The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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114 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE BACKS Junior Brad Hawkins, though, is the No. 1 nickel back heading into the fall. The 6-1, 213-pounder played in eight games (one start) at safety last year, racked up 24 tackles with three for loss and is still taking reps there. However, Hill singled him out as one of the most improved players in the spring, and Hawkins seems to have found his niche at nickel. "He'll just drop right down in there, which is fine, because he's handled it very well. He's added great value to our back end," Zordich said. "He's made us better." Gemon Green (6-2, 174 pounds) has made strides, and incoming freshman Turner (6-0, 173) out of powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida will also get a look. Early enrollee Jalen Perry (6-1, 185) could also figure into the mix, though he's just getting started. "Jalen is young," Zordich said. "He's gifted and has the skill set, but he's got a little ways to go catching up, understanding the speed of the game, the technique we use. "In high school he'd go out and cover guys most of time. Here, it's not that way. He's just got to learn our way of man on man." All in all, Zordich said, he's pleased with his group's progress and excited to see what they can do this fall. New Faces At Safety If depth at corner is a concern, it might be even more so at safety. Metellus considered giving the NFL a shot before returning for his senior year, and his presence should help bring the group along. There was widespread agreement among his teammates this spring that he had taken on a captain-type mindset. "He's taken a leadership role on the entire defense, not just the safety room," Hawkins said. "Josh knows it's his last year here, and he's taken everything to the next step by pro- gressing as a person and as a player." The 6-0, 204-pounder was a first-team AP All-Big Ten selection last year after notching 48 tackles with three interceptions and six more passes broken up. Safeties coach Chris Partridge knows he's got a great building block in his senior. "Josh is playing at an elite level right now," he said. "His leadership qualities are unbelievable. I'm really proud of him. He's grown tremendously just as kids do when they grow into men. "When he arrived here, he was young for his age. He came in just having had shoulder surgery. He wasn't as strong his freshman year, but he was so smart he got on the field and then he's just grown as a player." Partridge concluded by saying he felt his fourth-year pupil could establish himself as one of the nation's best at his position this year. Metellus is one of three players Partridge feels strongly about. Junior J'Marick Woods (6-3, 210), who earned notice as a frosh with his hitting ability, is now starting to grasp the nuances of the position and has a line on the starting free safety job. Woods has notched 22 tackles in his two years but has played primarily on special teams — only 12 of his 23 appearances have included time at safety, with a lone 2017 start. That should change this year. "When Woods came in here, he was 17 Vincent Gray appeared in two games as a rookie last year, but was still able to retain his red- shirt. He was complimented as one of the spring's fast-rising youngsters by teammates and even defensive coordinator Don Brown. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN