The Wolverine

May 2014 Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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  FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY TIM SULLIVAN W hen it comes to producing NFL talent, the University of Michi- gan has long been known as "Quar- terback U." From the time Elvis Grbac took over as the full-time starter in 1990 to Chad Henne's final start in 2007, every quarterback who started even a single game for the Wolverines made an NFL roster (and only Ryan Mallett, who started three games in place of an injured Henne in 2007 be- fore transferring to Arkansas, has not started for an NFL squad). The Wolverines are still proud of their quarterback tradition, but soon, the school may be known as "De- fensive Back U." instead. While that mantle has traditionally belonged to the University of Miami — which pro- duced standouts such as Ed Reed, An- trel Rolle and Sean Taylor — the rate at which the Wolverines are recruit- ing high-level talent in the secondary could see Michigan develop its own reputation. It has been nearly two decades since Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson and All-American Marcus Ray prowled the defensive backfield in Michigan Stadium, but the Wolver- ines are hoping to return to that level of talent. The current Michigan roster boasts two four-star seniors (Blake Count- ess has two years of eligibility remain-   FOOTBALL RECRUITING U-M Aims For Title Of 'Defensive Back U.' Five-star freshman Jabrill Peppers — the No. 1 cornerback and No. 3 overall player in the class of 2014 according to Rivals.com — is the latest addition to U-M's talented secondary. PHOTO BY CYLE NUNEMAKER

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