The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/201975
though Butt is much stronger now than he was in the spring, he, like any true freshman, is not as developed as the veteran guys he's playing against. "If you don't play with leverage, you're going to have a hard time moving people or even maintaining blocks when you're that young," Ferrigno said. "That was the biggest thing he needed to learn how to do. That's a daily job, and it's something we make sure he's aware of at all times: play low, get underneath the guys he's blocking." Butt has made some mistakes, but his commitment to the blocking aspect of the position has helped him see the field and given the Wolverines more options with two-tight end packages using Butt and Williams inside and splitting Funchess out wide. "We think he can block the line of scrimmage at times pretty well," Hoke said. "He's a guy who's got good skills when you look at handeye coordination and those things. "This time of year when you're a freshman, you're starting to get used to how practices are. The intensity, the preparation, the mental effort it takes to get ready every day." Getting On The Field Butt isn't the lone true freshman who has impacted the 2013 season. In fact, the Wolverines have played 13 of them this season (see chart), a single-season program high since the NCAA began allowing true freshmen to play varsity in 1972. Michigan has played 10 or more freshmen in just three other seasons (12 in 2012, 12 in 2007 and 11 in 1980). Guard Kyle Bosch is the most recent freshman to see the field for the first time, making his collegiate debut in Michigan's 63-47 win over Indiana. He is just the ninth U-M offensive lineman to ever play as a true freshman and the second since Dean Dingman in 1987. He will likely start at left guard at Michigan State Nov. 2, which will make him just the fifth rookie to start along the line for the Wolverines. "Bosch is ready," Michigan offensive line coach Darrell Funk said. "I made a statement to him a long time ago, mid-camp, that he's a physically tough, stout kid. I told him that once he figured out the assignments, all the calls, he could be a serious player this year. "I don't have a crystal ball, but I saw toughness in practice. He plays with an attitude, which is one of the reasons we recruited him here. He continued to eliminate the missed assignments in practice, and all of a sudden he was a viable option for us." With Butt, Bosch, safety Dymonte Thomas and defensive end Taco Charlton, four of Michigan's six earlyenrolled freshmen have worked their way onto the field this year. Even with the progress that quartet has made, Ferrigno says the coaches would never force a kid to join early, because graduating with your high school classmates is just too important for some. For the kids who join in the summer, the first chance to really stand out is when the pads go on at the beginning of August. "We look at their abilities and