The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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98 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE LINE be the starter, with coaches and teammates raving about his presence in the middle of the defensive line. However, redshirt junior Ryan Glasgow, (6-4, 297 pounds) outperformed Mone in the spring game and is someone the coaches can trust. "I think Glasgow is either going to make Mone great, because he's going to push him every single day, or he'll have a chance to overtake Mone because he's a kid that brings his best to the practice field and won't be outworked," Ray said. "Mone is a quiet, respectful kid, but you can see there is something inside of him that is only unleashed on the football field. He's the guy that could really do something. "He could be a first-rounder someday, a top-10 NFL Draft guy, be- cause of that size and that athleticism, and his strength is incredible. "It's good he has someone like Glasgow pushing him. They're 1A and 1B right now, and I don't know who is who." Glasgow might be better suited to play tackle in a 4-3 defense where he does not have to go at the interior of the offensive line alone. Redshirt junior Chris Wormley is similar, a good fit in a four-man look but less so in a three-man game, accord- ing to Ray. "He's 6-5, 300 pounds, so he's not a small man. I think he's an ideal three-technique in a 4-3 that lines up in that gap between the guard and tackle," Ray said. "I don't think he's ex- plosive enough as an outside rusher, which you have to be as an end in either defensive front, but he's quick enough when you put him inside against some of those slower guards. "The thing with him, and Glasgow, and some of the other guys is a lot of them are 4-3 linemen and then there are guys that are better in the 3-4. What Coach Durkin figured out really quickly is he can play both fronts because he has the personnel, and that will give him a lot of flexibility." Perhaps the prototypical 3-4 end is 6-6, 273-pound junior Taco Charlton. An early enrollee in January 2013, Charlton had 5.5 tackles for loss last season and 3.5 sacks, but he has left many asking for more. A four-star, hyped considerably out of Pickerington Central High School in Ohio, Charlton might find himself in a now-or-never situ- ation — whether that perception is fair or not. "He's on the clock," said Ray, critical and unapologetic. "We've seen flashes. He was an early enrollee, so he had a head start on the college football world, and that's why I think we've all expected more. "When you look at his body size, his frame, his ath- letic ability, he should be the guy coming into this season Yards Rushing Yards Yards Year Allowed Per Game Per Carry 2014 1,412 117.7 3.2 2013 1,822 140.2 3.8 2012 1,957 150.5 3.8 2011 1,712 131.7 4.0 2010 2,456 188.9 4.4 Yards Rushing Yards Yards Year Allowed Per Game Per Carry 2009 2,063 171.9 4.4 2008 1,643 136.9 3.6 2007 2,039 156.8 4.0 2006 564 43.4 1.9 2005 1,648 137.3 3.8 Year-By-Year Rushing Yards Allowed Junior defensive end Taco Charlton recorded 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss last season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL