The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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tent ability to split gaps and create havoc in the offensive backfield. Mone's road to playing time is a lit- tle more congested, with junior Ondre Pipkins, redshirt sophomores Willie Henry, Ryan Glasgow, Chris Worm- ley and Matt Godin, and redshirt freshman Maurice Hurst Jr. all com- peting at the defensive tackle spots. However, the coaches have shown a propensity for heavily rotating their defensive linemen, and Mone was al- ready lining up with the second team in the spring game. DB Brandon Watson: It came as a bit of a surprise when Michigan's veteran defensive backs mentioned the 5-11, 185-pound Watson was vy- ing for snaps at safety, considering the Elkton, Md., native was expecting to play cornerback. However, Watson acknowledged he just wants to play, and he was excited to practice at safety, having two years experience there in high school. Watson does not have the inside track to start, with four veterans ahead of him on the depth chart, but he saw time at cornerback and nickel back also, and could play because of his versatility. OT Mason Cole: With presumed starter, redshirt sophomore Erik Mag- nuson out in the spring recovering from shoulder surgery, and redshirt freshman Logan Tuley-Tillman miss- ing the first half of the spring with a hand injury, Cole was pressed into duty at offensive tackle and im- pressed, even earning reps with the first-team offense. The 6-5, 275-pound rookie will likely begin the fall behind Magnuson and Braden on the depth chart, and will compete with redshirt freshman David Dawson and Tuley-Tillman to be the first backup tackle to substitute in. LB Michael Ferns: Perhaps the most complete and college-ready line- backer of the four the Maize and Blue signed, Ferns is a put-together 6-3, 233 pounds, and could be closer to 240 by the start of fall camp. The four- star racked up 424 tackles during his high school career and is aptly suited to play either the Will (weakside) or Mike (middle) linebacker positions. Ferns probably won't see the field defensively, though, because both spots are stacked with veterans — fifth-year senior Jake Ryan and junior Joe Bolden at the Mike, and senior Desmond Morgan and sophomore Ben Gedeon at the Will. Ferns should be a solid special teams performer. QB Wilton Speight: The cerebral Speight spent a few snaps under cen- ter with the first-team offense in the spring, and while he has showcased the mentality to be a good quarter- back at some point in his career, it's not in 2014 for two reasons: the 6-6, 230-pounder isn't ready yet, and there's no need. Not with fifth-year senior and incumbent starter Devin Gardner, redshirt junior Russell Bel- lomy and sophomore Shane Morris fully capable, allowing Speight to redshirt. ❏ Associate Editor Michael Spath has been with The Wolverine since 2002. Contact him at mspath@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @Spath_Wolverine.