The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 101 LINEBACKERS "Obviously, some of the pieces are go- ing to be new to him, but it's not like he's a rookie. He's been in Michigan football, and we're hoping he makes that transition and makes it quickly." The job for all of the younger linebackers is clear-cut, Van Bergen asserted: know what you're doing. Not experiencing the time de- mands of spring football could have even helped in that area, he pointed out. "At this point in time, with no spring ball, there's no reason or excuses for these young guys not to know your playbook, in and out," Van Bergen said. "How you adjust to this motion, this set, that set, trips, doubles, whatever. "For linebackers, that's the hardest part. You've got to know what the D-line is doing, stunting in front of you. You have to know what the coverage is behind you. They're the glue that holds us together. "The DBs don't have to know what the D-line is doing, and the D-line doesn't have to know what the DBs are doing, but the linebackers have got to know everything. Cerebrally, it's the toughest position you're going to have to play." It's one spot where you simply cannot play if you experience knowledge gaps, he guaranteed. "If I'm a coach, you're not going in the game unless I know you're not going to miss your assignment," Van Bergen said. "A missed tackle, we can maybe make up for. If you blow your assignment, especially when we play as much man as we do, a guy's wide open. "If you're blowing assignments, you're never going to play. If you're one of these guys that wants to get some time, if you were ever to be tested on your playbook, get 100 percent on the test." However they sort themselves out, Michi- gan's linebackers will play a key role in an all-important front seven for the Wolverines. Van Bergen pointed out two key areas of development needed for the defensive front lines to make the overall defense special. "They're going to keep the team in the game as far as slowing down the run, getting pressure on the pass," Van Bergen projected. "They'll get the job done in seven or eight of those games as it is right now. "Without the development of some of those guys — the backups at linebacker, a defensive tackle, finding a guy that's domi- nant — we're going to be at seven or eight games the defensive line can keep us in. Now there might be some fireworks some- where else. "I don't think we're going to be a confi- dent team approaching a pro-style offense until that time comes. That's where we could be exposed. Did we make progress, or are we the same team? Against pro-style teams, it's much more of a 50-50 shot. I'd much rather it not be a flip of the coin when we play any team." ❑ Defensive coordinator Don Brown reported this spring that viper Michael Barrett (No. 23) ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at 220 pounds and has great chemistry with fellow linebackers Cameron McGrone and Josh Ross. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN "Having Cam McGrone and Josh Ross is an excellent place to start. I'll bet there are many linebacker coaches in the country that would want to trade places with me. Those two guys can play anywhere in America, in any system." DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DON BROWN ON HIS TWO LINEBACKER CENTERPIECES