The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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10 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS has sacrificed his family for coaching basketball. "This time he chose his family first and no one can fault him for that." Donlon noted: "It has been an honor working alongside a Hall of Famer in Coach Beilein, at one of the nation's top universities, with an incredible group of student-athletes. Being part of a championship team is a memory that will last forever, and something I'll always be grateful for. "Chicago is home for me. I've known Coach [Chris] Col- lins since elementary school, and played for Coach [Brian] James after that just a few miles away from the North- western campus. I'm so thankful for the opportunity that Dr. [Jim] Phillips and Northwestern have provided, and can't wait to get started." That leaves the Wolverines seeking assistants to accom- pany Saddi Washington, the remaining U-M coach under Beilein. The head coach assured he'd fill out his staff with capable and qualified assistants, and that process was ongoing at press time. ❏ True freshman defensive lineman Donovan Jeter was one of the spring's pleasant surprises, earning praise from coaches for his play. The Beaver Falls (Pa.) High standout, a Rivals.com four- star prospect nationally, arrived in Ann Arbor weighing 255 pounds, but he's made huge gains and should contrib- ute this fall. Jeter talks about his progress and more in this recent Q&A: The Wolverine: What did you gain the most from enrolling early and go- ing through spring practices? Donovan Jeter: "Just getting used to the speed of the game. It's a lot faster. Everything is happening real fast in college football. I had to get adjusted to that. "It took me a few practices … once I did, I just got comfortable and started playing football." The Wolverine: The rest of your class joined you this summer in Ann Arbor. Are you helping get them up to speed on being a freshman at Michigan? Jeter: "It's hard to try to get them up to speed. They didn't go through the four-hour practices out here in the heat, all the meetings … trying to stay awake in meetings and all that. "But I'm here for support if they need anything or to know about the plays or how things work around here. I'm here to help, but I can't simulate four-hour practices." The Wol verine: What are your thoughts on the defensive line and this group of freshmen? Jeter: "This is probably the best class Michigan's ever gotten. We've got everything … five-star receivers, big- time quarterbacks, all our defensive linemen. We can't go wrong. We're all ready to work hard; we're all elite foot- ball players. "With coach [Greg] Mattison and Coach [Don] Brown coaching, there's no telling our limit." The Wolverine: What are your early impressions of your new defensive co- ordinator Brown? Jeter: "He's a little crazy [laughs]. He's passionate about being the best de- fense in the country. That rubs off on all of us. Our defense, we all want to be the best. It starts at the top, starts with Coach Brown. He's out here every day screaming and yelling. I tell him he's got to calm down … you're getting a little old. "But he's out here every day giving it his all. It would be disrespectful of us to not reciprocate the energy he gives us." The Wolverine: There had been talk of you playing a number of positions on the line this spring. Where do you feel you'll play, and is your weight suited for it? Jeter: "Coach Mattison has been talking three-technique [tackle]. In Schembechler Hall they have this board with your target weight. I'm at 285 right now, so I'll probably stay there for the fall, but if they want me to gain weight, I'll gain weight. If they want me to lose weight, I'll lose it. "I knew I needed to put some pounds on. Through spring I was around the 265-270 area, which isn't bad. I feel like I can get bigger, still handle my weight, move well with my weight. Me and Coach Mattison talked 280-285. That's fine with me." — Chris Balas Coming out of Beaver Falls (Pa.) High, Jeter was ranked a four-star prospect and the No. 13 defensive tackle nationally by Rivals.com. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Sitting Down With Freshman Defensive Lineman Donovan Jeter Billy Donlon spent one year with the Wolverines before opting to take a position at Northwestern that will allow him to be closer to his family. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL