Tag: William Campbell

William Campbell, #73

Teric Jones, Thomas Gordon, William Campbell, and Boubacar Cissoko

HIGH SCHOOL
Campbell played high school ball at Detroit (MI) Cass Tech, and he was a prized recruit.  Rivals ranked him as a 5-star and the #5 defensive tackle, Scout ranked him as a 5-star and the #6 defensive tackle.  As a senior in 2008, he had 55 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 fumble return touchdown.  High school teammates Thomas Gordon (currently a starting safety), Boubacar Cissoko, and Teric Jones (the latter two of whom left the program early) joined him at Michigan as part of the 2009 class.

COLLEGE
Despite arriving at Michigan with little attention paid to technique, Campbell played immediately as a freshman; during that 5-7 season, Campbell made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass breakups.  He began his 2010 sophomore season at defensive tackle, but he continued to be a backup and eventually requested a move to the offensive line in an effort to play more; he never saw the field as an offensive lineman, but he played as a goal-line fullback and made 1 tackle and 1 pass breakup throughout the year, along with playing on special teams protection units.  When Brady Hoke was hired prior to the 2011 season, Coach Hoke asked Campbell to move back to defensive tackle; while he didn’t start any games, he was an oft-used backup at both nose tackle and 3-tech DT, making 14 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery.  Campbell finally became a starter as a senior in 2012, earning the nod at 3-tech DT and making 44 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack; he was rewarded with All-Big Ten Honorable Mention at the conclusion of his career.

CAREER STATISTICS
63 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery

AWARDS
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2012

SUMMARY
Many people will consider Campbell a bust because of his 5-star recruiting profile; he was a huge guy with good athleticism, and everyone thought he would be a stud.  Unfortunately, it was apparent during high school – and mentioned by numerous scouts, recruiting gurus, etc. – that he struggled to stay low consistently.  That was troublesome for him throughout his career.  He probably should have redshirted in 2009, but he was put on the field before he was ready.  Early returns were not good, and he got frustrated enough to request a change to the offensive line, which really didn’t fit his skill set due to Rich Rodriguez’s zone blocking scheme.  When Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison were hired after Rodriguez was let go, they moved him back to defense and taught him some of the technique that he had been lacking.  He made some “wow” plays at times by crushing opposing centers and guards into their own backfields, but he still wasn’t consistent enough to be greatly productive.  But he did eat up blockers and no longer got blown off the ball very often – like he did in his first two years – which helped other players make more plays.  It makes me wonder what Michigan’s defense would look like in 2013 if Campbell had a year of eligibility and good coaching remaining, but now the Wolverines will have to find a somewhat inexperienced replacement at his former position.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . dancing during his televised commitment during the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

PROJECTION
Campbell measured in at 6’5″, 311 lbs. at Michigan’s pro day after being passed over for an invitation to the NFL Combine.  He also ran a 5.15 forty, benched 225 lbs. a total of 35 times (which would have made him the #7 strongest player at the Combine), and ran a 4.71 second shuttle time.  His lack of production on the college level is a concern, and he’s also a guy with a reputation for an inconsistent work ethic; while he seems to have corrected his early problems with weight and hard work, he still loses focus on staying low and playing hard on every play.  Based on strength and athletic potential, I think Campbell might get drafted toward the tail end of the 2013 NFL Draft; he looks like a guy who might start off as a 3-tech defensive tackle in a 4-3 but might grow into a nose tackle as he packs on some of that weight once again.  I don’t think he’ll be a star at the next level, but he could carve out a niche as a backup lineman or a mediocre NFL starter for several years.

2013 East-West Shrine Game

William Campbell (third from left) will participate in the East-West Shrine Game.  Teric Jones (#14) and Boubacar Cissoko (#33) have both left the program, but Thomas Gordon (#15) now starts at safety.

The 2013 East-West Shrine Game will be on the NFL Network this afternoon at 4:00 p.m.  Some players of interest for Michigan fans, including defensive tackle William Campbell:

EAST ROSTER
Gerald Hodges – LB – Penn State
T.J. Johnson – C – South Carolina
Brandon McGee – CB – Miami*
Chris Pantale – TE – Boston College*
Branden Smith – CB – Georgia*
Nick Speller – OG – UMass
Matt Stankiewitch – C – Penn State
Devin Taylor – DE – South Carolina

WEST ROSTER
Josh Boyd – DT – Mississippi State*
William Campbell – DT – Michigan*
Alex Carder – QB – Western Michigan
Keenan Davis – WR – Iowa
James Ferentz – C – Iowa
Terry Hawthorne – CB – Illinois
DeVonte Holloman – LB – South Carolina*
Micah Hyde – CB – Iowa
Zeke Motta – LB – Notre Dame
Dann O’Neill – OT – Western Michigan/Michigan*
Nathan Williams – LB – Ohio State

*Recruited by Michigan

Defensive Line Preview: Michigan vs. South Carolina

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney might be the nation’s best defensive lineman (image via ESPN)

MICHIGAN
Starters: The Wolverines run a 4-3 Under defense.  Senior strongside end Craig Roh (6’5″, 281 lbs.) is a four-year starter and has 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks on the season.  The nominal starter at weakside end is sophomore Brennen Beyer (6’3″, 252 lbs.), who has made 18 tackles and forced 1 fumble on the year.  Redshirt junior nose tackle Quinton Washington (6’4″, 300 lbs.) has improved throughout the year but has notched just 29 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble on the season; he’s more of a space eater than a playmaker.  Senior defensive tackle William Campbell (6’5″, 308 lbs.) has made 44 tackles, but has just 1.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack.  They don’t make a ton of penetration, but these guys eat up blockers and allow the linebackers to flow to the ball.
Backups: Sophomore weakside end Frank Clark (6’2″, 262 lbs.) is the most prominent backup and the biggest playmaker of the entire unit; he has 25 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass breakups on the year.  Junior defensive tackle Jibreel Black (6’2″, 279 lbs.) has 18 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups.  Redshirt freshman Keith Heitzman (6’3″, 270 lbs.) backs up Roh and has 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery on the year.  Freshman nose tackle Ondre Pipkins (6’3″, 340 lbs.) has just 6 tackles on the season.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Starters: The Gamecocks run a 4-2-5 defense, basically with two strong safeties.  Sophomore weakside end Jadeveon Clowney (6’6″, 256 lbs.) is the star of the team; he’s an All-American who made some Heisman ballots with 50 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 pass breakups. The line is bookended by fifth year senior Devin Taylor (6’8″, 267 lbs.), who ended the regular season with 40 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery. In between are fifth year senior nose tackle Byron Jerideau (6’1″, 316 lbs.) and sophomore defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles (6’4″, 286 lbs.).  Jerideau gets a little bit of push with 39 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks on the year.  Quarles has 36 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
Backups: Senior strongside end Aldrick Fordham (6’4″, 269 lbs.) is Taylor’s pass rushing sub, making 21 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.  Even Clowney’s backup, redshirt junior Chaz Sutton (6’5″, 248 lbs.), can get after the quarterback with 23 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass batted down.  Redshirt freshman Gerald Dixon, Jr. (6’3″, 304 lbs.) and redshirt sophomore J.T. Surratt (6’2″, 295 lbs.) are slightly less productive as the backup defensive tackles, with 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup among them.

THE TAKEAWAY
Okay, this isn’t really a question.  The Gamecocks have the better defensive line by far.  Both of their backup defensive ends have put up better numbers than Michigan’s most productive starter.  They’re #5 in sacks (3.33 per game) and #15 against the run (119 yards/game).  Even with an All-American in Taylor Lewan at left tackle, South Carolina will likely give Michigan’s offensive line fits.
Advantage: South Carolina

Preview: Michigan at Ohio State

Rush Offense vs. Ohio State Rush Defense
Michigan is the #36 rushing offense in the country with 195 yards/game, but the rushing offense is perhaps in a dire situation.  Starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (514 yards, 5 touchdowns) will miss the rest of the season with a lower leg injury, which leaves the running back duties to Thomas Rawls (240 yards, 4 touchdowns, Vincent Smith (27 carries, 76 yards, 2 touchdowns), and Justice Hayes (16 carries, 83 yards, 1 touchdown).  The numbers don’t look too bad, but most of Rawls’s yards have come in garbage time and he has struggled against decent teams.  The wild card is Denard Robinson, who started at running back last week and – mostly from the quarterback position – has rushed for 1,044 yards and 6 touchdowns, good enough for the 15th-most yards in the nation despite missing 2.5 games due to injury.  He’s clearly the best running option, but he may not be able to run Michigan’s full complement of plays.  The Buckeyes have the #17 rush defense and have given up just 117 yards/game.  Defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins and Garrett Goebel don’t get a ton of penetration, but they are space eaters who have combined for 8 tackles for loss.  Defensive end John Simon and linebacker Ryan Shazier have each made 14.5 tackles for loss, and Shazier has improved significantly since last year, when he played as a freshman.  The Buckeyes should be able to handle Michigan’s interior offensive line, so the Wolverines will have to attack the edges and through the air.
Advantage: Ohio State


Pass Offense vs. Ohio State Pass Defense
Michigan has been improving incrementally in the passing game and now sits at #95 with 201 yards/game; quarterback Devin Gardner has been the impetus for that rise, and he threw for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns against Iowa last week.  Wide receivers Jeremy Gallon (34 catches, 617 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Roy Roundtree (25 catches, 461 yards, 2 touchdowns) have stepped up their games recently, and tight end Devin Funchess has been a productive red zone target.  The Buckeyes are #84 in pass defense (250 yards/game), but #28 in pass efficiency defense.  Simon has made 9 sacks and Shazier has made 4.  Meanwhile, cornerback Travis Howard has 4 interceptions on the season, although 3 of them came in the Buckeyes’ first two games.  Michigan will have to pay extra attention to Simon and roll Gardner out to get him on the edge, but Gardner should be able to find some success with crossing routes and play action.
Advantage: Michigan


Rush Defense vs. Ohio State Rush Offense
The Wolverines give up 151 yards/game, good enough for 51st in the country.  However, that stat has been dropping since a couple rough outings early in the year.  The middle of Michigan’s defense has been stout, but starting defensive tackles Quinton Washington and William Campbell have combined for just 3 tackles for loss.  They don’t get consistent penetration, but they do hold their ground pretty well, which allows the inside linebackers to flow to the ball and make tackles.  Teams can gain yards running the ball, but usually in small increments.  Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have the #9 rushing offense and gain 245 yards/game, with quarterback Braxton Miller running for 110 yards/game and running back Carlos Hyde pretty close behind with 91 yards/game.  They like to run the option with Miller, who is very adept at pulling the ball out of Hyde’s belly and making things happen on the edge.  Michigan should keep Hyde pretty well in check early, until/unless Miller starts to gash them.  Miller is also very adept at tucking the ball and scrambling, which hurt Michigan last year; that will continue to be an issue, because the Wolverines don’t really have the athletes at defensive end to keep Miller hemmed in.
Advantage: Ohio State


Pass Defense vs. Ohio State Pass Offense
Michigan is #1 in overall pass defense (152 yards/game), but #30 in pass efficiency defense.  Free safety Thomas Gordon and cornerback Raymon Taylor each have 2 interceptions to tie for the team lead, but nobody in the secondary is known as a true ball hawk or a shutdown player in coverage.  The linebackers are pretty solid in coverage, but Michigan lacks a strong pass rush.  Defensive end Craig Roh has 4 sacks, outside linebacker Jake Ryan has 3.5, and safety Jordan Kovacs is next with 2.  The Buckeyes are the #100 passing offense with 180 yards/game and they’re #57 in passing efficiency, but they still have dangerous players on the outside.  The Buckeyes abused Michigan’s back seven in last season’s matchup, although that was a different offensive system and they had DeVier Posey.  Wideout Corey Brown (52 catches, 574 yards, 2 touchdowns) is more of a possession guy, but Devin Smith (28 catches, 555 yards, 6 touchdowns) has some explosive abilities and might be just as good as Posey was.  Poor quarterback play has prevented Michigan from getting beaten too badly on the outside, but I’ve been dreading the moment when it would hurt Michigan; there’s a very good chance that the Wolverines’ shortcomings on the outside will be exposed on Saturday.  I don’t think Taylor and his counter J.T. Floyd will be able to stick with Smith for the entire game, and Michigan’s safeties are just so-so in coverage.  The Buckeyes will run the ball a lot, so they probably won’t sit back there and throw 50 times to win, but they’ll get some big plays through the air.
Advantage: Ohio State


Roster Notes

• Michigan recruited OG Darryl Baldwin, RB Warren Ball, DT Michael Bennett, S Devan Bogard, CB Corey Brown, WR Corey Brown, S Christian Bryant, OT Taylor Decker, OT Kyle Dodson, RB Bri’onte Dunn, DT Garrett Goebel, LB Curtis Grant, CB Doran Grant, DT Joel Hale, RB Jordan Hall, OT Marcus Hall, DT Johnathan Hankins, TE Jeff Heuerman, QB Cardale Jones, QB Braxton Miller, DE Steve Miller, OG Joey O’Connor, LB David Perkins, DE Se’Von Pittman, CB Armani Reeves, DT Tommy Schutt, LB Ryan Shazier, WR Devin Smith, RB Rod Smith, DE Noah Spence, TE Jake Stoneburner, S Ron Tanner, TE Nick Vannett, and DT Adolphus Washington
• Players from Michigan include Grosse Pointe (MI) Grosse Pointe Farms OT Reid Fragel and Detroit (MI) Southeastern DT Johnathan Hankins

Predictions

• Denard Robinson starts at running back but gets a couple chances to throw
• Devin Gardner gets flustered by the pass rush and forced into a couple bad throws
• Ohio State makes some big plays over top of the defense
• Michigan holds down Carlos Hyde well, but Miller wins the game with his feet
• Ohio State 24, Michigan 17

A Look Back . . . 

• Last year’s game recap
• Grades for Michigan’s defense last year
• Last year’s game awards

Video: Hoke, Denard, Smith, Campbell, Gordon, Omameh, Dileo postgame