The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/666058
there are times I'm standing up and blitzing, and other times my hand is in the dirt and I'm playing defensive end." Mattison praised his high motor and toughness, noting Winovich was actually in position to play defen- sively in the bowl game but the U-M offense controlled the ball so well that he didn't have time to work in his reserves as much as he would have liked. Winovich will spend the summer building his weight, determined to reach 250 pounds, and he's well on his way to becoming a contributor in the fall. "With Coach Brown's defense, there is a lot of blitzing, a lot of run- ning and Coach Harbaugh, with the way his practices are set up, there is a lot of conditioning so I have to be in the best shape I can be," Win- ovich explained. "Fat is the enemy of speed, as Coach Harbaugh says. I am trying to get fast and big and powerful. "There is an expression, think like Rafiki from 'The Lion King,' — think smart. Train to be like a cheetah, to be fast, but also like a bear, to be strong." Mattison is also eagerly anticipat- ing the opportunity to work with Gary, a five-star prospect that was the consensus No. 1 recruit nation- ally in the 2016 class. "The thing that is so exciting about Despite being recruited as a linebacker and spending last year on offense, Winovich — a redshirt sophomore defensive end — requested a move to the line on the other side of the ball before the bowl game and has impressed Michigan coaches at his new position. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL