The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/122487
and it will come in the form of junior Desmond Morgan and sophomore Joe Bolden, both vying to start at middle linebacker, and sophomore James Ross III at weakside backer. Ross is poised for a similar career track to Ryan, totaling 2.5 tackles for loss among 36 stops in 13 games at linebacker in his rookie year. He is, like Ryan, a freak athlete with an extra gear and a nose for the football. Playing the weakside (Will) post, Ross will have the freedom to attack the offensive backfield on almost every snap. "He's a very instinctive, smart football player that can run and is not afraid to hit," Mattison said. "You've got three pretty good components for a linebacker, and he gets better and better every day." Ross played at only 225 pounds a year ago, and he's actually dropped weight, standing in at 6-1, 223 pounds this spring, but he feels more compact and better equipped to thrive in the Big Ten. "I'm an undersized linebacker and I've got to compete with those big 300-pounders, so that's what I did in the winter — took it out in the weight room and tried to get a lot stronger," said Ross, who has also made significant gains mentally. "Last year, coming in, I was just jumping out there; I didn't know what to expect. "Now, having a whole year under my belt, it's good to know what the defenses are and understanding what I need to do in each one." In his first season as a starter, Ryan had 11 tackles for loss and three sacks, and it's quite possible Ross matches or even surpasses those numbers because of the experience he gleaned a year ago. "He grasps things very good. He's physical. He's tough," Hoke added. "He understands angles, understands leverage. Understands the weaknesses and strengths of schemes, and where his help is and where his help is not. He's played really well this spring." It Will Take A Team Effort To Replace Ryan If the Clark that showed up for The Game and for most of November becomes a regular fixture on Saturdays this fall — the 6-2, 277-pound end had a sack among two tackles for loss against Ohio State, and finished Ryan, who is expected to miss the majority of the 2013 season, produced 88 total tackles, 16 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 4.5 sacks last fall. photo by lon horwedel