The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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28 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2023 T his spring, Michigan has a group of players going through the NFL Draft process. But with departing talent also comes players stepping into larger roles. Second-year cornerback Amorion Walker, who is working through a tran- sition from wide receiver to the de- fensive backfield, has been one of the emerging stars out of spring football. Members of last year's team see it, too. " I 'm m os t exc i te d fo r A m o r i o n Walker," wide receiver Ronnie Bell said. "I've always felt like he was an alien walking around with us. So, I feel like, especially being older, the more oppor- tunity he gets, he's gonna do [some- thing] to show that. Definitely." Walker is not the only corner with a bright future, according to former teammates. Third-year cornerback Ja'Den McBurrows is also one that has a lot of hype behind him. He needs to get healthy, but his former defensive back mates see a future fixture. "He's fast and he's physical," corner- back Gemon Green said. "I feel like he's one of the best hitters on the team — out of the linebackers and everything. He can hit because I think like — what was it two years ago? He messed up some- body's arm in the Wisconsin game or something like that off a hit? Ja'Den McBurrows is gonna be probably one of my favorites — outside of my brother [German]." Cornerback DJ Turner agreed: "Yeah, definitely Ja'Den McBurrows, I can say that. Freshman year he got injured, but now he's back. He [was] rehabbing last year, but he's back this year. He's defi- nitely gonna make some noise. "He can do it all. He can play a corner and nickel, has really good ball skills, aggressive and can tackle. So, he's defi- nitely somebody I feel is gonna make some noise going into this year." Tight end Joel Honigford sees a leap coming for second-year tight end Colston Loveland, who has a chance to be an all-time great. "[His potential] is higher than any- body I've seen here before in my days of being at Michigan, watching it prior, too," Honigford said. "I think he has the potential to be one of the greatest that's gone through here, just as far as whether it's his skill on the field, his mentality — a multitude of things. He is that guy when it comes down to it. It didn't take us long to figure that out. And I don't think it took the public that long to figure it out, too, once he started playing in games. But he's an excep- tional player and an even better person. "He is a hard-nosed kid who doesn't get too emotionally involved in things. So, say he does make a mistake, he's gonna bounce right back. It's not gonna affect his game play. That was probably the most impressive thing that I noticed this year for a freshman to have that kind of a mentality — it gives you a step ahead for sure." Center Olu Oluwatimi picked a player on each side of the football in defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and wide receiver Darrius Clemons, both entering their sophomore years. "Kenneth, he's a big athlete," Olu- watimi said. "Anytime we did stuff over the summer, he was always at the top in either times or output or whatever. I mean, he's like 350. So, from that stand- point, he just has all the physical traits. Obviously, he just has to put it together, but even going against him last year, I saw growth, constant growth. If he keeps his head down, I know that I'm confident he'll be good. A good player for Michigan next year. "Darrius is another thing. He's big. When you look at him, he was one of ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Pro Prospects Weigh In On Next Wave Of Breakout Players Teammates predict fast and physical third-year cornerback Ja'Den McBurrows (at right, shown with Mike Sainristil at practice this spring) is ready to "make some noise" in 2023. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY