Tag: 2010 Season Countdown

2010 Countdown: #64 Marvin Robinson

Name: Marvin Robinson
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 190 lbs.
School: Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake, FL
Position: Spur
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Prediction for 2010: Increasing role as backup spur

Robinson was a highly touted recruited all through high school, earning raves and hype from Michigan fans at least as far back as his sophomore year. As you can see above, he’s well put together. Despite the fact that Rivals changed his position from safety to outside linebacker in its ratings, all indications from Robinson himself have pointed toward him playing strong safety in college. He’s a big safety and will likely be 200+ lbs. by the time the season rolls around. He doesn’t have the speed and quickness to play deep safety at the Big Ten level, in my opinion, but he is a very good athlete and a hard hitter.

I expect Robinson to earn more and more playing time as the season goes along. He tried to enroll early, but there was a snafu with his graduation/enrollment and that didn’t happen. That will slow his development somewhat. But with the lack of experience in the defensive backfield, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Robinson beat out some of the less heralded recruits or former walk-ons who currently litter the depth chart. He’ll still only be a freshman, though, so a starting role is probably at least a year away.

2010 Countdown: #65 Isaiah Bell

Name: Isaiah Bell
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 237 lbs.
High school: Liberty High School in Youngstown, OH
Position: Middle linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked him #75 and said he would redshirt. Bell redshirted.

Bell is in his second year of the program and making an adjustment from playing high school safety to playing college inside linebacker. Up to this point, he hasn’t really made his mark on the team. Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton are the presumed starters at the inside linebacker positions, and J.B. Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, and Mike Jones are scheduled to be the first ones off the bench.

I’m a little surprised that Bell was bumped to inside linebacker rather than Steve Brown’s hybrid role, but at 237 lbs., Bell has put on enough weight that the hybrid position would no longer be an option. In the pictures I have seen, Bell still looks a little bit soft, so I think he’s still got some work to do with his conditioning and nutrition habits. But I stand by my assessment from last year that Bell will be a good player in college – it just won’t be this year. Bell could be a contributor on special teams this year, and we might also see him at linebacker against teams like UMass or Bowling Green. Otherwise, I don’t expect to see #26 on the field much this year.

Prediction for 2010: Special teams action; limited linebacker reps

2010 Countdown: #66 Brandon Moore

2010 Countdown: #67 Carvin Johnson

Carvin Johnson (#1) makes a tackle

Name: Carvin Johnson
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Rummel High School in Metairie, LA
Position: Strong safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Prediction for 2010: Redshirt

As a high schooler, Johnson led his team to a second place finish in the state playoffs. He played free safety and wide receiver, although he was mainly a decoy on offense. Johnson is a prototypical strong safety in my mind, although Cameron Gordon seems like a strong safety to me, too, so what do I know? For now I’ll stick with that assessment, although it looks like Greg Robinson is tweaking this defense in ways we can’t fully grasp yet. We went from having a former cornerback and Big Ten sprinter (Troy Woolfolk) playing center field to a slow-ish wide receiver who many projected as a college linebacker (Cameron Gordon) playing free safety.

I think there’s a fair chance that we’ll see Carvin Johnson playing defense this year. The depth in the defensive backfield is thin, and walk-ons litter the depth chart (Floyd Simmons, Jared Van Slyke, Jordan Kovacs). I don’t expect Johnson to earn a starting job this year, and he’ll most likely redshirt. But I don’t think Rich Rodriguez can afford to throw too many former walk-ons out there this fall and expect to win a bunch of games. Either Johnson or Marvin Robinson will play this fall, and I give Robinson the edge due to superior athleticism.

2010 Countdown: #68 Josh Furman

Name: Josh Furman
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 194 lbs.
High School: Old Mill High School in Millersville, MD
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Prediction: Special teams action, limited defensive reps

Furman is a freak athlete with some growing and position-changing to do. He was a star running back and rush linebacker in high school, and his responsibilities will change greatly in the upcoming seasons. He was recruited to play SAM linebacker (Steve Brown’s position last year), which involves man coverage on tight ends and slot receivers. Since he was mainly rushing the passer and stuffing the run in high school, zone and man coverage responsibilities might be difficult for him right off the bat.

With Furman’s speed, athleticism, and decent size, I can picture him covering kicks and punts as a freshman, especially if he can get near or over the 200 lb. mark. Michigan’s defense is somewhat lacking in linebacker-sized players with speed, partly because they’re downright lacking in linebackers, period. But I think his coverage abilities will limit him to little or no time playing on defense. Defensive players typically move up in the defense (safeties become linebackers, linebackers become defensive ends, etc.), rather than moving back. But once Furman makes that adjustment, he’s got a good chance to be an impact player for the Wolverines.