The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 53 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL fensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr., fifth- year senior linebacker Mike McCray and sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary among those stepping forward. He again downplayed the narrative that has Michigan in trouble after los- ing 10 out of 11 starters on defense. "That starters thing … we had a lot of guys play last year," he said. "[Ju- nior safety] Tyree Kinnel played a lot last year. Rashan Gary played a ton. "Mo Hurst — okay, he wasn't a starter. He was just one of the most devastating penetrators inside in col- lege football. Just saying. "[Redshirt junior defensive tackle] Bryan Mone played a bunch, [redshirt junior defensive end] Chase Win- ovich was on the field — it goes on and on and on and on. [Sophomore linebacker] Devin Bush played a lot of football last year, a lot of it on [spe- cial] teams, but a lot of it on defense as well." Brown thus brushed off the direct personnel concerns. He focused, rather, on leaders strongly taking charge. "I think that's starting to develop, and the arrow is up on that," he said. "That's the bigger piece for me." There will be plenty of adversity to go around with an opener involving Florida. No one will be able to hide, Brown hinted, but different compo- nents of the defense can work together to make a tougher whole. "Everybody has a job," he said. "In the run game, all 11 players are in- volved. Shoot, I chase the corners a lot harder than I chase the linebackers in defending the run game. Coach [Mike] Zordich and Coach [Brian] Smith have to get the safeties involved. "In the pass game, it's the same deal. The back end has a pass coverage re- sponsibility. But how fast we can get there?" That question is directly related to how much heat Michigan can create on the opposing quarterback, Brown insisted. He launched into an animated demonstration of a QB having plenty of time to look around and throw. "Whoo … I can be pretty good," he said. "I'm 62, and I can be pretty good. Okay? But you go back and all of a sudden it's, whom [demonstrating a QB under fire] … that has an impact. It all plays together. "It's all 11. That's why playing de- fense is such a big deal. Eleven guys are going to be evaluated and talked about as one. That's just the way it is. That's the way it's always been, and we prepare them for it mentally." YOUNGSTERS STARTING TO EMERGE ON DEFENSE Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown liked what he saw early on in fall camp from freshman defensive ends Luiji Vilain and Kwity Paye. He doesn't expect either to learn Michi- gan's entire defensive playbook before the season starts, but figures both have the talent to potentially assert them- selves in certain packages. "I watched pass rush yesterday … pretty good," Brown said. "Very good start. Luiji is extremely explosive, comes off the rock. I was impressed with not only does he come off the rock, but how Kwity used his hands. "Those guys are very talented guys, as Coach [Harbaugh] has alluded to. We're going to give them every oppor- tunity possible to get them on the field in some role." Sophomore viper Khaleke Hudson is getting plenty of notice and praise from teammates, although Brown isn't ready to anoint him at the level some do. The veteran defensive coordinator does like Hudson, though — a lot. "I love him," Brown said. "He's a very physical guy. His learning at that position, has been outstanding and he's competing at a high level. He hasn't played a minute on defense yet … I'm just very happy with his arrow. "Some guys' arrow is flat, some guys' arrow is down. His arrow is con- stantly going up. He's a really coach- able guy. He's fun to have in the room. And don't forget, he can play some safety as well." MICHIGAN NO. 9 IN PRESEASON COACHES' POLL The 2017 preseason Amway Coaches' Poll was released Aug. 3, and Michigan checked in at No. 9. The Wol- verines received 959 total points, but no first-place votes. The Big Ten had an overall strong showing in the poll, with four teams making an appearance in the top 10 — Ohio State at No. 2, Penn State at No. 6, Michigan at No. 9 and Wisconsin at No. 10 (U-M plays all three in 2017). No other Big Ten teams made the top 25, but Northwestern and Nebraska narrowly missed the cut, checking in at No. 35 and No. 36, respectively. Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan State and Maryland also received votes. The Big Ten's four top-10 teams were the most of any conference, while the ACC and Pac-12 were next with two each. One of Michigan's non-conference foes also made the rankings — open- ing-week opponent Florida, at No. 16. MANY WOLVERINES UP FOR AWARDS A rising tide lifts all boats, and Mich- igan's increasing football fortunes are getting a lot of Wolverines noticed in the early running for national awards. Here's a look at some top U-M per- formers and the recognition they're receiving: • Redshirt junior quarterback Wil- ton Speight — Speight earned third- team All-Big Ten notice in his first year as a starter, throwing for 2,538 yards and 18 touchdowns. Many think he can reach higher this season. Speight is on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given annually to the best player in college football. He's also on the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award, signifying the nation's top quarterback. In addition, he's gar- nered notice on the watch list for the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Performer of the Year Trophy. • Sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary — Gary, who posted 27 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack as a true freshman, is up for the Chuck Brown has been tasked with replacing 10 of 11 starters from last year's stout defense, but believes he has plenty of experienced returning players who can provide the type of aggressive leader- ship he desires. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN