Devin Bush, Jr. (image via Detroit Free Press)
Name: Devin Bush, Jr.
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 232 lbs.
High school: Pembroke Pines (FL) Flanagan
Position: Linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #10
Last year: I ranked Bush #31 and said he would be a backup inside linebacker. He made 12 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.
TTB Rating: 85
Bush was the type of speedy, hard-hitting linebacker that Michigan seemed to have been lacking for years when he came out of high school in 2016. The son of a former NFLer and Florida State star, perhaps Bush’s pedigree got people a little more excited than normal, too. The recruiting sites liked him, but they didn’t love him. He was a shoo-in to play early after moving to campus in January 2016, partly because Michigan had very little depth at inside linebacker. Ben Gedeon and Mike McCray II held down the starting inside linebacker jobs and ate up the vast majority of snaps, but Bush was the #3 inside guy and held his own when given the opportunity.
Fast forward to 2017 camp, and the hype has continued inside the Michigan sphere. While Bush was mostly a WILL in 2016, he has taken over Gedeon’s vacated MIKE linebacker position, and the coaches like his ability to blitz and play sideline to sideline. Despite lacking prototypical middle linebacker size, the 5’11”, 232-pounder can hold his own physically. Michigan has no proven depth at inside linebacker, and they’re likely counting on at least one freshman – Josh Ross, Drew Singleton, and/or Jordan Anthony – to be on the two-deep. Redshirt junior Jared Wangler has moved to fullback, but he wasn’t much of a threat to play meaningful snaps at linebacker, and the other potential contributors are second-year players. It’s a young position group aside from McCray, so keeping Bush on the field will be important with Michigan’s complicated defense.
Prediction: Starting middle linebacker; 90 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
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Yes well put. Michigan needs to repeat last year’s fortunate injury luck at LB. Hopefully one of the freshman proves themselves a capable backup, either way.
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Bush is a downhill lb. Question will be how does he hold up against a big back. In fact that is the question for the entire Don Brown defense. Now the good news is that UM has a very good DL so it allows it’s linebackers to play with a head of steam rather than be on their heels. Bush could be Ian Gold lite which would be one heck of a player.
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Good point about the starters ability to play against a big back, but the back-ups fit the bill quite well. Against a big back, Wroblewski at MLB, Furbush at SLB and even Kemp at WDE fit very nicely. We should do just fine against the power teams on the schedule. I also think Brown will find ways to use Bush and Hudson’s speed well against those teams.
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Agree. This is a reason I believe the defense is actually going to be pretty good and maybe Great by the end of the year. There is speed but as you pointed out, also depth. Maybe not as much in the secondary as in other areas but as long as Hill and Long and Thomas and Kinnel aren’t incompetent then UM should do very well. I could make a case that this defense has a higher ceiling than last year.
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theyll have a faster more athletic lineup out there but itll be tough to top last years D with the inexperience across the roster. they should be pretty good and if they remain healthy and if youngsters in the right spots step up at the right times, they could be very good. but id be shocked if they approach last years D…they were a technically sound and pretty consistent college D and were mostly lights out on 3rd downs and in red zone (which is huge). hopefully excellent coaching, elite play from a few guys and consistent growth from some talented young players will help them limit growing pains (and win games whereas they were often losing them in hokes years while the recent nfl departures took their lumps) and become a formidable unit. well see. excited to watch though. theyve got some legit talent, im high on several inexperienced / young players and don browns a beast so should be fun
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Last year’s D ceiling was #1 in the country. Doesn’t get better than that.
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A big slow RB is the last thing I’m worried about hurting a Don Brown D. Worried about the dudes getting loose in space against our young CBs.
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Yep
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He’s not 5’11” is he? Officially? He looks much smaller in pics. I’d guess 5’9″. Regardless, he’s the biggest hitter we’ve had in years and will be a breakout year. Super excited to watch his highlight hits through the year.
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