The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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32 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2017 "People in the area should be really proud of him. He's a real ballplayer." Thomas had notched four tackles through the first pair of games, includ- ing a half tackle for loss. He'll be one of the most likely to receive more play- ing time in the weeks ahead. Mason and Ruiz, too, could see more and more time in the upcom- ing games. Mason switched from line- backer to fullback after he enrolled early, Harbaugh insisting he was "born to play the position." He's been lights out as a lead blocker in prac- tice, according to teammates, and is already one of the strongest players on the team. "The other guy giving everybody a run for their money is Ben Mason," Harbaugh said. "He's just a wonder- ful, physical football player. He will help us this year. He will help us win games. He is climbing up the depth chart. "He is made to be a fullback. Every day, you just get excited to watch him play." Ruiz got some run as an extra blocker outside the tackles against Cincinnati, and there were rumblings he'd be one of the Wolverines' top five linemen this year. Sophomore end Rashan Gary was one who was im- pressed with his progress. "He's a beast," Gary said. "I told him, keep doing what you're doing. He's going to be a great player." On defense, the young linemen have made the biggest early impact as a unit. Fifth-year senior tackle Maurice Hurst saw a hungry group in camp. "I think they're really talented," Hurst said. "It's real exciting to see a lot of the younger guys come in and be so advanced and so ready to play early on, because I remember a lot of guys when I came in weren't ready right away, a lot of redshirts and stuff. "It's a lot different now. I feel a lot of the guys have just been ready to com- pete when they got here. I think that's a change in the culture and something that's good for us down the road." It went beyond the physical, he added. "The way they handle their busi- ness," Hurst explained. "They're al- ways ready to work, to become better. You can tell a lot with people who are able to pick up the playbook easier. Those guys are always going to be able to play early because they can remember a lot of things, retain things quickly. "That's one of the good things you can see in guys, that they're studying and they're trying to get all the plays down that they can before fall camp even starts." MORE ON THE WAY? In addition to the young receivers, Martin and Collins, several others still have a shot to play. Three in particu- lar could get a shot soon, including punter Brad Robbins. Walk-on redshirt freshman Will Hart earned the right to start and punted well in the opener, kicking twice for 70 yards on shorter fields to pin the Gators inside their 20 twice. He did have one deflected for a 12-yard kick, though that wasn't his fault. A week later, however, Hart mishit two attempts and averaged 39.1 yards on seven punts. That could open the door for a freshman Harbaugh said had the chance to be special. "Will Hart is really punting well, but Brad Robbins is the real deal," Har- baugh said before the opener. "They are neck and neck. I've never had a [true] freshman punter punt as well as Brad Robbins has." End Luiji Vilain, an early enrollee, seemed to be a shoo-in to play, but in- juries slowed his progress. Harbaugh Freshman cornerback Ambry Thomas has endeared himself to head coach Jim Harbaugh with his maturity and approach. The head coach bestowed the ultimate compliment on the Detroit native by calling him "a real ballplayer." PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN