The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/178977
Overall — 3 stars: Coming out of the spring and again in fall camp, the excitement for the front four was high, with Michigan's coaches praising the promise of the defensive line to make life chaotic for opposing quarterbacks. That hasn't happened to the degree expected, though. U-M went back to the drawing board after its week-three win over Akron when the Wolverines failed to generate a sack, and produced 3.5 among defensive linemen in the win over the Huskies — a step in the right direction that must continue. Linebackers Starters — 4 stars: Fifth-year senior Cam Gordon and junior Brennen Beyer are essentially co-starters at strongside, while junior Desmond Morgan has been the most consistent linebacker this year in manning the middle, and sophomore James Ross III appears to be coming on strong after a poor weektwo effort against Notre Dame. With those four, U-M features experience and playmaking across three spots. Depth — 4 stars: Beyer and Gordon can spell each other when one needs rest, and there is no drop-off in production. Sophomore Joe Bolden has been subbing in for both Morgan and Ross at the Mike and Will, and has picked up 12 tackles in reserve duty. Sophomore Ross Jenkins-Stone is an option also, though he is clearly sixth on the depth chart and will not see the field ahead of Bolden. But with two capable backups for three spots, U-M feels good about its depth. Junior linebacker Desmond Morgan was U-M's second-leading tackler after four games, with 11 solo hits and 13 assists for 24 total stops. Photo by Cyle Nunemaker