Michigan Football Preview 2017

2017 Michigan Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 105 His new middle linebacker was one of the reasons why. "He is exactly what we knew he'd be in this type of environment," Brown said. "We're excited to see him when it's live and in color, for sure." His maturity, his pass-rushing skills, his sure tackling — all the pieces are in place for Bush to become U-M's next great linebacker, though pundits are quick to note his lack of height. Former Michigan All-American linebacker Ron Simpkins isn't one of them. He saw enough from Bush last year to realize the Wolverines had a potential star. "I never understood that argument," he said of those downplaying Bush due to his size. "If you can play, you can play. Watching the spring game, he's got everything you're looking for in a linebacker. "He gets to the ball fast and plays sideline to sideline. He's a player." Another Michigan great, former All-Big Ten offensive lineman Doug Skene, said it still takes a special player to excel at the posi- tion at his size. "Your defensive linemen, they're all over six feet tall," he said. "The offensive linemen are even taller. There's an inherent vision problem there when you're trying to spot a running back. But the kid has been playing a long time, and guys like that have a knack for the ball, almost a sixth sense. "He's obviously got great instincts, and he uses that to make up for his lack of size. He's not the prototypical linebacker who is 6-3 or 6-4, but there were a lot of great Michigan linebackers who weren't 6-3, 240 or ran a 4.4 40, and there were All-Americans at Michi- gan who were far less athletic than this kid. "He seems to love contact — it's like he's looking for violence. He has speed, a knack for big hits and isn't afraid to take them. I love watching guys like him play." And he's also always looking to better himself. He was never really "pudgy," of course, but he's started eating better — salads and grilled chicken, no carbs or fast food — and has seen noticeable improvements in his conditioning as a result. He's also extremely coachable, learning from both his coaches and older teammates. "Mike McCray is always there helping and correcting me when I'm wrong. He's hard on me, too," Bush said with a grin. "He wants me to make a play that no one thinks I can make. "We'll be in meeting rooms, he'll watch me drop a pick [on film], turn around and stare at me and say, 'Why didn't you catch the ball?'" They've got lofty goals as a group, not necessarily trying to fill the shoes of last year's defense, but to make this one their own. "We're just trying to be us in the same defense, bringing a different mentality this year," Bush said. "I don't think we're trying to fill anyone's roles or trying to be someone we're not. "We're not trying to track Jabrill or Taco [Charlton]. They were great players. We don't want to be the next Taco or Jabrill, but the first Gary or [viper linebacker Khaleke] Hudson." But they're also not backing down from the challenge of duplicating — or even beat- ing — the numbers from last year's group, and when it comes to trying, he's "100 per- cent" confident they can. Bush knows he'll be a big part of it if it happens, and he's ready for the test. ❑ Second-Year Linebacker Standouts Michigan has had its share of linebackers step up to make impacts on the field in their second seasons, which is what will be asked of Devin Bush Jr. this year. Here's a look at some of the best true sophomore performers over the years: T-1. Ron Simpkins, 1977: Arguably U-M's best linebacker of all time, Simpkins followed up a 20-tackle freshman season with a whopping 144 in 1977, 96 of them solo. He also recovered five fumbles. He saved his best for the biggest game of the season, recording 20 tackles (15 solo) in a 14-6 win over Ohio State. T-1. Mike Boren, 1981: Boren was a backup lineman as a true freshman and notched only a few tackles, but he started all 12 games at inside linebacker for the 1981 team that compiled a 9-3 record and out- scored opponents 355-162. He led the Wolverines with 144 tackles and finished with four games of 15 or more tackles, but he injured his knee as a senior after four games, ending his career. 3. Jarrett Irons, 1994: Irons led the team in tackles as a true freshman in 1993, posting 95, and was even better a year later. Eighty of his 115 tackles were solo stops, and he notched double-digit tackles in five different games. Irons left U-M as the team's all-time second-leading tackler and was a two-time captain. 4. Dhani Jones, 1997: Jones played sparingly in 1996 but ran with his opportunity in Michigan's national championship season, teaming with Ian Gold to form an outstanding, athletic duo. He finished with 90 tackles (62 solo), nine tackles for loss and six sacks, including 10 tackles and two sacks in the Rose Bowl against Washington State, a win that clinched the national title. T-5. Paul Girgash, 1980: Girgash was the team's starter at inside linebacker for 36 consecutive games from 1980-82 and started every game in his second season, a special one for the Wolver- ines. That defense gave up an average of 10.75 points per outing, and only 1.8 points a contest in the last five games of the season, not allowing a touchdown. The 1980 team won the Big Ten championship and beat Washington in the 1981 Rose Bowl, Bo Schembechler's first bowl win in Pasadena. He notched 81 tackles that year. T-5. Desmond Morgan, 2012: Morgan was a surprise contributor as a true freshman, notch- ing 63 tackles, including 10 each in wins over Ohio State and Virginia Tech (Sugar Bowl). He finished with 81 stops, 41 solo, in his second season, adding 5.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. — Chris Balas As a sophomore at U-M in 1994, Jarrett Irons posted 115 tackles with 80 solo hits and had double-digit tackles in five different games. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN "He's one of my brothers I love to practice with. Some people get down and then have a lack of energy. He always keeps going, and it pushes me. He holds me to a certain standard, and I love that." SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE END RASHAN GARY ON BUSH

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