James Ross (#15)
Name: James Ross III
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 232 lbs.
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #15
Last year: I ranked Ross #13 and said he would be the starting SAM with 90 tackles. He started seven games and made 32 tackles with 3 tackles for loss.
The deployment of Ross last year was one that left me scratching my head a little bit. Basically a full- or part-time starter since his freshman year in 2012, he still made seven starts last year but didn’t play much. Playing SAM linebacker in a 4-3 Over, he was pulled off the field pretty frequently in nickel situations. Because of that, he had the fewest tackles of his career and did not have even half a sack for the first time.
This year Ross has been practicing at two positions: SAM and WILL linebacker. The two inside linebacker positions seem to be pretty solidified with Joe Bolden and Desmond Morgan, but SAM is a position that has just one proven contributor in the form of Ross. On the one hand, that versatility should give him different chances to get on the field. On the other hand, the SAM linebacker will probably be pulled off the field when Michigan goes with three safeties for their nickel look. That will happen quite a bit again this season. I would like to rank Ross higher because of few options at SAM, but ultimately, there seem to be contingency plans that could include playing a safety down in the box.
Prediction: Starting SAM linebacker; 50 tackles, 2 sacks
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Don’t know if it will really happen, but would love to see this group of linebackers finally blossom. When Bolden, Ross and Jenkins-Stone came in three years ago, they were all top rated recruits and possibly the best LB class in the country. Always figured that by the time they were juniors, we’d have the best linebacking corp in the Big Ten and one of the best in the country, but it hasn’t turned out that way. Bolden and Ross have been good, but not great, and RJS has been a bit of a bust, but maybe Harbaugh can get one top notch year out of them.
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This website will take some getting use to.
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I think Ross’ snaps went down in ’14 primarily because of his struggles in pass coverage. He started to get picked on regularly by opposing OC’s as the ’13 season wore on. LB coverage was pretty bad in general last year with Morgan going down. But Ross getting tons of snaps would have made a bad group worse in that facet of the game. If he cleans up that are of his game and starts reacting a little quicker off the snap, he will be able to earn more snaps in ’15.
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Wrote a comment yesterday that got lost in space….
The gist was that Morgan’s unexpected return affects Ross’s value dramatically. He seemed like a natural instinctual WILL but because of Morgan’s presence and Bolden’s emergence, as well as a lack of viable SAMs, Ross has been bumped outside. It doesn’t seem like a spot where he can play to his strengths – slicing past blockers on his way to blowing up run plays. Last year, it didn’t go well, as he seemed to struggle in more open space and pass coverage. I’m a little surprised the staff isn’t looking at Gedeon at SAM instead, with Ross at WILL and Morgan/Bolden shuffling around as needed.
If Morgan is gone and Ross is the starting WIL, I think you could make a case for him being ranked in the teens. As it is, I think he’s outside of the top 20.
Ross seems like a 2-down player, and one whose absence wouldn’t be too badly missed. If the rumors of more nickel packages are to believed, Ross’s bigger role may come rotating in at WIL than playing snaps on the edge. The pass coverage concerns seem real but might be overstated and/or compensated for with scheme/role. If Ross can show that instinctual aggressiveness he flashed at WIL and bring it into the pass rush, maybe he’ll live up to his potential in his senior year. We’ll see.
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Sounds like Ross is working inside and outside, which seems like a step in the right direction.
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