The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 89 [ O F F E N S I V E L I N E ] "That gives you some options athleti- cally in terms of being able to pull from that position, being able to get around the edge and trap on the other side. He does a lot of things and moves really well." Filiaga, now 6-6 and 345 pounds, is bet- ter moving straight ahead and using his strength. He was put in some tough posi- tions last year, former All-Big Ten offen- sive lineman and current TheWolverine. com analyst Doug Skene insisted, making it tough to judge him. "He was asked to do things that were darn-near impossible, and that wasn't fair to him," Skene said. "Other times, Chuck did not meet the expectations of the posi- tion and just needs to be better. At times he was effective, but he was streaky, just like the line as a whole. "But it's hard to be too critical because the scheme required him to do things in the offense that made it tough." As potential backups go, redshirt fresh- man Nolan Rumler (6-3, 328) showed plenty in spring to believe he could be a factor in the fall, Jansen said. He's big and powerful, and had an impressive spring game, playing with great confidence. He took most of his snaps behind Zinter at left guard, but he has improved. "It looked like he was comfortable. Ev- ery time he was freed up, he looked for work [i.e. someone to block]; he moved his feet well, played with good pad level," Jansen said. "It's a matter of confidence. "He's got a great center of gravity, ob- viously, great strength, and it looked like he was moving really well in the spring game. He just looked comfortable and just like he was a completely different player than I had seen in his first two years." Finally, tackles Trente Jones (6-4, 305), a redshirt freshman, and second-year frosh Jeffery Persi (6-7, 302) have bright fu- tures, but they're waiting their turn. Both move extremely well, but they still need a bit more seasoning before they'll play on Saturdays. "It's a lot like when we talk about any of those other guys — it's about experi- ence and getting stronger," Jansen said. "One of the things I really liked about hav- ing spring ball earlier is it allows the of- fensive and defensive lines a longer time in between spring ball and the start of fall camp to spend some time with [strength coach] Ben Herbert. "When you have those gains in the weight room, it builds strength and power so you can do more things, but it also builds confidence. That confidence translates to the field." All in all, Jansen said, he's in wait-and- see mode, but also optimistic Moore will get the most out of a group with great po- tential. "They'll be a solid line. I just keep wait- ing for them to take that next step," Jansen said. "But I'm confident this is going to be a technically sound offensive line and they are going to continue to get better." ❑ Redshirt sophomore tackle Ryan Hayes was originally listed as a tight end upon signing with Michigan, but has developed into a starting left tackle. He has opened four games at the position. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN FRESHMEN ADD MORE DEPTH TO AN IMPROVING LINE In addition to center Greg Crippen, Michigan added three others to the offensive line mix this spring, two tackles and a guard/center: • Raheem Anderson (6-3, 298), Detroit Cass Tech: The Rivals.com four-star prospect, the na- tion's No. 2 center and No. 167 overall recruit in the country, could play in the middle or at guard. "I thought, based on his high school film, he was by far most the most aggressive of the in- coming freshman linemen," former Michigan All-Big Ten guard Doug Skene said. "He looks like he's trying to annihilate people with regularity. He's a very aggressive player, always looking to finish and looks the most athletic of the four, for sure. "I think his skill set translates really well to be- ing an interior lineman at Michigan, assuming he continues his development. He's got a nice blend of athletic skills, physical size and overall aggres- siveness in there." • Giovanni El-Hadi (6-5, 305), Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson: A Rivals.com top-100 player nationally, El-Hadi plays with a mean streak. He was the No. 13 offensive tackle in the country coming out of high school. "He looks like he has the physical tools that will allow him to have success at the next level," Skene said. "Of the film I watched, he does a little leaning on guys rather than using his arms and legs at times. The transition for all high school players is a lengthy one, especially on the offensive line, and it will be no different for him. "But I like him. Weight-wise, he's thick. That will help him stand his ground a little better in his time in Ann Arbor. Technique wise, it's a difficult evaluation. He's 6-7 playing guys that are 5-10 on film. You'd like him to get his facemask down under the shoulders, but those guys are smaller. "But I liked his fight. He was putting guys on the ground a couple times. A few times he would bury them and lay on them like a sack of logs. You like to see that." • Tristan Bounds (6-8, 305), Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall: Rivals.com iden- tified the athletic Bounds as a four-star talent and the No. 26 offensive tackle in the country. "He's more of a project," Skene said. "He obvi- ously has the size and length, but he looks like he's going to have a little longer development curve to become an effective Big Ten lineman. "Part of that is strength and conditioning, as it is with every kid, but the other part is he's going to have to improve his technique. Right now, he bends at the waist and leans on a bunch of guys, so he's going to have be stronger to play with his arms and legs rather than just leaning at the waist." — Chris Balas "I saw technical improvements on a daily basis because kids are allowed to have the opportunity to go out there and try something new." FORMER MICHIGAN ALL-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN JON JANSEN ON FIRST-YEAR LINE COACH SHERRONE MOORE