Tag: Chase Winovich

5 Defensive Players to Watch in Michigan’s Spring Game

LB Mike McCray II

Michigan held some open practices in Florida and another at Ford Field last Saturday, but for many, the spring game will be the first opportunity to see the Wolverines in person or at least in action. I posted some notes on the defense earlier this week (LINK), and here are the top five defensive players I’ll be watching at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night:

LB/S Jabrill Peppers
It’s no surprise that Peppers would be first on my list. He might not be Michigan’s best defensive player, but his athletic abilities outstrip those of everyone else on the team. Peppers spent most of his time doing drills at SAM linebacker last Saturday at Ford Field, but when the Wolverines lined up for scrimmage action, he also played safety. The 6’1″, 208-pounder will line up at the line of scrimmage in a 9-technique, over slot receivers, or back deep in coverage. There’s reason to believe he will be a big-time playmaker, so prepare to be impressed when things go live.

Hit the jump for four more players to watch.

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5 Defensive Players to Watch in Michigan’s Spring Game

LB Mike McCray II

Michigan held some open practices in Florida and another at Ford Field last Saturday, but for many, the spring game will be the first opportunity to see the Wolverines in person or at least in action. I posted some notes on the defense earlier this week (LINK), and here are the top five defensive players I’ll be watching at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night:

LB/S Jabrill Peppers
It’s no surprise that Peppers would be first on my list. He might not be Michigan’s best defensive player, but his athletic abilities outstrip those of everyone else on the team. Peppers spent most of his time doing drills at SAM linebacker last Saturday at Ford Field, but when the Wolverines lined up for scrimmage action, he also played safety. The 6’1″, 208-pounder will line up at the line of scrimmage in a 9-technique, over slot receivers, or back deep in coverage. There’s reason to believe he will be a big-time playmaker, so prepare to be impressed when things go live.

Hit the jump for four more players to watch.

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Ford Field Open Practice: Defense, Special Teams

Noah Furbush

Yesterday, I posted my thoughts on Saturday’s practice regarding injuries, offense, and a few walk-ons to watch (LINK). Today I’ll address what I saw from the defense.

DEFENSIVE END
Depth: Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, Chase Winovich, Lawrence Marshall, Reuben Jones, Carlo Kemp
Scoop: Wormley spent some time both outside and inside, and we already know what to expect from him. In fact, a lot of the starters seemed to be going about 90%, because going 100% would just be unfair. The defensive line was handling the offensive front pretty well. Charlton is a physical freak, and it looked like he spent some time at both Anchor (strongside end) and weakside end. Winovich was my surprise of the day, because he definitely looked like he belonged on the field. In fact, he was working so hard coming off the edge that a bit of a brawl started when Kyle Kalis chucked him to the ground after a play. Winovich uses good leverage and can bend well, and I think he’s going to see some time. Marshall didn’t do anything special, and I think he needs to add weight and become a strongside end; he just doesn’t have the quickness or instincts to be an edge rusher, in my opinion. Jones looked decent and competitive, but I think he’s probably another year or two away. Kemp has moved from linebacker – where he was a poor fit, in my opinion – to defensive end. In fact, both Jones and Kemp were working at linebacker in Florida, but neither one worked with the linebackers on Saturday. Shelton Johnson is nursing an injury and did not practice. Maurice Hurst, Jr. had an ankle injury that was making him gimpy, and he was playing some Anchor at times but was ineffective (more due to injury than a lack of ability).

Hit the jump for the rest of the defense.

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Ford Field Open Practice: Defense, Special Teams

Noah Furbush

Yesterday, I posted my thoughts on Saturday’s practice regarding injuries, offense, and a few walk-ons to watch (LINK). Today I’ll address what I saw from the defense.

DEFENSIVE END
Depth: Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, Chase Winovich, Lawrence Marshall, Reuben Jones, Carlo Kemp
Scoop: Wormley spent some time both outside and inside, and we already know what to expect from him. In fact, a lot of the starters seemed to be going about 90%, because going 100% would just be unfair. The defensive line was handling the offensive front pretty well. Charlton is a physical freak, and it looked like he spent some time at both Anchor (strongside end) and weakside end. Winovich was my surprise of the day, because he definitely looked like he belonged on the field. In fact, he was working so hard coming off the edge that a bit of a brawl started when Kyle Kalis chucked him to the ground after a play. Winovich uses good leverage and can bend well, and I think he’s going to see some time. Marshall didn’t do anything special, and I think he needs to add weight and become a strongside end; he just doesn’t have the quickness or instincts to be an edge rusher, in my opinion. Jones looked decent and competitive, but I think he’s probably another year or two away. Kemp has moved from linebacker – where he was a poor fit, in my opinion – to defensive end. In fact, both Jones and Kemp were working at linebacker in Florida, but neither one worked with the linebackers on Saturday. Shelton Johnson is nursing an injury and did not practice. Maurice Hurst, Jr. had an ankle injury that was making him gimpy, and he was playing some Anchor at times but was ineffective (more due to injury than a lack of ability).

Hit the jump for the rest of the defense.

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Video: Greg Mattison, Chase Winovich interviews

Hit the jump for the Chase Winovich interview.

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