The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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96 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE LINE take a little longer to come back, probably especially when you're a big athlete like he is. I think it was slow coming back, and now he's 100 percent. "As big as he is, he's one of the fastest guys. He runs with the linebackers. Chris has matured now where he has very high goals for himself. He really wants to be a leader by how he plays. He's such a great package. He's an excellent student, an excellent character per- son. Now you want him to have the type of season that really makes you excited because good things happen for great kids." On the weak side, Charlton's expressed goal is to be able to take over games. He showed that ability in the win at Penn State last year, notching 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss among his four stops while applying consistent pressure. He's ready to elevate his game after starting only three games last year. "I think he can," Mattison said. "The great pass rushers, they want it to be third down, want it to be me versus this offensive tackle, and that's going to remain to be seen. It's something the really good ones, when they get to that point, they are going to get there. "For him and all of our guys, too, it's important to understand it's not always sacks. The time the ball gets out is sometimes under three seconds. It's hard to get there in that amount of time. If we can disrupt that quarterback and make the passes get out quick — which I think our kids can — then all the rest of it will take care of itself." Both Wormley and Charlton have improved a great deal, he added, and work extremely hard. Wormley in particular has the ability to move inside, too, if another end — say, true freshman Rashan Gary, the consensus No. 1 prep senior nationally — proves good enough to start. However it works out, Mattison said, there should be plenty of rotation. There's strength in numbers, especially when it comes to keeping players fresh. "You've got a lot of flexibility because you've got Wormley, who has played a lot of football for us since he's been here and done some very good things," Mattison said. "He's played both the tackle and end positions. That gives you a lot of flexibility with him." Additionally, fifth-year senior Matt Godin (6-6, 288) returns to add depth to the position. He started four games last season and has played 29 in his career. "Matt Godin has played a lot of football as an inside player," Mat- tison noted. "He's another tackle, a three technique, and he had a very good spring. Matt is a very strong, tough football player, plays extremely hard, and he's important to our front." Redshirt sophomore Lawrence Marshall (6-4, 250) also made his presence felt at strongside end in the spring. He appeared in only three games last year as a reserve, but has the talent to become an outstanding player, Mattison noted. "He has done some things, and he's improving. You can add him to the mix," he said. "If you remember, he showed some really good signs two springs ago and we talked about him a lot. Now we are trying him at all kinds of different positions. Some guys just can't do that, but he can. "He appeared to really be at home at strongside end, showed a lot of improvement, and has got- ten bigger and stronger. That's what had to happen with him. I think that's going to help him a lot." Finding players to spell Charl- ton was also on the agenda this spring, and there's no shortage of possibilities. Former linebacker and tight end Chase Winovich (6-3, 245), a redshirt sophomore, looked smaller than his D-line cohorts during the spring, but he's got a motor that doesn't quit. Winovich has spent plenty of time with strength coach Kevin Tol- bert and his staff since the winter trying to add weight to his frame, and it's showing. "He had a very good spring moving over from tight end," Mattison said. "That gives you a chance to have somebody with Taco at the open side end, so there are some positive things there. "He showed that he could be that guy we've always seen that just keeps coming, keeps coming and then all of a sudden falls into the sack. He plays 100 miles per hour, is very aggressive. How fast he learns everything will determine his effect, but he appeared to re- ally pick things up and got a ton of reps — some with the first unit in the spring, some with the second. He showed some good signs." The other candidates at end have all shown why they were re- cruited, too, and they're now getting an opportunity to work on their pass rush. Mattison specifically concentrated on the run defense for "No question, it's probably the most depth we've had in a long time … it's so critical to have guys you can rotate throughout the game." DEFENSIVE LINE COACH GREG MATTISON Senior defensive end Taco Charlton is ready to break out after posting 14.5 tackles for loss, including nine sacks, in his 35 career appear- ances. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL