The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/178977
Rising To The Challenge In Jake Ryan's Absence, Linebackers Cam Gordon And Brennen Beyer Have Performed Beyond Expectations W By Michael Spath hen Roy Manning returned to Ann Arbor to coach the outside linebackers last winter, he was giddy at the thought of mentoring redshirt junior Jake Ryan through the 2013 season. In Ryan, Manning saw a player that was already incredibly productive — 7.5 sacks among 27.0 tackles for loss in 2011-12 — yet was still capable of playing at an even greater level, becoming a dominant force. Then, just a week into spring ball, Ryan suffered an ACL injury, putting his junior campaign in doubt, and shifting the focus from a standout on the verge of All-America honors and needing just a little tweaking to realize that potential, to a pair of veterans with lacking résumés and experience at the strongside linebacker post. In an instant, Manning's job grew in difficulty, and the expectations for the Sam linebacker position, and its impact this season, fell considerably. Watch the first four games in rewind, though, and what stands out is that fifth-year senior Cam Gordon and junior Brennen Beyer have been two of the Wolverines' most consistent players, and arguably among their best defenders. Not bad for a couple of Ryan replacements. "I'm pleased," said Manning, who started at the Sam linebacker in 2004, racking up five tackles for loss among 39 tackles. "I think we've been pretty productive as a unit, and that's something we always talk about — not just going out there and taking up space, but being really productive. That is exciting to see for me because we're making plays, and we want to keep going, keep improving week to week." Gordon Making Most Of His Final Hurrah Gordon was a wide receiver when he was first recruited out of Inkster