The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2024 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL "It was a big emphasis of the coaches, just talking about straining," Edwards noted. "That's in all categories — the of- fensive line, tight ends, running backs, receivers. I think we did a really good job of that. Our players did a helluva job of that. They strained. Even if they were tired, they didn't show it. I thought our run game was very efficient. All 11 men did their job." "Everyone out there was doing their jobs, and it was able to click really well. I'm just proud of everybody," Mullings said. Mullings ripped off three runs of 30- plus yards in his biggest breakout per- formance yet. "It was a great feeling," he said. "This offseason, I just tried to take what I did last year and expand on that and learn from my mistakes last year. For me, it's always trying to look for ways to get better … and it was a great feeling." The offensive line got some confi- dence going, as well. "It's always good to be plus-300 yards in the run game," graduate student left guard Josh Priebe said. "And just such a great feeling just to get that going and just impose our will and physically dominate. Really good momentum go- ing into conference play. Just super encouraged by how I felt we played up front." — Clayton Sayfie ESPOSITO PRAISES 'CEREBRAL ASSASSIN' CAM BRANDT U-M's edge-rushing duo of senior Jo- saiah Stewart and junior Derrick Moore have led the way as starters through the early part of the season, but sophomore Cameron Brandt has caught the eye of defensive line coach Lou Esposito. "He's like a cerebral assassin," he said. "There's a couple of those guys where you talk to him and you're going to get the same face no matter what. We've asked him to play edge, and we've asked him to play inside a little bit. He's done everything for us. He's done a great job. He's very black and white. Whatever you tell him exactly to do, he's going to do it and he does it at a high level and you're starting to see it. "It's like anything else, right? Every rep you get in practices is working to- wards a rep in a game, but game reps aren't the same as practice reps. So, he's just got to get game reps. I think the sky's the limit for him because he has a combination of size, speed, he's fluid in his hips and he does a really good job of dissecting what people do." Having a number of players ready to go speaks to Michigan's pedigree of de- veloping high-IQ players, Esposito said, and it has made his first year in Ann Ar- bor a lot easier to transition into. "I think the biggest thing here, me being a new coach, is that the football intelligence of our players is through the roof," he said. "That's a compliment to coaches, it's a compliment to Coach Moore and what they've done. It's been awesome for us." — Anthony Broom BELLAMY ADDRESSES PORTAL PHILOSOPHY Michigan opted to go after depth in the transfer portal in CJ Charles- ton (Youngstown State) and Amorion Walker (Mississippi) instead of a bigger- name, more proven option at this level. Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy dis- cussed U-M's approach to roster build- ing in that area. "I mean, it's something that was dis- cussed," Bellamy told the media ahead of the nonconference finale against Arkansas State. "We're not like other schools where we're just chasing peo- ple. I think the big thing for us is we do like what we have in our room. We added some pieces in there. Now it's time for the guys to — including my- self — we all have to rise. The onus has been on that, really challenging every- one in each room to elevate their game, play with more details. Once that starts happening, I think you'll see more pro- duction. I think that'll kind of answer itself. Obviously, losing guys like Ro- man [Wilson] and Cornelius [Johnson] … they played a lot of football here at Michigan. The young guys, now's their time. Now's the time for them to show that they can play at this level." Charleston has made an impact as a veteran in the room, as a run blocker and by grabbing a 22-yard reception from quarterback Davis Warren in Week 2 against Texas. He could be a player that continues to work in throughout the year. "He's ready to roll," Bellamy said. "He's the most experienced guy in our room, coming from Youngstown State, and a guy that had a ton of experience. He's played against Big Ten schools before. We're asserting him more and more. He's super-sharp, smart. You can play him in multiple positions. He's definitely a veteran that you can rely on." Walker's re-addition to the Michi- gan offense this season has helped with depth, but he is still a lottery ticket for the Wolverines. He switched from wide receiver to cornerback last season, then transferred to Ole Miss and back to Ann Arbor to switch back to wideout. For him, the development clock has seemingly started over. "Although he was on offense his f re s h m a n yea r, we c h a n ge d so m e things," Bellamy said. "So, that's kind of been the biggest hurdle now, just getting the consistency there. Super- talented player. He's getting more and more comfortable acclimating himself back into the receiver room. Hopefully, we'll be ready to roll with him. He's tal- ented, and I love him. He's spending a lot of time working on his craft to make sure he gets on the field more." — Anthony Broome Sophomore Cameron Brandt (91), hailed for his football IQ, is making headway in the defensive line rotation this fall, both as an edge as well as inside at tackle. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL