Noah Furbush (image via Limaohio.com)
Name: Noah Furbush
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 242 lbs.
High school: Kenton (OH) Kenton
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #59
Last year: I ranked Furbush #81 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He played special teams in nine games and made 4 tackles.
Furbush was recruited as a middle linebacker in the 2014 class. He had nagging shoulder injury problems that prevented him from lifting and adding weight for a while, so he spent last season around 220 lbs. and was limited to special teams. Michigan didn’t need any more bodies at middle linebacker with a bunch of upperclassmen available, but he still found a way to impress on special teams. Kickoff coverage was his specialty, where a guy with good length and decent speed can tear through some people at high velocity. Jim Harbaugh mentioned him multiple times in press conferences.
Fast forward to the spring, and Furbush was moved to SAM linebacker. That position makes more sense to me than middle linebacker for a guy with his size and skills. Oddly, though, he’ll be backing up quasi-safety Jabrill Peppers, who is about 6’1″, 210 lbs. They’re totally different players, but Furbush makes sense against teams that like to line up big bodies, while Peppers is more of a spread-beater. I expect Furbush to be deployed more against the Wisconsins and Michigan States of the world, while Peppers fits more against Ohio State and teams that send out three or four wide receivers. Peppers is too good to take off the field very often for Furbush, but the coaching staff seems to like the Ohio native, who has added over 20 lbs. since last season now that he’s healthy. In addition to more special teams duty, Furbush should get his first snaps on the defensive side of the ball in 2016.
Prediction: Backup SAM linebacker
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Furbush always makes me think of Dan Jilek. I’m not entirely sure why, but if he grows up to be the player Jilek was, that would be a real good thing for us.
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Dude, you are dating yourself seriously!
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I was there. I’m still here. It beats the alternative.
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Impressive. My memory only goes back to the mid 80s Harbaugh era.
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Some Allen Gant potential here – where he is listed pretty high up on the depth chart but doesn’t actually see much time.
I agree with the rank even though I’m not sure I’m sold on the Wisconsin/MSU argument. If that’s really the case you could argue he’ll be higher. Regardless, it seems like he’ll have some role; special teams, situational SAM, backup ILB, maybe even a rushing DE on 3rd and long. Furbush seems to be pushing for playing time at a position group Michigan needs people to step up at.
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I think he’ll see more time than Gant. Peppers can’t play every snap on defense while still contributing on offense and special teams. He needs a breather, and Furbush is the next guy in. I don’t think Michigan has a great clone of Peppers to fill in behind him, at least since it sounds like Khaleke Hudson will start off at strong safety.
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Well you could have said the same for Gant – in reality a nickelback was used instead. The “next guy in” could be Jeremy Clark, with Lewis folding to nickel, as they did in the bowl game that Peppers missed.
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I mean, you asked and I answered. If you don’t agree on the prediction, that’s fine. We won’t know the answer until the day(s) it happens.
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Gant was never a legit candidate for real consideration. Kid was a MAC level talent. Harbaugh and Brown are not the types to talk up a player like Furbush unless he is doing some good things. And he did look like a plus special teamer. The comparison holds no water.
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Interesting that he and Winovich have sort of switched roles from their projections as recruits. Everyone thought Winovich was going to be Jake Ryan and Furbush would end up at DE at the time.
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So lets play this out and assume Wisconsin or MSU bring out a thumping run-heavy set that tries to wear down Peppers (starting at SAM). Does Michigan take Peppers off the field or move him to a DB spot?
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I guess it depends on who’s getting to the ball and making plays. That extra 30 lbs is only useful if Furbush actually gets in on the tackle.
And frankly, given the strength of our D line, I’m not sure that running the ball a lot, at Peppers, to try to wear him down, is a plan that anyone can make work.
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Well, it’s also useful if he flings a FB or pulling guard back into a hole he was supposed to create for a RB and Hill or Gedeon or Peppers tackle on the bounce…but I take your point.
I am just anticipating what some teams might try to do this year to attack peppers. Best way to block him may be to instead, run right through him. Wisconsin should be an interesting matchup and test-run for MSU.
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Frankly, I think I would probably welcome them trying to run through our D line to get to Peppers and bang him up a little. For the relatively small number of extra hits they’d actually get on Peppers in the course of a game, they’d probably have to spend too many other unproductive plays that DIDN’T get to him to make it worth it.
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Its hard to think of any winning strategy against a dominant DL. Your best bet is to option off one of the DL and hope you can contain the other 3.
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That’s a good question. It depends on if they need him on the field, or if Michigan is beating the other team pretty good. My inclination is to say that Michigan would put Peppers at strong safety and take someone like Delano Hill off the field.
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One of Michael Spath’s anonymous B1G interviewees said exactly that: that their offense would try to hit Peppers as much as possible to wear him down.
Presumably, the answer will be moving Peppers to SS from time to time as opposed to taking him off the field. He’ll need breathers, no doubt, but you can’t let the opposition sideline your best player.
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Brown will have Peppers moving around. He’ll find ways to protect him and keep offenses off balance.
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I actually think CB might make more sense. But I think highly of Hill’s ability to tackle in the open field and think he’ll be one of the best SS’s in the conference this year.
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Are you high? He is the best player on the team and a top 10 NFL pick. Using him only against certain offenses would be madness. Kid can play 5 or 6 positions on defense alone.
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