The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DEFENSIVE BACKS years old. He was like a baby deer running around, and he has now developed into a man," Partridge said. "He's controlling his body. We saw it in December before the bowl game, and he's been lights out since. "He's taking a stronghold. He understands the defense, he's seeing formations, he's tak- ing coaching and it's really been awesome." Hawkins, meanwhile, will back up both safety positions and excelled this spring wherever the staff put him. "It's been good because I like covering a lot," Hawkins said after a spring game in which he picked off a pass. "It has actually been a rotation for me in practice between the two positions." Hawkins has notched 26 career tackles in 25 games and has also seen extensive action on special teams. Redshirt freshmen German Green (6-2, 175) and Sammy Faustin (6-2, 187) could also figure into the mix, though both are still learning. Faustin had good bowl practices last winter, while Green will need a big fall to crack the depth chart. They'll both have to hold off five-star freshman Daxton Hill (6-0, 190), which might not be easy. He was one of the nation's elite preps last year at Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington and was ranked among the nation's top 24 prospect by all three major recruiting services. Two of them ranked him as the best safety available. Hill arrived on campus June 1, two weeks early, to get a head start in training for the fall. "Dax learning the system and getting up here a little bit early really helps. It's sink- ing in that he's going to be playing very early in his career here at the University of Michigan," Jim Harbaugh said on one of his May podcasts. How Hill and the rest of the safety group fares will be one of the keys to the 2019 season, and Partridge is confident they'll be up to the task. ❑ THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 115 Freshman Daxton Hill Could Play Immediately For years, Michigan seemed to have trouble recruiting elite safeties. That changed when five-star Jabrill Peppers joined the Wolverines out of New Jersey in 2014, and now true freshman Daxton Hill will have his opportunity as U-M's second five-star defensive back in five years. Hill was Oklahoma's Gatorade Player of the Year after notching 93 tackles as a senior, including 67 solo stops, nine tackle for loss, one sack, two interceptions, nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles. He also caught 13 passes for 360 yards and seven scores, plus he had a 55-yard touchdown run. Most analysts believe he'll be one of the Wolverines' impact freshmen this year. "There's nothing limiting Daxton Hill from playing as a freshman," Rivals Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt said. "Physically, he's as developed as you're going to get from a first-year player. From an athlete standpoint, from an ability standpoint, he's really high and way ahead of the curve." Without having dissected Michigan's depth chart, Helmholdt still has no problem predicting Hill will see the field. "He's not too dissimilar from Jabrill Peppers," he continued. "He had that playmaking ability that set him apart, and you get that from Dax Hill. He makes plays other guys don't make. He has that sixth sense of where to be on the football field. He's not only physically gifted, he has a high football IQ and is a playmaker. "From a frame standpoint, he is a thicker-built safety. He can run the alleys and will be an asset in run support. He'll put that fear in wide receivers that they don't want to come over the middle. He has all those abilities in addition to confidence. … He's going to be a good one." Hill is a naturally fluid athlete, who can cover a slot receiver and match up well with his speed, quickness and agility. He possesses all of the necessities when it comes to playing man coverage. Last spring, he was electronically timed with a 4.3 40-yard dash at Nike's The Opening, where he also had a 43.6-inch vertical jump and scored in the 99th percentile athletically with the event's second-best football rating in the land. "He anticipates well, and his break on the football is excellent," Helmholdt said. "He's a five star for a reason. There's not a whole lot of weakness in his game. He is everything you are looking for and need in a safety." — Chris Balas Rivals ranked Hill as a five-star prospect, the top safety in the country and the No. 24 overall player in the nation. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM "We love it. You just have to be really disciplined in the back end. The linebackers have to be disciplined too. I think it's going to help us tremendously going forward, for sure." CORNERBACKS COACH MIKE ZORDICH ON FACING JOSH GATTIS' NEW OFFENSE, WHICH FEATURES A HEAVY RUN-PASS OPTION ELEMENT, EVERY DAY IN THE SPRING