and exploited against movement across his face.
— First-team All-Big Ten
— 3-star recruit from the 2019 class, per 247Sports
— Three-time Colorado state champion in the shot put
— His father, Terry, played quarterback for Colorado State before being drafted in the sixth round by the Browns and playing for two seasons in the NFL
— Transferred to Michigan for the 2023 season after playing four seasons, starting 24 games at center and earning his degree at Stanford
— 39 career starts at center
Drake Nugent is a three-year starter with 39 career starts at center, including for Michigan’s 2023 national championship-winning team that deployed a run-heavy (61-39 run-pass split), downhill and multiple run scheme with extensive heavy formations. Nugent has a short, compact frame and build with minimal mass and girth, solid athletic ability and marginal power.
Nugent wins in the run game by operating in tandem on double-teams with the initial quicks to get into proper position and fits before overtaking and releasing to the second level in a timely manner. He fights and claws to stay attached with active feet and max effort, which leads to some splash finishes. But overall, he struggles sustaining, steering and recovering out of compromising positions due to his middling size, play strength and power. That leads to him routinely getting stalemated, pressed back and/or edged.
In pass protection, Nugent is largely protected by the scheme’s run-heavy, pass protection-based approach that limits one-on-ones. He is best on play action when he can eliminate the runway of rushers, get his hands on quickly and work in a snatch technique to drop top-heavy bull-rushes. He struggles to protect his edges and will get knocked around against pick attempts.
Overall, Nugent is a spark plug at the pivot who plays fast and hard, but he lacks the necessary size, play strength and power to hold up as a starter in the NFL without positional versatility to fall back on. His best chance of sticking around would be a change in scheme to a more zone-based approach rather than the gap-heavy system he was in at Michigan where his quickness will become more of a focal point in his game.
GRADE: 5.4 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)
PRO COMPARISON: Jimmy Morrissey
Michigan
Michigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.
“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.
Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.
Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.
“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.
In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.
Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.
Michigan
SW Michigan show returns as growing destination for vinyl collectors
BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.
The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.
Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.
Free admission begins at 10 a.m.
General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.
A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.
Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond
The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.
Future dates planned
The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.
This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
Michigan
Yes, you can play curling in West Michigan
ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The spirit of curling is one of friendship.
While memory of the Winter Olympics may have long melted away in the minds of many Americans, there some whose curiousness for the sport of curling has extended all the way into the springtime.
“Everybody’s having fun,” said Paul Curran, league manager for the Grand Rapids Curling Club. “It’s a really weird sport in that it’s really friendly.”
The club, which plays at the Cedar Rock Sportsplex in Algoma Township, has seen a recent spike in interest in its beginners leagues and learn to curl classes.
“We’re all here to curl and learn,” said beginner Aaron Schwieterman. “Everyone’s making mistakes, but still having a great time learning the sport and trying to mimic what the professionals do at the Olympics.”
“I recommend it to anybody who wants to try something different,” said beginner Margaret Steketee. “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”
For a period of time on the ice, these newcomers to the sport turn into competitors. Then, at the conclusions of their games, they revert to being friends.
“Largely, what you’ll find with curlers is that when they’re done curling, they want to be friendly and hang out,” Curran said. “Which is what our league is doing right now.”
As long as people are interested, Curran says the club will continue to put on beginners leagues and lessons.
“The more people we get out here curling, the better,” he said.
For more information on ways to play and learn how to curl in West Michigan, visit the Grand Rapids Curling Club’s website.
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