2009 Countdown: #37 J.B. Fitzgerald

Name: J.B. Fitzgerald
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 232 lbs.
High School: West Windsor Plainsboro High School in Princeton Junction, NJ
Position: Inside linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey Number: #42
2008 statistics: 8 tackles
Prediction for 2009: Backup inside linebacker

Fitzgerald was a highly touted linebacker coming out of high school in 2008 and currently rests second on the depth chart at inside linebacker. If either Jonas Mouton or Obi Ezeh gets hurt, Fitzgerald would probably be the first guy on the field to replace them.

Unfortunately for Michigan, there's very little competition at linebacker. All the freshmen (Mike Jones, Isaiah Bell, Brandin Hawthorne) seem destined for the SAM linebacker position, and even redshirt freshman Brandon Smith has reportedly been playing SAM at times. The backups at inside linebacker are Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, and then walk-ons. This is why linebacker recruiting is so important in the class of 2010.

But I digress. Fitzgerald is a classic middle linebacker, a heavy hitter with a nose for the ball. He won't beat out Ezeh while the latter is still playing on Saturdays, but once Ezeh departs, the MIKE position will be in good hands.