The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473191
THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 99 [ L I N E B A C K E R S ] Harrell notched 2.5 tackles for loss among his 15 stops, including a key one in a 42-27 win over Ohio State. He seems ready to meet his vast potential after an outstanding spring. "The cool thing about this linebacker group is that they've got a bunch of guys that can play a bunch of different posi- tions and can be used to rush the passer," Jansen said. "Jaylen is a lot like Junior in terms of his body size, makeup and speed. They expect him to make a move this season, and he'll get his chance." You can tell a lot about a player, too, who takes his whole collegiate experi- ence seriously. Harrell not only "knocked it out of the park" in the classroom, Har- baugh noted, but he also made it through all 15 practices, was on the winning spring special teams group and is ready for "big things" this year per the coach. There are others in the mold, includ- ing junior Braiden McGregor, sopho- more T.J. Guy and freshman Moore, but they're labeled defensive ends. In that sense, Harrell is genuinely unique in what he brings to the table as an outside linebacker. All in all, this group has the potential and athleticism to excel in the Big Ten and be one of the league's better units if it all comes together. Judging by its progress this spring, the unit appears to be well on its way. ❏ Freshman Linebacker Trio Has Great Potential In addition to the linebackers vying for time this spring, the Michigan coaches brought in a trio of young 'backers with great potential — and in some cases, elite bloodlines. In Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trail's Micah Pollard (6-3, 200), the Wolverines found an under-the-radar player who, despite being somewhat of a 'tweener, has great athleticism. Ranked No. 624 in the On3.com consensus, Pollard held offers from Penn State and Auburn among other college football giants. He has a nose for the ball — he notched 22 tackles for loss and 11 sacks with 2 forced fumbles as a prep junior — and has football in his blood. His father, former 14-year NFL veteran Marcus Pollard, played with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh in Indianapolis and is currently director of player personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pollard is also the nephew of former U-M great receiver Braylon Edwards. The other two frosh are more "typical" Midwest linebacker types, Harbaugh noted. "They will remind you of Big Ten linebackers, guys you've been around and seen around," the head coach said. "They are very much like [Michigan linebackers] Kalel [Mullings], Nikhai [Hill-Green] and Junior [Colson]." That's high praise, and it shows on film. Chicago Marist's Rolder (6-2, 220) is a heavy hitter who ranked No. 60 nationally in the final On3 rankings, much higher than the No. 177 consensus showing. He led his team with 115 tackles in 13 games as a senior, including 13 tackles for loss with 4 sacks, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. He was also a semifinalist for the Dick Butkus Award presented to the nation's top high school linebacker. Rolder chose Michigan over Ohio State, Florida, Iowa and others. Finally, Deuce Spurlock (6-2, 200) of Madison (Ala.) Academy might be one of the more underrated players in the class, On3.com analyst Tim Verghese reported. He posted 186 tackles, including an impres- sive 27 for loss with 8 sacks, 2 pass breakups and a forced fumble in 14 games as a senior. He also played offense and caught a 50-yard touchdown pass in the postseason. "Spurlock ranks as the No. 1,032-ranked player in the nation in the On3 Consensus, but his pro- duction and potential far outweigh his ranking," Verghese said. "Auburn, Florida and even Clemson showed late attention to Spurlock, but the underrated linebacker remained locked in with the Wolverines." He's a hybrid who can play the edge or the middle, could excel as a blitzer or play the pass as a half-field safety, even. He's that versatile, and he'll likely spend the next year getting stronger in preparation for a role in 2023. — Chris Balas ROSTER No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. 42 Trevor Andrews* 6-2 218 So. 23 Michael Barrett 6-0 227 Gr. 40 Christian Boivin 6-0 204 So. 25 Junior Colson 6-2 225 So. 32 Jaylen Harrell 6-4 242 Jr. 41 Nikhai Hill-Green 6-1 220 Jr. 34 Jaydon Hood 6-1 212 So. 32 Nolan Knight* 6-3 215 Sr. 46 Alexander Lidback* 6-3 223 So. 27 Tyler McLaurin 6-3 237 So. 39 Joel Metzger* 6-1 205 So. 20 Kalel Mullings# 6-1 236 Jr. 50 Jerome Nichols* 6-0 224 Jr. 4 Micah Pollard 6-3 200 Fr. 28 Jimmy Rolder 6-2 220 Fr. 15 Deuce Spurlock 6-2 220 Fr. 29 Joey Velazquez 6-0 228 Sr. * Walk-on # Two-way player (LB/RB) Freshman Micah Pollard, an early enrollee who played in the spring game, brings great athleticism to the linebacking corps. His father, Marcus Pollard, played 14 years in the NFL, and his uncle is former U-M star receiver Braylon Edwards. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL