The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133482
LINEBACKERS He was outstanding at the Under Armour All-American Game in January and is a versatile and fast linebacker. Thomas, meanwhile, broke on to the national scene when he earned Sophomore All-America honors from MaxPreps in 2016 at Langston Hughes High in Fairburn, Ga. After playing at IMG Academy in Florida as a junior, Thomas went north and played his final season at St. Thomas More, where he recorded 49 tackles with 15 for loss and also registered a 44-yard punt return touchdown. He's expected to compete for an inside position and has been compared to Bush in playing style. The 5-11, 224-pounder is an instinctive player, but analysts say it's going to be his ability to read and react to plays more quickly that will determine whether or not he can be a difference maker at Michigan. Neither frosh is expected to play, but they'll be part of a group Brown believes can be outstanding. "I've never been this deep. I've never had this many guys where I could go: boom, boom, boom, boom, boom! They can all jump in there and play," he said. "Now, it's going to be competition breeds success, and let's see where the fall takes us because you can only play one at a time, so you either better find a way to get into that rotation or win the job outright. "So that's the exciting part, and that will carry over to the fall. I'm excited about it, for sure." ❑ THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 105 It was hard for new Michigan linebackers coach Anthony Campanile to leave Boston College and join Jim Harbaugh's staff at U-M. He'd been an East Coast guy his entire life, after all, and he loved his players like family. Ironically, that was one of the things that also drove him to Ann Arbor. When he first interviewed with Harbaugh this winter, he found a potential boss who was very similar to him in that respect. "Certainly, Coach Harbaugh, the opportunity to coach for him, be around him … I'd be lying to you if I told you that wasn't a huge part of why I wanted to be here," Campanile said. "Getting to meet him … when I interviewed, I felt really, really comfortable because I thought we were really like minded. "I think he loves his players, loves his family. Those things are important to me and to him, and that's the type of place I want to be." Campanile replaces Al Washington, who accepted a job at Ohio State in the offseason. He was co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Bos- ton College last year after serving as the team's defensive backs coach the two previous seasons. That followed an assistant stint at Rutgers (2012-15), his alma mater, and several seasons on the prep level, including at elite prep school Don Bosco in Bergen County, N.J. Michigan's newest staff addition went to high school with U-M safeties/ special teams coach Chris Partridge, having known him since the two were 13 years old, so he had an idea about the culture even before he interviewed. "I'm very excited, fired up for the opportunity to come out here and see ev- erything," he said, joking he still missed East Coast pizza. "You hear a ton about Michigan throughout your life if you're a football fan, and having some friends here I probably had some knowledge of the inner workings of how many great people were here." That includes defensive coordinator Don Brown, who left Boston College prior to the 2016 season just as Campanile arrived. Not surprisingly, the two East Coast stalwarts hit it off right away. "We coached a lot of the same players," Campanile said. "Players talk, and everyone had such a high opinion of Coach Brown. "The amazing thing about Coach Brown is he has no ego. Really. He's some- body who takes it all in, in the room, takes input, asks guys their opinions and questions. He has an awesome mentality, an awesome personality, and I think that's why players gravitate to him and guys like coaching with him. "He's really just a great dude, a great human being and an awesome guy to be around. He's intense, has tons of energy and knowledge. He's a great guy. I've really, really enjoyed being around him." His linebackers said the same about Campanile at the end of spring, noting they loved his enthusiasm. He's got an infectious personality that also shines through on the recruiting trail, another reason Harbaugh brought him on board. Now that he's here, Campanile is living a dream of sorts. He admitted he watched plenty of Michigan football when he was a kid, singling out running back Tshimanga Biakabutuka (1992-95) as one he particularly liked. "I was a football maniac when I was a little kid, I come from a football fam- ily," Campanile said. "I think everyone grows up pretending they're playing at Michigan in their backyard when they're a little kid. I know I did. "Everybody in our house did. I'm certainly very familiar with the things that are important here, the history here." He's ready to learn more of it as a member of the Michigan coaching staff. "I feel like I'm home," he said. "I can't ask for a better situation. It's been a lot of fun." — Chris Balas Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile Loves His Fit Senior viper Khaleke Hudson was a second-team All-Big Ten choice in 2017 according to the Associated Press, but he went from 82 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two inter- ceptions to just 44 total stops with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last year. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL