The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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db He did a solid job disrupting routes and knocking the timing off to prevent being abused by jump balls. A fifth veteran in the mix, Hollowell's fellow Cass Tech alum and sophomore Terry Richardson (5-9, 162), is similar in stature. He's not as strong as Hollowell, though, and has work to do. "He needs to get physically bigger and stronger," Mallory said. "He's improving, though. He's not where he needs to be, but he's getting better. He has improved from the day he got here to where he is now, but he's still got a ways to go." Safety Position Still Seeking Depth Like Avery with the corners, fifth-year senior Thomas Gordon (511, 208) also took it up on himself to lead this spring. The veteran strong safety has always had all the tools to succeed and has put up solid numbers, including 81 tackles and two interceptions last year, but he has yet to reach his full potential. This season could be the year, Mallory said. "The thing we're always talk to Thomas about is just letting it go," Mallory said. "He's got the body, the size and the speed that you're looking for, but he doesn't always play like that. That's always been a challenge from us to him. We ask, 'Are you faster than Jordan Kovacs? Then you need to play faster.' "When he was with Jordan it was easy to rely on him to make all the plays. We saw Thomas take that next step in having a leadership role. Jordan was such a great leader, a vocal guy, so respected on the team." Knowing the defense and having the confidence to play full speed are the keys to tapping into Gordon's full potential, Mallory added. "Don't worry about making a play — let it loose," he said. "This spring we felt like he was playing faster and had a sense for it. He accepted that challenge. He knows he can play faster and better. He's about as good looking a kid as you'll see physically — he can run, all those things. We saw some growth in the spring, and we expect him to continue to grow and have a great senior year." At free safety, sophomore Jarrod Wilson is tall (6-2, 196), lanky and agile. Wilson had earned the starting job even before senior Marvin Robinson's departure from the team, but there's now even more expected of him given the youth behind him. Summer conditioning returns from the weight room have been positive, Mallory reported, showing Wilson is taking his duties seriously. "He's very coachable and very smart. He is filling the position of Jordan, who was as smart a football player as I've ever coached," Mallory said. "Jarrod's got a lot of range back there, and it's so important you have somebody out there who is the control guy — he can take control of the situation and make checks." Though Wilson's only a sophomore, he went through his second session of spring ball. He reported early last year in an effort to earn playing time and did, seeing action in all 13 games. Confidence is also his key — being able to put bad plays behind him and move on quickly to the next. "When you get live reps and watch yourself all summer long on film, you should make some huge strides. You actually know what you're doing," Mallory said. Big Ten Rankings Players 1. Bradley Roby, R-Jr., Ohio State — A 2012 All-American, the shutdown cornerback led the nation, and tied an OSU single-season record, with 19 passes defended in addition to two interceptions. 2. Isaiah Lewis, 5th-Sr., Michigan State — A three-year mainstay in the MSU secondary, Lewis has amassed 169 tackles and six interceptions in 40 career appearances. 3. Ibraheim Campbell, Jr., Northwestern — Now an upperclassman, Campbell aims to lead a young Wildcats secondary. The honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree finished 2012 with 89 stops, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. 4. C.J. Barnett, 5th-Sr., Ohio State — The hard-hitting safety earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades a year ago after stockpiling 56 tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions despite missing three games due to a knee injury. 5. Darqueze Dennard, Sr., Michigan State — The versatile corner was a vital member of a stingy MSU defense with 52 stops and three interceptions, and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2012. 6. Ricardo Allen, Sr., Purdue — Allen was one of the few consistent performers for a PU defense that struggled in 2012, registering 45 tackles and one interception. He currently sits atop the Boilermaker record books with three interceptions returned for a score. 7. Nick VanHoose, R-So., Northwestern — The dynamic corner burst onto the scene in 2012 to earn NU's Defensive Newcomer of the Year award. He started 10 games and led the Wildcats with three picks. 8. Blake Countess, Jr., Michigan — Following a stellar freshman campaign in which he earned a starting spot on the outside, Countess suffered a season ending injury in U-M's opening contest in 2012, but is expected to be back at full speed this season. 9. Greg Heban, 5th-Sr., Indiana — A former walk-on, IU's senior leader led the Hoosiers with 91 tackles and three interceptions a year ago. 10. Ciante Evans, Sr., Nebraska — An honorable mention All-Big Ten player last season, Evans appeared in all 14 games for the Huskers at both cornerback and nickel back, and contributed 56 tackles, including three tackles for loss, 13 defended passes and a defensive touchdown. Units 1. Ohio State — OSU returns a bevy of accomplished athletes in the back four, including three-year starters at safety in Christian Bryant and C.J. Barnett, plus cornerback Bradley Roby, a 2012 All-American. 2. Michigan State — The Spartans yielded just 175.8 yards per game through the air in 2012 and, although they lose All-Big Ten cornerback Johnny Adams to graduation, should once again prove miserly against opposing quarterbacks under the senior leadership of cornerback Darqueze Denard and safety Isaiah Lewis. 3. Nebraska — An experienced secondary that includes cornerbacks Ciante Evans, Andrew Green, Josh Mitchell and Stanley-Jean Baptiste — all of whom possess starting experience — must anchor an otherwise youthful defensive unit. 4. Michigan — Although the Wolverines lose mainstays in safety Jordan Kovacs and J.T. Floyd, the return of star cornerback Blake Countess and an influx of young talent should bolster the unit, which finished second in the conference in pass defense in 2012 (169.5 yards allowed per game). 5. Northwestern — The Wildcats finished last in the conference in pass defense, surrendering 250.5 yards a game, but intercepted 13 passes and yielded only 6.6 yards per pass attempt. Pat Fitzgerald's secondary should enjoy dramatic improvement with an abundance of familiar faces returning, including standout safety Ibraheim Campbell. 156 ■ The Wolverine 2013 Football Preview Northwestern junior safety Ibraheim Campbell (shown tackling U-M's Jeremy Gallon) earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2012. photo by Per kjeldsen