Brandon Peters (image via MLive)
[This is the first official post from a new contributor to the site, umbig11. Thanks to him for his insights! -Thunder]
I thought I would stop by and pass along some updates for all of you diehard Michigan football fans:
Dymonte Thomas
Projected starters: Senior Delano Hill started eight games this past season, making 46 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 2 pass breakups. He is a decent tackler when stepping up to support the run, but he has yet to make much of an impact in the passing game and does not flash great speed. He is the odds-on favorite to be Michigan’s strong safety. At free safety, fellow senior Dymonte Thomas has the inside track after starting four games, making 24 tackles, and breaking up 7 passes. He has better speed and makes more plays against the pass, but he is not quite so stout against the run.
Hit the jump for more on the safety position.
Jourdan Lewis
Projected starters: Senior Jourdan Lewis had an All-America season last year when he made 52 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 INTs (1 TD), and a school-record 20 pass breakups. The other side is a bit murkier, but senior Channing Stribling may be the best bet. He started four games last season and finished with 17 tackles, 2 INTs, and 3 pass breakups, including picking off a botched fake field goal by Florida in the bowl game.
Hit the jump for more on the cornerback position.
Bryan Mone (#90)
Projected DT starters: Fifth-year senior Ryan Glasgow was one of Michigan’s best starting defenders last season, and you could tell how much the defense missed him when he missed the end of the season with a pectoral injury. He finished the season with 25 tackles, 5 TFLs, and 1 sack in nine games at the nose tackle position. He is very strong, fairly quick off the ball, and uses excellent technique. Last year’s backup nose tackle Maurice Hurst, Jr. was pressed into a lot of playing time at the nose because of injuries, but his size makes him more of a 3-technique in an ideal world. Assuming Glasgow and Bryan Mone return healthy at NT, redshirt junior Hurst (35 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3 sacks) should slide over to 3-tech and use his quickness there.
Hit the jump for the rest of the defensive line preview.
Jabrill Peppers
On Tuesday of last week, I posted a projected depth chart for the offense (LINK). Today I’ll take a look at the defense, which is expected to be a 4-3 with a defensive back-type player inhabiting the strongside linebacker-type role in some packages. With position previews forthcoming, I didn’t bother to elaborate on depth. Michigan is bringing in some early-impact guys on defense who should be the two-deep by the fall, but the roster is limited this spring since 22 of the incoming freshmen aren’t enrolled yet.
SDE: Chris Wormley (RS Sr.), Matt Godin (RS Sr.)
DT: Maurice Hurst Jr. (RS Jr.), Brady Pallante (RS So.)
NT: Ryan Glasgow (RS Sr.), Bryan Mone (RS So.)
WDE: Taco Charlton (Sr.), Shelton Johnson (RS Fr.), Lawrence Marshall (RS So.)
*SAM: Jabrill Peppers (RS So.), Chase Winovich (RS So.), Carlo Kemp (Fr.)
MIKE: Ben Gedeon (Sr.), Mike McCray II (RS Jr.), Reuben Jones (RS Fr.)
WILL: Noah Furbush (RS So.), Devin Bush Jr. (Fr.), Jared Wangler (RS So.)
CB: Jourdan Lewis (Sr.), Keith Washington (RS Fr.), Freddy Canteen (RS So.), Reon Dawson (RS Jr.)
CB: Jeremy Clark (RS Sr.), Channing Stribling (Sr.), Brandon Watson (RS So.)
FS: Dymonte Thomas (Sr.), Tyree Kinnel (So.)
SS: Delano Hill (Sr.), Jordan Glasgow (RS Fr.)
*Dependent on defensive package