The Wolverine

September 2022

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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34 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2022   MICHIGAN FOOTBALL spring and has continued to excel. He and Kenneth Grant have added sig- nificantly to the depth up front, Har- baugh noted. Grant even ran a sub-5.0 40-yard-dash at 350 pounds. "We seem better on the inside of the defensive line, as well," Harbaugh said, thanks in large part to the true freshmen. Linebackers Jimmy Rolder and Deuce Spurlock have " both already popped through four practices. You can see they're going to be fine players, as well," Harbaugh said. And the secondary is filled with great young talent. "The young DBs, they're really as good as advertised and then some, I would say," the Michigan coach said. "Will Johnson is definitely as good as adver- tised. He's an amazing player. He's a great cover corner, a big corner, and he's doing a phenomenal job. [Corner] Myles Pollard … he's also doing really well. "[Safety] Zeke Berry wasn't talked about a lot in the recruiting process, but that's a real football player, as well. I kind of look at him, think he's maybe the next [sophomore safety] Rod Moore- type of player. [Safety] Keon Sabb is re- ally excelling. Both he and Will, just the amount of strength they put on in one offseason, and endurance … it has really showed. All those players I mentioned right there are going to play. "Kody Jones, he's been one of the type performers also as a mid-year player of the freshmen — then there's [safety] Damani Dent. We've had some really good players, Joshua Nichols and Bryce Wilcox, walk on as true freshmen, and they look every bit the part. That's nine young DBs in the secondary, both safe- ties and corners. It's an outstanding, outstanding group. I can't wait to watch them get better and better every day." Finally, running back C.J. Stokes is also impressing. "You talk about a young guy that does not appear to be a freshman," Harbaugh said. "I could tell you a couple of great stories of his play. It reminds you a lot of [Michigan junior] Blake Corum as a runner, and as a back. "He's very, very good. It reminds you of Blake, too, in the way he's serious in how he approaches the game. He is locked in at all times." He told a story of Stokes getting taped before class so he could get more time in practice, surprising the coaches. Since then, he's ripped off some big plays in practice and shown a maturity beyond his years, Harbaugh said. "There's something about that young man. He's going to be really good," he praised. — Chris Balas SHERRONE MOORE AND MATT WEISS DISH ON CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DYNAMIC U-M will have two faces coordinating the offensive attack in 2022. Offensive line coach Sherrone Moore and quarter- backs coach Matt Weiss will split play- calling duties and co-coordinate. Both coaches addressed the dynamic during the early stages of fall camp. "It's a little bit different," Moore said. "But it's been good and an easy transi- tion. I tried as much as I could to be a part of that last year. It's super collab- orative, how we do things. "It's fun. Everybody bounces ideas off of each other. But it's been good. It's a little different and a little bit more, but it's been great for me." Moore and Weiss will lead the charge in sharing ideas and working together. Their developing relationship in their new set of job responsibilities will play Cornerback Myles Pollard (No. 24) is among the many true freshmen that Jim Harbaugh has been impressed with on both sides of the ball dur- ing the Wolverines' preseason training camp. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS

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