The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1460661
APRIL 2022 THE WOLVERINE 37 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL pressive, leading the Commodores to top-25 finishes in two of his three sea- sons. Vanderbilt hadn't finished in the top 25 in more than 60 years and has gone 29-65 since he left." Iowa's Kirk Ferentz ranked 18th on Feldman's list, while Minnesota's PJ Fleck came in at No. 21. Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald just missed the cut, while Michigan State's Mel Tucker was not considered. Fitzgerald and Tucker just missed the cut on Stewart Mandel's dueling list, which ranked Harbaugh 13th. The latter countdown had Harbaugh second in the Big Ten, behind only Ohio State's Day (No. 5), and ahead of Wisconsin's Paul Chryst (No. 18), Minnesota's Fleck (No. 20), Penn State's Franklin (No. 22) and Iowa's Ferentz (No. 24). — Anthony Broome CHRIS HINTON, HASSAN HASKINS DISH ON THEIR 2022 REPLACEMENTS Michigan has a Chris Hinton-sized hole to fill at defensive tackle with his early declaration for the 2022 NFL Draft. Sophomore Kris Jenkins and redshirt freshman Rayshaun Benny are projected to compete for the role, and Hinton sees a bright future for both. "You still have Mazi Smith, and he's a phenomenal football player," Hinton said at the NFL Combine. "Kris Jenkins is also a great football player and I feel like he's going to flourish this year. Ray- shaun Benny, that's the big one. He has a lot of special talent. "You have Dom Giudice, George Rooks, a handful of kids in that sopho- more class that need to take that step this year. I have a lot of confidence that they will. I don't think the defense will take a step back. They will move forward and have a great year." Benny was a name that was praised throughout his freshman year for how he looked behind the scenes. Hinton saw it and thinks he is the next in line at Michigan. "Rayshaun has some intangible skills that you can't teach," he said. "He's a monster and a dog. I have high ex- pectations for Rayshaun. I have a high amount of confidence that he can fulfill those expectations." Michigan also has its work cut out in replacing Hassan Haskins, its top run- ning back from the 2021 season. How- ever, a tandem of sophomores in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards could be a tremendous place to start. The back- field rotation will look different, but he is confident they will not skip a beat. "They can go far," Haskins said at the combine. "Those two guys especially. I'm not going to lie, I can't wait to watch them this year. They are going to have some [huge games] in front of them. Those two guys are very special." — Anthony Broome DENARD ROBINSON'S RETURN TO ANN ARBOR IS A 'DREAM COME TRUE' Head coach Jim Harbaugh hired for- mer U-M quarterback Denard Robinson (2009-12) as the program's assistant di- rector of player personnel. According to a release, Robinson will work closely with director of player personnel Tom Gamble, whom he served alongside during his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and director of recruiting op- erations Albert Karschnia. At M i c h i ga n , D e n a rd Ro b i n s o n played in 49 games and started 37 contests at quarterback and running back. He holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards by a quarterback (4,495) and rushing yards in a season by a quarterback (1,702 in 2010). He is one of five quarterbacks in NCAA history to amass 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season twice in their career (2010-11). Now, the Deerfield Beach, Fla., native is back with the program, this time in a recruiting and player personnel role. Robinson spent the 2021 NFL season as a college scouting assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars after working for the organization as an offensive quality control coach in 2020. A fifth-round draft pick in 2013, Robinson played for the Jaguars until 2016, then spent time in the Alliance of American Football with the Atlanta Legends while the league was active in 2019. "I always knew, thought in the back of my head, I was going to do some- thing along the lines of football when I was done playing," Robinson told Jon Jansen on the "In The Trenches" podcast. "Whether it was coaching or being in the player personnel depart- ment, it was something I was going to be around. "I love the game too much to just walk away from it." He's ecstatic to take the next step in his journey while being back "home." "I'll be back in a couple weeks. I'm excited," Robinson said in the March 2 interview. "I'll be trying to find those diamonds in the rough, have them at The Big House running wild and having fun — being great young men, becom- ing great men … on the campus of the University of Michigan. I can't wait to interact with these athletes and these families. It's going to be a life-changing situation. I want to help mold these guys and be a part of it. "I can't even put it in words. Every- body asks me [how it will feel], and I really don't have an answer for that. It's just a dream come true. It's something that you dream about, you know? I feel like that's something I have to wait un- til [I get there] … I'm just so excited about the situation." — Clayton Sayfie Robinson, who is one of five quarterbacks in NCAA history to compile 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season twice in their career (2010-11), will now serve as the Wolverines' assistant director of player personnel. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL