Maurice Hurst, Jr. (#73)
The Big Ten released its choices for the defensive All-Big Ten teams, and there are numerous Wolverines included.
COACHES
1st team: Rashan Gary – DL
1st team: Maurice Hurst, Jr. – DL
1st team: Devin Bush, Jr. – LB
2nd team: Chase Winovich – DL
2nd team: Lavert Hill – DB
3rd team: Khaleke Hudson – LB
Honorable mention: Tyree Kinnel – DB
Honorable mention: Mike McCray II – LB
Honorable mention: Josh Metellus – DB
Honorable mention: Quinn Nordin – K
Honorable mention: Brad Robbins – P
MEDIA
1st team: Maurice Hurst, Jr. – DL
1st team: Chase Winovich – DL
2nd team: Rashan Gary – DL
2nd team: Devin Bush, Jr. – LB
2nd team: Khaleke Hudson – LB
Honorable mention: Lavert Hill – DB
Honorable mention: Tyree Kinnel – DB
Honorable mention: David Long – DB
Honorable mention: Mike McCray II – LB
Honorable mention: Josh Metellus – DB
Honorable mention: Quinn Nordin – K
Honorable mention: Donovan Peoples-Jones – RET
Basically, it’s easier to say who didn’t get any All-Big Ten mentions, and that’s . . . uhhh . . . Noah Furbush? Aubrey Solomon? Yep. The only guys who didn’t get picked are the guys who weren’t full-time starters. There are 14 teams in the Big Ten, so there are 154+ starters, and Michigan has 2-3 of the top eleven guys, depending on whether you’re looking at the media or coach voting. And of all the guys mentioned, only two are graduating. That’s pretty impressive.
You can view the voting results here (LINK).
You need to login in order to vote
Pretty impressive.
I’m thinking offense will be significantly less so.
You need to login in order to vote
Thunder, “gut feeling” on whether or not Chase Winovich returns? With that said, maybe you need to develop your own tagline. Maybe…..
….. I wouldn’t be “shocked” if
….. I’ve heard “rumblings” that
….. BOOM!
Sorry, man…..down time at work!
You need to login in order to vote
Yeah, I do need a slogan…so I can build “the brand”…
My “gut feeling” – which is not as good as a Sam Webb gut feeling – is that Winovich will leave for the NFL. I don’t know that there’s a whole lot more for him to prove at this level. He stayed healthy, he produced, and he was productive against the run and the pass. I think he’ll be a 3-4 OLB in the NFL, and I don’t think staying will really help him improve the skills he needs as an OLB.
You need to login in order to vote
I liked Chase last year. Thought he would be good, but holy cow kid’s got a motor that wont quit. Unrelenting. I hope he comes back.
There are 2 seniors on this list, 2 juniors, and 6 sophomores. 4 of the sophomores are not honorable mentions.
Defense is going to be something special the new few years. If Gary stays for 2019 I am putting down large sums of money in Vegas for Michigan winning the Big10, and I’ll put down smaller sums of money for Michigan winning it all.
You need to login in order to vote
Yeah, that’s the thing that stood out to me about Winovich when I saw him in the open practice at Ford Field in 2016. He’s got a great motor and is just a pest. It’s not like he beat people clean by bull rushing or beating them around the edge. He just keeps going and going and going. You don’t get any plays off when you’re trying to block him.
You need to login in order to vote
It seems to me that was the same thing they said about Brandon Graham! 🙂
You need to login in order to vote
This seems like a popularity contest more than anything. I’m not impressed.
Our D got gashed by every single team we played at one time or another, even by the powder-puffs.
As for Winovich…Hurst came back and it will be paying off big time for him… he will move up the board and further line his pockets $$$$. Winovich should get his hair cut and do the same. Probably won’t (he doesn’t appear to be overly sharp upstairs). He will regret his decision in his old age, could have had one more year with his buddies at Michigan (he should listen to the Bo speech on that point)
You need to login in order to vote
I disagree. I’ve gone over the numbers before; if I remember correctly, it was in a discussion with you. Michigan had a top-15 defense or so in all kinds of categories – top 5 in some – with only a couple seniors/returning starters. Every team gets gashed at some point. Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, etc.
As for Hurst, I don’t think he earned himself a ton of money by coming back. He was considered a high-level DT last year, and he still is. He didn’t put up exceptional raw numbers, and he didn’t get appreciably bigger. I don’t know why Winovich doesn’t seem very sharp to you, but money talks. If I can lengthen my career and earn a couple million extra dollars while having to postpone my college degree and/or give up a year of college, that’s okay by me. Things happen like Jake Butt, Matt Barkley, etc.
Bo’s speech was over 30 years ago. Things have changed since then, including money and the realization of how much of a toll the sport of football can take on your body.
You need to login in order to vote
I disagree with Ernie.
Chase seems like a very bright kid from every interview I’ve seen, and he may not do much more for his draft stock than he did this year. He’s probably a top 3 round player at this point. I don’t believe he’s going to be an NFL star, but he’s an exceptional college athlete, and I think he’s playing close to his ceiling now.
Chase has been on campus for 4 years. He probably has his Michigan degree already.
Our defense was great this year, especially considering we have 2 players graduating with one being, in my opinion, easily replaced. If you think about how often they were on the field with how poor the offense performed, they were phenomenal.
I disagree with Thunder
Hurst was considered an NFL option last year, but not a first rounder. I think he played himself into the second half of the first round or early picks of the 2nd round. If Hurst is as fast as he looks at practice – keeping pace with Gary – he’ll be taken in the first round as a DT or maybe even as a 3-4 DE. I’m going out on a limb here and saying he hits a 4.73 40 at 282 lbs which will have everyone drooling.
You need to login in order to vote
Hurst was already considered to be a first rounder going into the 2016 season, let alone after it. Here’s an article from May 9, 2016, saying Hurst was projected by PFF as a first round draft pick.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/05/michigans_maurice_hurst_jake_b.html
You need to login in order to vote
https://touch-the-banner.com/michigans-top-six-2018-nfl-draft-prospects/
^ It looks like we’ve had this conversation before.. There’s a glitch in the matrix.
Barring a ridiculous combine in 2016, I think he probably would’ve been taken in the 3rd round or later.
I’m still ecstatic he came back. Before the season I thought he was going to be injured or less productive from being worn out. Then Don Brown moves to a 3 man line… and he’s still not taking plays off. Blew my expectations out of the water.
You need to login in order to vote