Michigan Inexperienced but Reloading on Defense

Bryan Mone (image via MLive)

First things first, Michigan lost a lot of talent from last year’s team. However, there is no question about the impact that Don Brown has made on the program. He developed a defense that led the nation in many categories throughout the year. He is also responsible for developing raw talent into NFL caliber players. There is no reason to believe that will not be the case again this year.

The defensive front four will be elite yet again and among the nation’s best. Rashan Gary will lead that group and he has a full year of experience under his belt. The same can be said for Mo Hurst and many believe that he is a first round draft pick. Bryan Mone will have to stay healthy to truly show off his skills this year. He has had some very bad luck when it comes to injuries and Michigan cannot afford that this year. Chase Winovich, a seasoned 4-star LB out of high school has a year under his belt at DE and will anchor the weak side.

Speaking of Chase, he has really bulked up and he can get up the field quickly. The question for this group is where does the help come from? The lack of experience behind the front four is what everyone should and will be talking about until we see that first game in the fall. However, there were several players that took a giant leap forward during last year’s bowl practices. Michael Dwumfour is a name that you should become familiar with right away. He is poised and ready to contribute. He is still battling an upper body injury, but he will be ready to go by fall.

Others that stepped up were Ron Johnson, Lawrence Marshall, and Carlo Kemp. Kemp will make an immediate impact. Early enrollee, Donovan Jeter has acquitted himself very well during the first handful of practices and will likely see the field. When Aubrey Solomon arrives he will play out of necessity as the depth behind the starters just isn’t there yet. You can add walk-on DT Carl Myers to the depth chart too. One more wildcard will be 4 star DE Luiji Vilain. Will he be able to catch up quickly enough to provide support?

After writing the first few paragraphs of this article, I am starting to think I must have been drunk on blue Kool Aid when I stated that we will not see a drop off from last year’s defense. Do I think the first four on the defensive front are elite? Absolutely, but the depth isn’t there yet and we have not even talked about the inexperience in the secondary.

So, who plays Viper? I really think that position gets far too much hype. Peppers certainly helped glorify that position even more. He is truly a once in every decade type of player. The plan before spring practice was to rotate Josh Metellus and Khaleke Hudson. Yet, it appears as if that plan has been abandoned after just a few practices. Hudson has clearly dominated the time spent with the one’s.

Metellus, after stepping in for Peppers during the Orange Bowl, has been playing safety while Hudson has taken over the majority of the reps at Viper. Not only has he taken over, he is performing at an extremely high level. He is aggressive and one hell of a hitter. Hudson has been backed up by several players. Noah Furbush, Josh Uche, and Jordan Glasgow have all stepped in while Metellus was at safety. By the way, Jordan Glasgow will likely earn a scholarship this fall if there is any attrition.

Linebacker is a position of strength. Our LB’s are already playing faster than last year. Mike McCray is the leader of the defense and most likely a team captain. If there is an issue in the locker room, the players turn to him. Devin Bush will be an upgrade. He is another big hitter with excellent speed and pass coverage skills. Michael Wroblewski has made a name for himself and is a vocal leader on the practice field. He directs traffic and ensures that everyone is where they are supposed to be. Noah Furbush ran with the one’s, McCray and Bush for several reps on Tuesday. Josh Uche, Elysee Mbem- Bosse, and Devin Gil will all contribute. True Freshman Ben Mason has impressed early and will contribute somewhere. He has seen action at FB and LB and will at least contribute on special teams.

The CB’s are young and inexperienced, but extremely talented! David Long would have played more last season if not for a lower leg issue that sidelined him for a while. He has been sticking to our talented WR’s like glue. He is having a fantastic spring so far. Rest assured, he is All-B1G material. On the other side, LaVert Hill just needs to be more consistent and gain that much needed experience to compliment his game. His ceiling is very high. There are plenty of options to back up the corners. Ambry Thomas has been electric and one that will see the field as a true freshman. He just may lock down the Nickel in front of the more experienced Brandon Watson. Thomas and Benjamin St Juste were running with the two’s on Tuesday. Keith Washington and Watson provide even more depth. Although, it would have been nice to have Jeremy Clarke back this year.

Safety play will be far better than expected. Tyree Kinnel is a natural and an excellent tackler in space. He loves the contact and can close with the best of them. He will be an All-B1G selection (2nd or 3rd team). Josh Metellus, another big hitter will take the other safety spot even though he prefers to play Viper. The issue with safety is very obvious. Where is the depth? Glasgow has been getting reps with the two’s along with Jaylen Kelly-Powell. J’Marick Woods and possibly Brad Hawkins could provide some much needed depth. Brandon Watson could help in a pinch, but we cannot afford an injury to either Metellus or Kinnel.

As expected, the defense has dominated our offense for much of the early spring practices. How much of a drop off will we see from last year? Are we a top 10-15 defense?

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