Desmond Morgan
Name: Desmond Morgan
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 236 lbs.
High school: Holland (MI) West Ottawa
Position: Linebacker
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Morgan #22 and said he would be a starting linebacker with 80 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. He made 6 tackles in the first game before missing the rest of the season.
Last year Morgan had to deal with outside linebacker Jake Ryan encroaching on inside linebacker territory, and Morgan found himself as the odd man out behind Ryan and Joe Bolden. Unfortunately, Morgan got hurt in the first week and missed the rest of the season. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise for Morgan and the team, though, because he has a chance to make a bigger impact this year. The Wolverines did fairly well on defense with Ryan (112 tackles) and Bolden (102 tackles) leading the way, and it would have been a logjam with those three and then-sophomore Ben Gedeon all clawing for playing time.
This year Morgan should step in for Ryan. The former lacks the same athleticism and knack for making plays, but he averaged 80 tackles and 5 tackles for loss during his sophomore and junior campaigns. Instead of a quartet of quality players, the Wolverines have three guys inside who should be able to rotate without missing much of a beat. Morgan is perhaps the heaviest hitter of the bunch, and opponents are rarely able to break free once he gets his hands on them. He has improved his pass drops, has a good head on his shoulders, and is looked upon as a leader. The #48 Legends jersey he has worn for the past couple years, in honor of Gerald Ford, has been re-retired. Instead of returning to the #44 he sported early in his career, Morgan will don the #3 he wore as a quarterback/linebacker in high school. Morgan should be a strong, level-headed leader in the middle of Michigan’s defense this year, and he might even earn some all-conference votes from people who give extra juice to fifth year seniors who seem like they’ve been playing since the Clinton administration.
Prediction: Starting middle linebacker; 90 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack
You need to login in order to vote
95 tackles, 8 TFL, 3 sacks
You need to login in order to vote
So why Morgan over Bolden? Last year Bolden seemed to surpass Morgan to start the season, despite being younger and less experienced. This year, Harbaugh has rained praise on Bolden and he’s rumored to be a leading candidate to be named a captain, so theoretically a leadership advantage as well. Plus Morgan may still be recovering and/or rusty.
Bit of a nitpick, since both are ranked in the teens, just curious about your thoughts.
You need to login in order to vote
I haven’t been totally in love with Bolden’s body of work. I think Morgan is capable of more spectacular plays, he’s been a better tackler, he takes on blocks better, etc. Maybe Bolden has earned praise, but Morgan was awarded a Legends jersey by the previous staff, so he’s no slouch in the leadership/character department, either.
You need to login in order to vote
They handed out those legends jerseys to some pretty unexceptional players. Not sure that means a whole lot.
You need to login in order to vote
It doesn’t mean you’re great, but it indicates a level of leadership and/or talent. I would say the lone exception (a.k.a. someone with questionable leadership) would be Devin Funchess, who was perhaps the most talented of the guys wearing Legends jerseys. It’s not an accident or randomness that Morgan was given Gerald Ford’s jersey number.
You need to login in order to vote
Other than the jersey, was there much evidence that Courtney Avery, for example, was a leader? Roundtree got it too. I’m sure both were good guys and all, but I don’t think it says that much about them to be honest. I have no idea if it was true or not, but a lot of people accused Gardner of having attitude issues too. Funchess…obviously not a great leader.
I’m not saying Morgan is or isn’t a leader, I’m just saying the number doesn’t sway me one way or the other.
Seems like it was mostly a case of “you’re a senior and not a total a-hole and we have these numbers and so…”
You need to login in order to vote
Yes, there were was evidence based on what we’d heard ever since Avery was in high school. And Roundtree, for example, was just hired as a wide receivers coach with CSU-Pueblo. If he wasn’t a good leader, Jeff Hecklinski wouldn’t have hired him to coach under him.
You need to login in order to vote
Good point re: Roundtree. And it’s true that Avery always had a good reputation. Still, I’d take a captaincy from Harbaugh over a legend jersey under Hoke if guessing at evidence for leadership.
You need to login in order to vote
Morgan is a better player at this point. He has a better feel for coverage and is more of a thumper in run support. Bolden is at his best when he is turned loose like on a blitz or when they occasionally run him up to the edge of the line. But last year, he continued to be a step slow in run reads and was out of position on a lot on his drops. LB’s were a huge part of the defense’s breakdowns in the passing game last year (Utah, Rutgers, ND, etc.).
Bolden is supposedly an excellent practice player and he has always looked good in the spring games. I felt that Hoke played a bit of favoritism with him and gave him more snaps then deserved based on game performance. Bolden also may be have better speed/quickness measurables than Morgan. But it is not enough to make up for Morgan’s superior instincts. We will see what happens with the new staff.
You need to login in order to vote
I don’t know that that’s true. Keep in mind Mattison started Bolden over Morgan to begin last year. They’re all still here. Maybe Hoke was ‘playing favorites’ but this is a lazy narrative that I”m not buying into. The fact that these coaches are maybe going to name Bolden captain says to me that they probably aren’t going to bench him or anything. We’ll see though…
I sort of think Bolden and Ross should switch, but it depends on what the D is running I guess. I just like Ross more inside than out and Bolden seems pretty versatile.
You need to login in order to vote
You don’t have to agree, but my opinion has nothing to do with laziness. It’s based on watching these players pretty closely in games. And when it comes to my opinion about guys like Bolden and AJ Williams getting more snaps than their game performance warranted under Hoke, I am not completely alone in that.
You need to login in order to vote
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but that one doesn’t make much sense.
Who was supposed to play ahead of Bolden? And if Bolden plays ahead of those people again, under a new coach, doesn’t that prove that Hoke did the right thing? Or, alternatively, does it mean Harbaugh is playing favorites too?
Ditto for Williams. Maybe Hoke should have moved Poggi and Winovich to TE or maybe they should have talked Ty Wheatley into have a kid a year earlier, but he didn’t do those things so he had who he had. Who was supposed to play instead of Hoke’s ‘favorite’ Williams?
You need to login in order to vote
I wasn’t high on Morgan when he first came here but has earned my respect. Never going to be a ‘great’ player but steady is a good work to describe him. Good to have him back/ healthy and I look forward to seeing him play the best football of his career in his final year as a Wolverine.
You need to login in order to vote
Always liked Morgan. Also he’s the last active player I got to see play when I was a student due to the senior year redshirt.
You need to login in order to vote
Agree with the lofty ranking for Morgan. You could have even put him higher. There is depth at the LB position, but he was obviously missed last year. I think it took Jake Ryan longer to get acclimated to LB (especially in the passing game) than the coaches probably hoped. Wonder had Morgan not been injured, they may have moved Jake back outside to let him turn it loose again.
Loved seeing Morgan back in the lineup for the spring scrimmage. True to form, he had an impressive interception. He has a bit of that Kovacs vibe where he is just fun to watch.
You need to login in order to vote