The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525654
10 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2024 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS ❱ Sitting Down With Sophomore Cornerback Jyaire Hill Sophomore cornerback Jyaire "Suga" Hill redshirted last season, appearing in just four games. He notched 8 total tackles, with 4 of the stops coming in the season opener against East Caro- lina. He also accounted for 1.5 tackles for loss while learning the ropes from players like All-American Will Johnson. Johnson praised Hill for making great strides this year in becoming a consis- tent player at the position, and now Hill is ready to prove it. Hill spoke about that and more recently: The Wolverine: What did you take from — and learn from — your first year as a college football player despite not playing as much? Jyaire Hill: "If they sat me on the sideline, that was for a reason. I just took that as, 'I've got to get better.' Coming from high school, you've got to learn the playbook before you get on the field. "I sat out, redshirted, and just asked what I needed to do to play next year. It's playbook, follow behind the leaders like Will Johnson and [veteran safety] Makari [Paige] … just stay with them and let them teach me the game." The Wolverine: What have you learned from Will Johnson, both about the position and what it takes to play at this level? Hill: "I learn technique. I just follow what he does on the field, take notes on how he does things. At the start of practices, how he warms up, gets his body ready, staying healthy. Stretch — deeply stretch — and you don't have to worry about pulling anything at practice." The Wolverine: What have you seen at the nickel position, where you're re- placing a great one in Mike Sainristil? Hill: "Zeke Berry, Ja'Den McBurrows — they've been doing really well. I've seen growth. They've both grown. They know the playbook; they know more, so they can really do everything … speed, tracking the ball, tackling." The Wolverine: You're competing with graduate cornerback Aamir Hall, an Albany transfer, and [UNLV transfer] Ricky Johnson. How has that competition been? Hill: "[Hall] is an aggressive cornerback — smooth, silent. We call him 'Silent Reaper.' He's really quiet. We've been battling. Everybody needs a role on the team, so we've been going back and forth with everybody. "Ricky, he's really physical; he tackles well. He's coming strong. We call him 'Crash Out Ricky.' He's coming hard. He's smooth. He knows a lot about the game." The Wolverine: Last year, it was you coming in as a highly rated true freshman. Now it's Jo'Ziah Edmond (6-1, 180-pounder out of Indianapolis). What have you seen from him? Hill: "I like Jo'Ziah. I'm trying to help him get in the playbook early. He's really smooth. He really wants to practice and is really excited. His feet are good, and he's physical, too. He just wants to get out there and play, run around." — Chris Balas Hill appeared in four games and made 8 tackles (1.5 for loss) last season. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS MICHIGAN RANKED NO. 9 IN PRESEASON AP POLL Michigan football checked in No. 9 in the preseason Associated Press poll for 2024, behind No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 Penn State. Michigan's 32-poll stretch of being ranked in the top five has been snapped, but the Wolverines have stood as a top-10 pick in 44 consecutive releases of the poll, the program's longest streak since 1975-79 (55). The Maize and Blue started last sea- son ranked No. 2, before finishing 15-0 and winning the College Football Play- off national championship. Conclud- ing at No. 1 in 2023, they have posted three straight top-three finishes for the first time ever. The Maize and Blue have finished in the top 10 in 11 different sea- sons. The AP poll began in 1936. Ninth is the lowest preseason ranking for a defending national champion since Auburn opened the 2011 campaign No. 23. Head coach Sherrone Moore took over this offseason and is ready to lead his team into battle this fall. No. 9 is the highest ranking for a Michigan team with a first-year head coach since Gary Moeller's 1990 crew started off No. 6. Bo Schembechler's last team — the 1989 squad — wound up No. 7 in the final AP poll the prior season. The initial teams of Jim Harbaugh (2015), Brady Hoke (2011) and Rich Rodriguez (2008) were all unranked to begin their first seasons. Lloyd Carr, meanwhile, saw his team check in No. 14 in the preseason poll. Here's a look at Michigan's preseason ranking in the last 10 seasons as well as where the Wolverines finished in the AP poll from 2015-23: — Clayton Sayfie Season Preseason Final Rank Rank 2024 9th — 2023 2nd 1st 2022 8th 3rd 2021 N/R 3rd 2020 16th N/R 2019 7th 18th 2018 14th 14th 2017 11th N/R 2016 7th 10th 2015 N/R 12th