The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/859588
No. 1 — DT Maurice Hurst Jr. Head coach Jim Harbaugh gently kidded his fifth-year senior de- fensive tackle this summer, noting every time he looked up Hurst was garnering another preseason honor. The Chuck Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year) candidate smiled and quietly acknowledged the notice. It's safe to assume he won't be nearly as humble and unas- suming when Michigan lines up against Florida Sept. 2, or thereafter. Hurst represents one of the chief catalysts for a retooled defense under coordinator Don Brown, one who will serve as both a run plugger and havoc creator in the middle of the defensive line. Hurst features considerable quickness and agil- ity in his 6-2, 282-pound frame. He possesses a first step that often puts blockers on the defensive, and he'll draw double teams with frequency. Despite the extra atten- tion, he managed 34 tackles a year ago, no fewer than 11.5 of them behind the line of scrimmage. When he gets moving, so does the line. He'll be moving more confidently this fall, not only due to drawing more snaps but also because of playing under the same defensive coordinator for a second straight season, a first for him at Michigan since he started playing (defen- sive line coach Greg Mattison was the defensive coordinator in 2013, when Hurst redshirted, and 2014). Hurst insists he loves Don Brown, the U-M guru throwing the switches on that side of the ball, and embraces the continuity. "It means a lot for me, just be- ing able to understand the scheme more — understand what the line- backers are doing, understand what the secondary is doing," he said. "I get a better grasp of the entire scheme, not just what my job is. I'm able to help a lot of the younger guys. I can line line- backers up and tell them what they're going to do if they're young and inexperienced. "It's a big advantage for me, personally, and a big advantage for [fifth-year senior linebacker] Mike McCray as senior leaders." — John Borton Photo by Per Kjeldsen