The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/362774
sons and 74.3 in his three-year career, Morgan needs 77 stops to become the first Michigan linebacker with 300 career tackles since Sam Sword posted 377 from 1995-98. A three- year starter, including the 2011-12 campaigns at weakside linebacker and 2013 at middle linebacker, the 6-1, 232-pounder is competing to win the weakside job this year. 3. Raymon Taylor — Though he tends not to receive the same re- spect Countess does, Taylor is also a two-year starter at cornerback with equally impressive numbers — he also has 10 career passes broken up and six interceptions. The Detroit na- tive led U-M in both tackles (86) and passes broken up (nine) in 2013, and is at the top of the depth chart at cor- nerback entering his senior year. 4. Frank Clark — For Clark to claim a spot among Michigan's best pass rushers, the 6-2, 277-pounder will have to increase his rate of pro- duction dramatically; his 6.5 sacks represent only 30.2 percent of his 21.5 tackles for loss, while U-M's best de- fensive ends — Mark Messner, Bran- don Graham and LaMarr Woodley — sacked the QB on a combined 50.1 percent of their stops behind the line of scrimmage. READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT THIS FALL Justice Hayes — If Las Vegas was passing odds on who would start at running back this fall Hayes might not be the favorite, but the 5-10, 194-pounder is the most versatile of the bunch, featuring the best hands. He also is, arguably, the best blocker. It stands to reason he could earn 10- 15 offensive touches and 30-40 snaps per game, and what he does with that opportunity is up to him. Keith Heitzman — Had he re- Blake Countess, a redshirt junior who has compiled 10 passes broken up and six inter- ceptions in his career, started at cornerback in 2011 and 2013, but he missed the 2012 campaign with an ACL injury suffered in the first game. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL