The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/822315
JUNE/JULY 2017 THE WOLVERINE 5 FROM OUR READERS Wilton has proved an ability to elude the rush, and he acknowledged in inter- views that he needs to improve in his rhythmic timing when well protected. And, clearly, without a rush, as shown in the videos, his timing is off. Maybe he's just a very good improviser under pres- sure. He doesn't need to be ELITE … he needs to be GOOD. And, right now, based on what's available publicly in four of 15 practices, he was average at best. Let's hope he improves, as his experi- ence can't be replicated. z_for_three • I think that overall, Jabrill Peppers was a better return guy than Charles Wood- son. Woodson was without a doubt the better overall player and his punt return against OSU was an amazing moment. With that said — and I'm really not try- ing to take away anything from Woodson — he basically made one pretty good cut and then things just opened up for him. He did everything right, but that play was also the result of great blocking by Michigan and breakdowns by Ohio State. I'm pretty sure that Peppers had a 52-yard kick return at OSU this year that won't be remembered by many, but it was prob- ably a more impressive individual effort than Woodson's TD if you look at both plays in a vacuum. GDA • I've been trying to pick a "from out of nowhere" player. My pick is wide receiver Nate Schoenle. The guy has been on no one's radar, but I think he's going to be a big contributor. Who do you think will come out of nowhere to be a major con- tributor? jimUMfan • I think fifth-year senior linebacker Mike Wroblewski probably fits. At this point he is on the radar, but two months ago no one thought he was going to be a ma- jor contributor. He seems to be the one that'll make the biggest impact. michiganfan8676 • Is redshirt freshman offensive line- man Stephen Spanellis being talked about? I think he is at very worst in the two deep and has a chance to start. I think long term though he will be a good O-lineman. Buckles81 • I would go with someone on the two- deep defensive line. The first group is get- ting a lot of the pub now and deservedly so. When they need a breather, someone or some people are going to need to step up. I'll go with sophomore Carlo Kemp. Ma1co1m26 • Well last year it may have been Garrett Moores, from obscurity to Holder of the Year! You don't get much more "out of nowhere" than being a holder and then getting a national award. speedboys • Is it even possible to come out of no- where in this world of 24/7 news cov- erage? In order to pick a "come out of nowhere" contributor, I'd need to pick a player who's not been mentioned as a potential contributor. To me, Schoenle doesn't fit that bill. He's been talked about all spring and backed it up big in the spring game. Same with Wroblewski; the coaches keep raving about him. I'll go a little further off the reservation and offer redshirt sophomore cornerback Keith Washington as a potential breakout player. I know he's behind some guys in the pecking order, but I really like how he played in the spring game. He's a sure and physical tackler for a slight guy, and was sticky in coverage. Bobigblue • On Michigan's three toughest oppo- nents, in order: Wisconsin, Penn State, Bucknuts. I'm mixing it up a bit here. The two roadies at Wiscy and Penn State will be big tests, crazy environments. I really feel this is our year to beat OSU (and in convincing fashion), especially getting them at home. I just can't see Harbaugh starting his U-M tenure 0-3 against them. VinceBean • OSU — Our young secondary is a con- cern. Even though they will be proven/ tested by that point in the season, OSU quarterback J.T. Barrett's ability to cre- ate when things break down will worry me (ala Troy Smith at The Big House in 2005 —we had that game won). Wisky — Crowd, environment and a young Michigan offensive line favor the Badgers. The Badgers like to play physical on both sides of the ball. If we can't move their defensive line, we will be in trouble. Penn State — Crowd and environment work against Michigan. I think this will be a game that we need to run the ball and not rely on Wilton Speight throwing the ball. Run the ball successfully and stop running back Saquon Barkley and we should get out of there with a win. mjt2317 • 1. Ohio State — They always will be tough and the team to beat in the B1G. 2. Not an opponent but themselves. Michigan will be a confident bunch, but they are capable of being beaten. They must not be overconfident in some games and play to the level of their com- petition. Instead, they need to simply crush the will of the opponent early and not let inferior opponents hang around where a fluke play can really hurt you. 3. PSU — Night game on the road in a very difficult venue. They still have Bark- ley, which poses the best running threat Michigan will face prior to a bowl game. While Trace McSorley throws some ducks and floaters, he is an inspirational leader for them. They know this will be a championship-like game going in, so I expect it to be a tough fight. speedboys • A more interesting question is which is the fifth-toughest game? We all know the top 4. Is No. 5 versus a down Sparty team in Ann Arbor? A road game versus an Indiana team that has been very close to knocking us off in recent years? Will any of the upstart teams like Minnesota or Maryland give us trouble? Big Ten Blue F i f t h - y e a r s e n i o r l i n e b a c ke r M i c h a e l Wroblewski has only played in nine games during his U-M career — all of which came last year — but he could be a major con- tributor this season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN