The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 93 Q: Is Harbaugh in the process of building a college football superpower at Michigan? BROWN: "Well, I certainly hope so. This recruiting class is certainly an indication of that. A lot of things have got to go your way in this great game of football, in terms of health with the players and chemistry. "Those things are yet to be determined for the 2016 team, but we've certainly put ourselves in position with this group from a personnel standpoint. We've certainly helped ourselves at all three levels of the defense." Q: What about the returning players? BROWN: "The strength coach is really im- portant. He's an important piece, with his fa- miliarity and comfort with the coach. Those guys get around the players much more than we do during the recruiting period. In fact, they're with them on a day-to-day basis, and we're not. "They do a tremendous job of challeng- ing those guys every day, and getting them to compete at a high, high level … you get a chance to get bigger, stronger, faster, and develop your mindset and mental toughness that are always important in the game of football." Q: In a four-down series, how many times would you like to blitz? BROWN: "Well, the threat is going to be there every down. That's the whole thing. Sometimes, in pressure, you're still bringing four, but it's just an overload. "But you're giving him the impression that, 'Oh, there are seven potential rushers here.' You're constantly trying to put in the quarterback's mind that he's dealing with pressure." Q: What did you think of the Signing of the Stars? BROWN: "It's never been done before. I was kind of excited to see how it would all come together. It was perfect. Everybody's heart was in the right place. It was all about Michigan. It was all about Michigan people. It was all about Michigan football. "It wasn't overdone. I thought everybody had a blast. It was exciting. And it came off great." Q: Who taught you the most about de- fense? BROWN: "When I took my first part part- time college job, it was a guy named Joe Moglia. He was the defensive coordinator at Dartmouth. "I was about 26 years old, and he showed me, systematically, how to go about organiz- ing my packages. He left Dartmouth about a year later, and went and became a vice presi- dent with Merrill Lynch. He moved up and had the opportunity to take over Ameritrade, and turned that into a mega-company. "Now, he's back coaching at Coastal Car- olina. I would have to give him credit." ❏ Top Five Defensive Breakout Candidates Even with the wealth of experienced talent of Michigan's 2016 defensive roster, there's always room for performers who haven't shown their best to rise up and become integral pieces of the puzzle. The Wolverines feature a number of players who could make such a list. Here are five that should be getting their names called plenty this season — far more than ever before. 1. Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Bryan Mone — Mone looked poised to settle in and become an immovable object for the 2015 Michigan defensive line. A season-ending injury in fall camp swept all of those hopes away, but by the time the bowl game rolled around, Mone felt like he could get back on the field. Michigan wisely didn't waste a year of his eligibility for one game, but now Mone is feeling better, faster and stronger, and he's looking at a big season ahead. At 6-4, 320, he's a load, and although his career numbers remain modest (nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery), Mone looks like he'll be a handful. 2. Senior safety Dymonte Thomas — The Wolverines have waited three years for Thomas to burst out and fulfill the promise he brought with him from Marlington High in Ohio. A glimpse at his leaping end-zone interception in the spring game whispered that it could be coming. Thomas enjoyed a strong spring overall and has put himself in position to man one of the two safety spots in coordina - tor Don Brown's defense. The pressure Brown brings should mean footballs up for grabs, and Thomas might find himself on the receiving end. A strong hitter, he'll be a help against the run as well. 3. Senior inside linebacker Ben Gedeon — It's Gedeon's time, and he looked like it in spring practice. From head coach Jim Harbaugh to Brown to linebackers coach Chris Partridge, the superlatives were flowing for the veteran who has put himself in position to start in the middle of the defense. A sideline-to-sideline playmaker, Gedeon has also been around long enough to assert himself vocally. The 6-3, 248-pounder will likely become one of Michigan's leading tacklers, perhaps doubling his career total of 70 stops in his final season. 4. Redshirt junior inside linebacker Mike McCray — The other veteran designated to step up behind a strong defensive line is McCray, who put behind him the torn labrum that kept him out of action in the 2015 campaign. He's highly motivated to take a crack at an inside linebacker spot he thought he might secure last season, before the injury sidelined him for a year. McCray (6-4, 240) has two tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and a blocked punt to his credit, heading into his fourth year in a winged helmet. That's about to change, if the glowing reports from Brown and Partridge out of spring football hold true. 5. Senior defensive end Taco Charlton — At 6-6, 285, Charlton has always passed the looks test as someone ready to enjoy a breakout season of getting after quarterbacks and generally causing havoc against opponents. He got a taste of that last year, making 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss among his 30 overall stops. Now, in Brown's frenzied, quarterback-targeting schemes, Charlton has a chance to really shine. He'll serve as another edge rusher, teaming nicely with Sam backer Jabrill Peppers in providing plenty of heat on quarterbacks under siege. — John Borton Redshirt sophomore Bryan Mone has just nine career tackles, but he should have plenty of chances to grow those numbers in 2016. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN