The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1014905
SEPTEMBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 37 STATE OF THE DEFENSE try to do — improve ourselves every single day." Michigan's man-to-man defense, with one high safety most of the time, puts a lot of stress on those ex- ecuting, Kinnel noted. The safeties worked on specific aspects this off- season involving weak points from 2017. "It's making more plays out of the post and the slot, covering the man better," he assessed. "We gave up a lot of yards in the slot, and we weren't much help in the post. Those are two things emphasized in the spring, and really, really improved in spring ball." The cornerbacks, he pointed out, are looking for "consistency." "They're really good," Kinnel continued. "I work out with them every day. I try to learn from them, especially from a cover standpoint. They're just natural cover guys. They're gifted. "Obviously, everybody can get bet- ter. They know things they can get better with. They'll be good." They'll be backed by sophomore Ambry Thomas and other challeng- ers, while sophomore safeties Brad Hawkins, Jaylen Kelly-Powell and J'Marick Woods look to provide depth. "Everyone is getting better," Kin- nel offered. "That's the good thing. We need the depth." What they have appears to out- distance what they need. The accu- racy of that assessment will be borne out soon enough, but Winovich likes what he sees. "We had the youngest team in America last year, and we return ev- erybody [on defense] except for Mo Hurst and Mike McCray," he said. "Our offense is, at the very least, go- ing to be marginally better than it was from a production standpoint last year. "I think there are a lot of things to be excited about." ❏ Defensive coordinator Don Brown's crew looks like the given coming into 2018, an elephant in a room full of smash-ready rodents. That doesn't mean there aren't lingering questions entering fall camp. Here are five that loomed large in early August: 1. Who will start at the weakside linebacker? The two prime candidates are redshirt sophomore Devin Gil and sophomore Josh Ross, both physically gifted and eager to jump into the starting lineup. Fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich even listed Gil as a potential breakout player of the year for the Michigan defense, maybe tipping off an edge. At the same time, Ross can move, hit and cover, and even if he doesn't win the job, he'll certainly still contribute significantly. 2. Who replaces Maurice Hurst Jr.? The immediate answer here involves redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, a spring standout who has been compared to his All-American predecessor by sev- eral in terms of disruptiveness. At the same time, Dwumfour hasn't been an every-snap player to this point, and how he holds up (and gets help from others such as fifth-year senior Bryan Mone, etc.) could tell plenty. 3. Can the Wolverines hold leads? Michigan gained the upper hand in each of the final three games last season — at Wisconsin, vs. Ohio State and in the Outback Bowl against South Carolina. All three slipped away. While it's clear that the Wolverines' sub-par offense played a big role, if U-M defenders want to put outcomes on them- selves, well … 4. What impact will a new strength and conditioning coach make? Junior defensive end Rashan Gary and other players hail the work of new strength and conditioning boss Ben Herbert, many calling him the best in the business. There's also a new weight room with fresh equipment for the team to utilize. Brown calls this defense as fast as any he's seen, and that's saying something. "We already see it," head coach Jim Harbaugh noted. "We see the guys in great shape, stronger and moving faster. From what I've seen, players are believing in each other more. They've been held to a pretty high standard, and they're em- bracing it. I feel good about it." 5. Can they make the crucial play in close games? A dropped interception here, a failed fourth-down stop there. Those types of situations have made all the difference in some rivalry contests, and Winovich says it's time to step up. Nobody on Michigan's defense would dare disagree. — John Borton Senior safety Tyree Kinnel has appeared in 34 contests during his U-M career, totaling 89 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, nine pass breakups and a forced fumble. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Five Questions About The Michigan Defense