The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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112 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW LINEBACKERS PLAYER BIOS POSITION COACH Chris Partridge begins his first year as Michigan's line- backers and special teams coach. He served as director of player personnel in recruiting since joining the staff in January 2015 until head coach Jim Harbaugh moved him to linebackers coach during the bowl season. Partridge received the 2016 Na - tional Recruiter of the Year award from Scout.com. He arrived at U-M after being the head football coach at New Jersey's Paramus Catholic High School from 2010-14. Partridge led Paramus from being listed 4,250th nationally and 112th in the state of New Jersey to the No. 1 team in the state and No. 4 nationally by USA Today. Before his coaching career at Paramus, Partridge was the defensive line coach and assistant for the special teams at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. Partridge earned his bachelor's degree in government and law from Lafayette College in 2003, where he later went on to become the secondary coach and assistant to the special teams coordinator. Don Brown enters his first year serving as Michigan's defensive coordinator. The 34-year coaching veteran has worked as a defensive coordinator for 21 seasons, with the 2015 campaign at Boston College being one of his best. He di - rected the Eagles' defense to the very top of the national rankings in eight categories: total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, red-zone defense, first-down defense, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and tackles for loss. BC also finished second in pass defense and pass efficiency defense. Brown's aggressive, blitz-saturated style has been honed over many years in college coaching, including 12 seasons as a head coach. He produced a 94-45 combined head- coaching record at Plymouth State (1993-95), Northeastern (2000-03) and Massachusetts (2004-08). From UMass, he moved on to Maryland (2009-10) as defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach, then to Connecticut (2011-12) in those same roles and finally to Boston College (2013-15) as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He has coached at a number of venues in the east, begin - ning his college career as a Dartmouth assistant in 1982 and helping it to a co-championship in the Ivy League. UConn ranked in the top 25 in five major defensive categories during Brown's stint there. He also guided Mary - land's defense to a top-40 ranking in total defense and top- 25 finish in rushing defense and turnovers gained, along with a top-10 mark in pass efficiency defense. Brown is helping out coaching the Wolverines' lineback - ers in addition to serving as the defensive coordinator. He was nominated for the Broyles Award as the best assistant in college football three straight years, from 2013-15. He earned American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) As - sistant Coach of the Year honors for the FBS in 2015. RETURNING PLAYERS JACK DUNAWAY • LB R-Fr. • Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 212 Career Highlights: Preferred walk-on … Redshirted in 2015. Prep: Played defensive end for Brother Rice High School. Personal: His father, Craig Dun - away, played tight end for the Wolver- ines under coach Bo Schembechler … Brother, Carter, is a prep tight end who was U-M's first 2017 pledge, commit- ting in April of 2015. NOAH FURBUSH • LB R-So. • Kenton, Ohio Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 242 Career Highlights: One-year letter - man … Appeared in nine games on special teams in 2015 … Totaled four tackles on the season … Redshirted in 2014. Prep: Two-year starter at linebacker for Kenton High School … Tallied 124 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, three fum - ble recoveries and a forced fumble as a senior … Named the Ohio Division IV Defensive Player Of The Year and a first-team All-Ohio Division IV selection by the Associated Press … Rated a three-star prospect and the No. 41 player in Ohio by Rivals.com. Personal: Born Oct. 7, 1995 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. BEN GEDEON • LB Sr. • Hudson, Ohio Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 248 Career Highlights: Has appeared in 37 career games, recording 70 tackles, including 5.5 for loss with two sacks … Contributed in 12 games at linebacker, making one start in 2015 … Totaled 34 tackles with three for loss … Posted a career-high seven tackles, including half a tackle for loss, against Ohio State … Played in all 12 games in 2014, totaling 17 tackles, including 1.5 for loss … Earned his way into the regular linebacker rotation midway through the 2013 season … Appeared in six games on defense and all 13 as a special teams player … Finished with 14 tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. Prep: Attended Hudson High School … Rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior … Tallied 120 tackles, 1,418 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns as a junior … Named to the Associated Press Division I All-Ohio first team as a junior … Rated a four-star prospect, the No. 16 player in Ohio and the No. 17 middle linebacker nationally by Rivals.com. Personal: Born Oct. 16, 1994 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks Int. 2013 13/0 19 1.0 1 0 2014 12/0 17 1.5 1 0 2015 12/1 34 3.0 0 0 Totals 37/1 70 5.5 2 0 REUBEN JONES • LB R-Fr. • Lakeland, Fla. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 222 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2015. Pre p : Ap p e a re d i n 4 0 c a re e r contests, racking up 212 tackles, 55.5 tackles for loss and 27.5 sacks … Started all 11 games as a senior, recording 71 tackles, with career highs in tackles for loss (24) and sacks (10) … Named Class 6A first-team All-State by the Associated Press … Ranked a three-star prospect, the No. 69 player in Florida and the No. 27 defensive end nationally by Rivals. com. Personal: Born Feb. 10, 1996 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. ALEX KAMINSKI • LB R-So. • Ada, Mich. Ht.: 5-10 • WT.: 215 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2015 … Did not see game action in 2014 after walking on to the team. Prep: Attend Lowell High School … Named all-conference in his senior year. Personal: Born Aug. 27, 1996 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. MIKE MCCRAY • LB R-Jr. • Trotwood, Ohio Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 240 Career Highlights: Suffered a shoulder injury in spring practice, missing the 2015 season … Has ap - peared in 11 career games, all in 2014 … Recorded two tackles, one for loss and blocked a punt … Redshirted in 2013. Prep: Attended Trotwood-Madison High School … Re - corded 121 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Elig. Hometown (High School) 10 Devin Bush Jr. LB 6-0 225 Fr. Fr. Pembroke Pines, Fla. (Flanagan) 88 Jack Dunaway LB 6-3 212 So. Fr. Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice) 59 Noah Furbush LB 6-4 242 Jr. So. Kenton, Ohio (Kenton) 42 Ben Gedeon LB 6-3 248 Sr. Sr. Hudson, Ohio (Hudson) — Devin Gil LB 6-1 225 Fr. Fr. Pembroke Pines, Fla. (Flanagan) 4 Reuben Jones LB 6-4 222 So. Fr. Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson) 58 Alex Kaminski LB 5-10 215 Jr. So. Ada, Mich. (Lowell) 52 Dante Mauricio LB 5-11 190 So. So. Katy, Texas (James E. Taylor) — Elysee Mbem-Bosse LB 6-3 232 Fr. Fr. Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove) 9 Mike McCray LB 6-4 240 Sr. Jr. Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison) 56 Jameson Offerdahl LB 6-2 220 So. Fr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Cardinal Gibbons) 5 Jabrill Peppers LB 6-1 208 Jr. So. East Orange, N.J. (Paramus Catholic) 92 Cheyenn Robertson LB 6-3 233 So. Fr. Union City, N.J. (St. Peter's Prep) — Joshua Uche LB 6-2 215 Fr. Fr. Miami(Colombus) 19 Jared Wangler LB 6-2 231 Jr. So. Royal Oak, Mich. (De La Salle) 46 Michael Wroblewski LB 6-2 246 Sr. Jr. Saint Clair Shores, Mich. (Detroit Jesuit)