The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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36 THE WOLVERINE MAY 2017 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL senior quarterback John O'Korn, likes what he sees around him, in terms of a talented Michigan offense. "Our offense is going to be really good, I feel like," Peters said. "You've got playmakers at receiver, you've got young guys coming in. We've got a good offensive line. "We can be really, really good this year." NEGATIVE RECRUITING IS BACKFIRING ON OPPONENTS Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was the subject of NFL rumors this winter, but there was never any truth to them. He debunked the gossip within days, called out those who started the speculation — other coaches — and proceeded to sign one of the nation's top recruiting classes. Linebackers/special teams coach Chris Partridge, one of the key recruit- ers in many of U-M's recruiting con- quests, said it only made Michigan's pitch stronger. "You have to make sure you cut that stuff off and explain it's not true, and it's just other coaches that are trying to pull the wool over your eyes," Par- tridge said. "Honestly, that helps us more than it hurts us. They're talk- ing about [Harbaugh] instead of their school. Really? Why don't they focus on themselves instead of being scared of who we are? "Seventeen-year-olds take to that — they say, 'You're right.' It turns into a negative against the other schools." Harbaugh called the coaches spread- ing the rumors "jive turkeys," earning a huge laugh December's Michigan football bust. Asked who the fowled foes were, Partridge didn't bite. "Probably all of them," he said with a smile. He insisted he'd continue to stay true to his beliefs on the recruiting trail, just the way his boss would want it. "All these coaches are trying to sell the kids on the program and be all flashy, and they've got all these game rooms and all these flashy things and these great meals, and everything is great — well, where's the mentorship of being a coach?" he said. "Where does that come in? That's kind of lost. "I've kind of flipped the script, be- cause what I did as a high school coach was try to mentor them … that's what I try to do in recruiting. Instead of just selling all the time, what about men- toring them and helping them because they're high school kids that are going through this monster process and they have issues and they have things that they have advice they need to get?" He'll continue to proceed that way, he said, as long as he's a coach. DEVIN BUSH TAKES THE NEXT STEP If Michigan's defense expects to maintain its elite level of play this year, sophomore linebacker Devin Bush Jr. will likely have to play a huge role. Though he only notched 12 tackles a year ago, Bush showed enough in practice and on special teams to prove to the coaches he could be a valuable starter. He did nothing but improve his stock this spring, thanks in large part to fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray. "I think Mike has been a great role model for him," defensive coordinator Don Brown said. "He's a mature guy and it's important to him. He's from a football family. "I told him at the beginning of spring, we want to divide the work of the ones. We know what he is capable of, and we wanted to make sure we saw [walk-on] Mike Wroblewski in a highly competitive situation, too, and see where he's at." Bush saw action at both weakside and inside linebacker, and he thrived. "He just welcomed the role," Brown said. "It's so nice when you have a young guy like that and he can play two spots. You can ask some guys to do that and they'll say, 'Are you kid- ding me?' But he handled it really with ease. He's a really good player. We're excited to see him when we're live and in color, for sure." McCray, the only returning starter on Michigan's defense, has had to step into a leadership role that doesn't nec- essarily come naturally to him. He's more a quiet, lead-by-example type, but teammates have come to appreci- ate his efforts. "I feel like our leadership has grown. For me, I'm working on being more vocal on and off the field," McCray said. "Everybody can be a leader, but people look up to the older guys like me and [tackle] Mo [Hurst], fifth-year seniors. I think they look at us the most, because we've been here so long. "We just try to go out there and work hard every day." Bush's growth has been off the charts since last spring, McCray noted, adding he expects a great season from his young protégé. McCray's been the perfect teacher, Bush complimented. "Mike is always going to be there when I need help. He's always going to correct me when I'm wrong," Bush said. "He wants me to make the play that no one thinks I can make. "We'll be in meeting rooms and I'll drop a pick and he'll turn back and look at me and stare at me like, 'Why didn't you catch the ball?'" Bush was one of the spring game stars, notching two sacks alone in the first half and making plays sideline to sideline. He credited the stunts and the defensive line, timing and communica- tion, but it was clear his instincts were at work, too. He started preparing for this moment immediately after last season ended. "Right after the bowl game, I was watching film a lot. Me and [sopho- more end] Rashan [Gary], we talk a lot," Bush said. "So I got comfortable just being in meetings and seeing the things we saw last year. It was all fa- miliar to me. I got comfortable in the meeting rooms." To the point that he's almost be- Devin Bush Jr. played in every game last fall and saw action from scrimmage at linebacker in seven contests while totaling 12 stops. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN