The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 115 DEFENSIVE BACKS ion Green-Warren, R.J. Moten and Eamonn Dennis, in addition to Seldon. "Other guys passed the look test," Karsch said. "I'll be intrigued to see what kind of player Sammy Faustin turns into. On the sidelines, he looks like a guy that can play. "These are guys that more is going to be asked of them. They've shown enough that there's reason to believe the cupboard isn't bare." Part of what they'll be asked is to perform at a very high level in the games everyone will remember. They're on a high wire, given Michigan's man-to-man schemes, and the falls are all the more obvious. "I'm sure they want to cut down on big plays," Karsch said. "They've got to play better in big games. There's just no doubt about it. Find a way to make some plays back there. Don't let people get over the top. "A couple of disappointing plays in the Ohio State game were an example of that. You let a quarterback get out of trouble, and somebody gets loose deep. Those are plays you just can't have. "Going from 2019 to 2020 in the second- ary, that would be a high priority, to make big plays in the biggest games. That's prob- ably true of every position group." Michigan's cornerbacks will once again be working with cornerbacks coach Michael Zordich, while Bob Shoop — who once played for and coached with Brown, and who has coordinated a host of defenses, most recently at Penn State, Tennessee and Mississippi State — takes over the safe- ties. Shoop will provide some strong input, Brown noted. "Bobby Shoop worked for me, previ- ously, and played for me when I was back at Yale," Brown said. "He was a wide re- ceiver and we worked together there. He's a guy I'm very comfortable with, a guy that understands the basics of our defense and is an outstanding secondary coach, as well as a former coordinator. "I thought that was going to be a great fit for us, and it has been." As for the improvements in certain big games, Michigan's defensive coordinator is looking forward to engineering them, with assistance. "You're always going to have the indi- vidual game that you don't feel good about, and obviously Wisconsin last year, Ohio State last year, those are two right off the bat," Brown said. "Then it comes down to a handful of plays that get you into the elite level, or the very good or good level. "There's a lot of good things here, mov- ing forward. Coach [Jim Harbaugh] has a lot of things in place to allow our players to become leaders. We're working hard on the development of the mental piece." ❑ Daxton Hill Is A Rare Oklahoma Wolverine Michigan doesn't pull many prep football stars out of the state of Oklahoma. When it does, it obviously aims high. Sophomore safety Daxton Hill emerged from Tulsa, Okla., as the No. 1 safety prospect in the nation, the top player in Oklahoma and the No. 24 overall prep performer in the nation. Following a brief scare over a decommitment, Michigan welcomed him to Ann Arbor and threw him into the lineup as a true freshman. Hill could wind up the most prominent Wolverine ever to come out of his home state. Here's a look back at other Michigan players to hail from Oklahoma over the past 40 years: • Woody Hankins, Owasso, Okla., 1992-96 — Hankins represents the last Oklahoma player to perform for the Wolverines, nearly a quarter century ago. Hankins, who played in the mid-1990s, was a cornerback for teams coached by Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr. He intercepted a pair of passes during the course of his career, and played on the undefeated 1992 Big Ten championship squad fielded by Michigan. • Che Foster, Edmond, Okla., 1991-94 — Foster came out of Oklahoma as a Parade All-American running back. He played fullback at Michigan in the early- to mid-1990s, including on a pair of Big Ten championship squads coached by Moeller. Foster carried 43 times for 235 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons on the field. He also caught 25 passes for 150 yards and three scores. • Clay Miller, Norman, Okla., 1981-85 — Miller performed for the Wolverines through the early-to mid-1970s, serving on offensive line in that period. Miller became an Academic All-American during the 1984 and 1985 seasons, gaining All-Big Ten first-team honors in 1985. He was later drafted into the NFL by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Miller's conference honor is the highest garnered by any Oklahoman at Michigan over the past four decades. Hill will certainly get a shot at matching it before his time in Ann Arbor is done. — John Borton Sophomore safety Daxton Hill (above) is one of just two former five-star recruits on the U-M roster, along with defensive tackle Chris Hinton. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY