The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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122 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE BACKS PLAYER BIOS POSITION COACH Brian Smith enters his first year coaching the defen- sive backs at Michigan. Smith was a four-year letterman and three-year starter for the University of Massachu- setts, and part of the team that won the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA national championship. While playing for the Minutemen, Smith totaled 306 tack - les, with 23 for loss, 23 passes broken up and eight interceptions. He comes to Ann Arbor after spending the 2015 season as the assistant linebackers coach for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. In the years 2007-14 Smith held various coaching posi - tions with the New York Jets, including working with the defensive secondary during the 2013-14 seasons after start- ing off his time in 2007 as a quality control/offensive coach. Smith kicked off his coaching career at his alma mater, working under current Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown, who was the head coach at that time. He began in 2004, coaching the outside linebackers and then helping out with the wide receivers in 2005. Michael Zordich is in his second season coaching the cornerbacks at Michigan and his seventh season coaching overall, between college and the NFL. An All-American safety for Penn State from 1983-85, Zordich recorded 201 tackles. He then spent 12 seasons in the NFL, two with the New York Jets (1987-88), and five with both the Arizona Cardinals (1989-93) and Philadelphia Eagles (1994-98), tallying 20 interceptions and 588 tackles. Zordich began his coaching career with Youngstown State in 2009 and later returned to Youngstown in 2013- 14 after three seasons working with the Eagles' defense, including two years as their safeties coach. He served as the co-special teams coordinator and safeties mentor at Youngstown State. RETURNING PLAYERS JEREMY CLARK • CB 5th-Sr. • Madisonville, Ky. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 210 Career Highlights: Has appeared in 32 career games, with 13 starts, recording 39 tackles and four passes broken up … Played in 13 games with seven starts in 2015 … Posted 21 tack - les, three interceptions and three PBUs … Had first career interception at Utah, returning it for 17 yards … Recorded 18 tackles with one pass broken up in six starts and 12 ap- pearances during the 2014 campaign … Made first career start against Appalachian State … Appeared in one game as a reserve safety in 2013, checking in against Central Michigan … Redshirted in 2012. Prep: Starred at Madisonville North Hopkins High School … Stockpiled 70 tackles, 15 passes broken up, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three interceptions and four defensive scores as a senior … Rated a three-star prospect, the No. 4 player in Kentucky and the No. 37 safety in the country by Rivals.com … Earned first-team all-state honors as a senior. Personal: Born June 29, 1994 … His grandfather, William McFarland, played football at Oklahoma State … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in general studies. ANTHONY DALIMONTE • CB R-Jr. • Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Ht.: 5-9 • Wt.: 180 Career Highlights: Did not see game action in 2015 due to injury … Redshirted in 2013. Prep: Attended Brother Rice High School … Racked up 48 tackles, two interceptions and 18 passes broken up as a senior. Personal: Born Sept. 20, 1994 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. JORDAN GLASGOW • S R-Fr. • Aurora, Ill. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 195 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2015. Prep: Played safety and running back at Marmion Academy. Personal: Brother of former Michi - gan offensive lineman Graham Glasgow and fifth-year se- nior defensive lineman Ryan Glasgow. DELANO HILL • S Sr. • Detroit Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 212 Career Highlights: Has appeared in 33 career games, with 21 games at safety, including 13 starts … Played in 13 games, making eight starts, in 2015 … Totaled 46 tackles, with 2.5 for loss and two passes broken up … Achieved a career-best 10 tackles, eight of them solo, with a game-winning pass bro - ken up on the goal line in overtime at Indiana … Recorded 20 tackles and had a fumble recovery in 2014, logging five starts in seven defensive appearances … Played in one game as a linebacker in 2013, making his career debut in the season-opening win over Central Michigan … Also contributed in every contest on special teams. Prep: Coached by former U-M running back Thomas Wilcher at Cass Tech High School, where he was teammates with fellow DB Jourdan Lewis and offensive lineman David Dawson … Team won back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012 … Tallied 60 tackles and two interceptions as a senior … Tabbed as a four-star prospect, the No. 7 player in Michigan and the No. 23 safety in the country by Rivals.com. Personal: Born Nov. 26, 1995 … Enrolled in the School of Kinesiology, major undeclared. TYREE KINNEL • S So. • Huber Heights, Ohio Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 201 Career Highlights: Appeared in eight games on special teams in 2015. Prep: Attended Wayne High School … Tallied 224 career tackles and 11 interceptions … Started 15 games as a senior, recording 73 tackles and four interceptions … Named Associated Press first-team All-State … Ranked a four-star prospect, and the No. 12 safety and No. 192 overall player nationally by Rivals.com. Personal: Born Jan. 31, 1997 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. JOURDAN LEWIS • CB Sr. • Detroit Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 175 Career Highlights: Has appeared in 38 career games, with 20 starts at cornerback … Recorded 108 career tackles, five tackles for loss, four interceptions and 28 passes broken up … Started 13 games at cornerback in 2015 … Totaled 52 tackles, with 3.5 for loss, a sack and forced fumble … Posted a career-best seven tackles and a career-high six passes broken up versus Michigan State … Tallied three tackles, two passes broken up and a forced fumble against Rutgers … Holds the single-season Michigan record for passes broken up in a season, posting 20 as a junior … Earned 2015 All- Big Ten first-team honors … Received 2015 first-team All- America laurels from USA Today … Recorded 39 tackles, six passes broken up and two interceptions in seven starts and 12 games played in 2014 … Made his first career start and had his first career interception in the win over Miami (Ohio) in 2014 … Appeared in eight games as a reserve defensive back in 2013 … Tallied 17 tackles and two passes broken up. Prep: Coached by former U-M running back Thomas Wilcher at Cass Tech High School, where he was team - mates with fellow defensive back Delano Hill and offensive lineman David Dawson … The squad won back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012 … Recorded 16 tackles and an interception as a senior … Allowed just one completed pass on him all season … Tallied 33 catches for 506 yards (15.3 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns in his final prep campaign … Selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl … Rated as a four-star recruit, the No. 3 player in Michigan, and the No. 10 cornerback and No. 132 overall prospect in the country by Rivals.com. Personal: Born Aug. 31, 1995 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in sociology. MATT MITCHELL • S R-So. • Dexter, Mich. Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 181 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2015 … Did not see game action after joining the team as a walk-on in 2014. Prep: Attended Dexter High School … First-team all-conference as a senior in 2013. Personal: Born March 30, 1996 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. AJ PEARSON • S 5th-Sr. • Johns Creek, Ga. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 197 Career Highlights: Two-year letter - man … Has appeared in eight career games… Played in three games on special teams during 2015 … Notched a tackle at Indiana … Contributed in five games during the 2014 season … Made college debut against Appalachian State in the season opener, recording a tackle. Prep: Attended Northview High School … Three-year let - ter winner in football … Earned first-team All-North Fulton County honors in 2012. Personal: Born Feb. 1, 1994 … Enrolled in the School of Kinesiology, majoring in movement science. CHANNING STRIBLING • CB Sr. • Matthews, N.C. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 181 Career Highlights: Has appeared in 34 career games, with five starts at cornerback, recording 40 tackles in three seasons … Contributed in 11 games, making four starts in 2015 …Totaled 17 tackles and two interceptions with