Insider Practice Business
Joe Bolden hype comes in both unapproved and approved forms.
We had the fortune to get a practice report from a deeply anonymous person who wormed their way Inside The Fort, and here is what he or she or it reported, in my words:
Jabrill Peppers is mostly a nickel back but they are giving him a few experimental snaps at safety. While it seems like they are going to start him out there, as the season develops he may get more playing time when Michigan has four DBs on the field by taking that SS spot. Delano Hill's absence complicates things. He was leading at SS before he injured his jaw.
The alarming O-Line lineup tweeted out was at least temporarily a real thing. FWIW, that was Cole-Magnuson-Miller-Dawson/Glasgow-Braden. Kalis was not repping much with the first team. The slash-Dawson in that line above should be taken with a grain of salt—he looked another year or two away in one-on-ones.
That unit was not looking great even by early fall practice standards, so maybe they switch it up. Hoke told the assembled horde at Media Day that they hoped to settle on a top five by next week. They're still in experiment mode.
Jeremy Clark is your leader at SS with Hill sidelined. Brandon Watson is apparently #3 there until Hill gets back. Thomas did not get a mention.
Sigh… Joe Bolden seems to be for real. This is not bad for Michigan in general. It is bad for me because if Bolden starts the opener over a healthy Desmond Morgan I eat a lemon on the internet. But he's continued to get more time than Morgan. Jenkins-Stone is also getting a lot of time, but for whatever reason Ross was held out of this practice so that may be more about his absence than anything else.
Jourdan Lewis may be your best corner. He will push Taylor heavily; they're already splitting reps down the middle and Lewis is outperforming not only him but Countess.
Norfleet looked "f---ing great" and is the #1 slot. No, the insider is not me. I swear. Canteen is practicing both inside and out as they try to figure out their best configuration.
DeVeon Smith is the #1 back. Green and Hayes seemed running neck and neck for #2, with Drake Johnson the last serious competitor behind them. Hoke announced at media day that Johnson was 1b to Smith's 1a, so maybe they're seeing subtler things. Or Green is still on the motivation train.
While Ty Isaac looked pretty good, they're mostly running him with/against scrubs. That seems like an indicator they don't expect to get a waiver for him.
There is some zone read. FWIW. They ran zone read drills under Borges, too.
The defense is "crazy aggressive." They are serious about it, deploying a ton of press—just like the spring game—and using Peppers as a freelance sower of destruction on blitzes. Linemen are shifting frequently, giving the offensive line issues with pickups.
The defensive line should have good depth. Hurst and Wormley were both mentioned as seeming like starter-quality players, and the just-returned Pipkins was praised for his agility. He dominated one-on-one sessions and made some spin moves that seemed "impossible" for a guy his size. OL caveats apply.
Expect a lot of screens. Screens are the way you deal with a wobbly OL.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^
I agree with you, but I'd put it another way. I think the "best RB we have" ends up being the one that can run well but just as importantly blocks consistently. While this is generally true, I think RB blocking becomes imperative with an ... ungelled offensive line.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
Smith looks like a back who is more capable of turning 2-yard-blocking into a 4-yard-gain. With this OL, they will need a guy who can earn the tough yards. Based on limited experience last year, Green does not fit that profile.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^
Are they going to run actual zone reads, or are they going to run Borges zone reads where Brian was confused to hell because they were pulling a guy without optioning anyone? And are they going to run play action off it? And who is the back-up at free safety? Clark, Hill, Watson, and Thomas all seemingly mentioned at SS, but what about FS? Is it Clark except that the Hill injury is just forcing Clark to SS? Damn, I really wish Thomas showed something.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:39 PM ^
The safeties are pretty interchangeable. Hill was the backup FS before the Hill injury.
August 11th, 2014 at 6:34 PM ^
Hill was playing SS and I think you're much more likely to see a true FS/SS with the new defensive front.
Wilson/Clark
Hill was the #1 SS, then Thomas and Watson as the next two.
Could be wrong, but all signs I've seen have pointed to this and this update from Brian confirms some of it as well.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
August 11th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
Broken jaw I believe, and relitively recent (like last couple of weeks or something)
August 11th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
I'm not surprised the OL is struggling, and I'm happy to at least see Coach Nuss is adjusting to that fact.
August 11th, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
The question is, are they actually getting any coaching worth anything. Who is developing into a better player? Is there anyone? Maybe I'm being chicken little, but I feel like maybe it's time to think about whether or not Funk belongs there. Hoke thought Al was the greatest thing ever, but things just fell apart under him. Took 35 seconds to get a play in and get ready to snap the ball... Whatever. He's gone now. Now we can just worry about the OL coach wne if he needs ot go.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
It's great to see the amount of quality depth there is on this roster (CB, LB, and RB specifically.) That's what recruiting success, and more normative levels of attrition will get you. If the OL approaches any level of competence this year, expectations for 2015 will be high.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
Any news on Jake's transition to the middle?
August 11th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
It really sucks to hear that Thomas isn't doing much, he was my favorite recruit in his class and I have such high hope for him. Bad news ono-line seems like it'll suck again which would really kill the season. I really hope they both step it up by the time the season starts.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
but is his cousin Dunn performing down in Ohio? I haven't heard much. But I knew last year there was the problem with being behind carlos hyde.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:15 PM ^
He is probably 3rd-ish string. Definitely behind Ezekiel Elliot. Probably behind Curtis Samuel. And roughly even with Rod Smith. Not sure that OSU has the clear feature back like Wells or Hyde, so Dunn may get a shot this year. The guy is in the wrong offense.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
Supposedly Dunn wasn't high on participating in special teams drills last year, and thus wasn't being given many reps down the depth chart at RB either. That prompted his RS. I always liked Ball in their system, but IIRC, he has had a bit of a fumbling issue that has limited his time. Both are between the tackles types that will feature more in the Hyde role though. Elliot can do a little more in terms of threatening the edge and such.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
Last I saw Brionte Dunn he was getting screamed at by Urban Meyer during his true freshman year for screwing up a play (running the wrong way or something). He redshirted last year and it doesn't sound like he is too high on the depth chart.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:37 PM ^
Deep Insider Information
August 11th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
... This sounds like 2013 all over again. Can't wait for the season to start to see where we stand. It was evident pretty quickly last year how poor the offensive line play was.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
our back 7 on D should be much improved. hopefully it will translate into a bunch of INTs and we can steal a couple games with TOs.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
What's the point of getting excited over five-star recruits if they can't even crack the starting lineup?!?! AKLSHDGIAHEIOGKJDLKGAJGI
August 11th, 2014 at 2:06 PM ^
This is what's killed my recruiting interest the last couple of years. We've signed a bunch of heralded recruits the last few years, and none of them have amounted to anything as of yet. So why should I care about the next batch of incoming freshman or recruits (outside of Peppers of course because SWOON) if we can't seem to get anything out of them?
And its really this more than anything else that doesn't make me optimistic for the future of the Hoke era. He's got a definite Ty Willingham stink to him. Good recruits, no results.
August 11th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
A) I'm pretty sure the comment you replied to was making fun of people like you.
B) Maybe you should stop following recruiting. If you can't grasp the difference between a star recruit and a star player, and the time and work it takes to bridge the gap, then it's better for everyone if you stopped giving yourself false expectations.
Dymonte is the only one you can reasonably apply a "bust" tag too. Kalis started as RS FR, Green started as a true FR, Pipkins started as a true FR and SO, we've had lots of our young guys see the field in year one or two.
If that's not enough for you, then you need to adjust your expectations for what a 18 y/o out of highschool can do against guys 4 years older and more mature (physically and mentally) than them. Yes, some guys come out of the gates as stars, but it's very rare. Yes our guys seem to be caught in a battle for time in year 2/3, but it's not like they're competing against scrubs either.
August 11th, 2014 at 5:42 PM ^
What if its part of my job? Kinda tough to ignore it then, huh?
That guy's sarcasm or not, its a little hard to not be disenfranchised with Michigan's recruits to field prowess as of late. Hoke has had three classes of recruits play for him, and out of all of those kids really only Funchess has stood out. That's not giving myself false expectations, that's just seeing poor results. And yes I'm aware that these kids are all freshman, sophomores, and juniors, but its not like we've been a talent heavy team. So the fact that almost none of them have been able to stand out is a bit alarming.
So maybe I -- like a LOT of others -- got caught up in the Hokemania recruiting excitment and now when I read about the latest 4/5 star kid that's interested in Michigan, there's a large part of me that now thinks "who gives a shit" because if and when he ever makes it on campus, it's going to be a long time before he ever contributes to the team. If he contributes at all.
Recruiting is really only interesting when you're after immediate impact players. That's why Peppers is excited. But he's a rare, rare expception for MIchigan in that respect.
August 11th, 2014 at 6:44 PM ^
I think there's more than Funchess that stand out. There's only one RR recruit on this defense we are saying will be top 15.
August 12th, 2014 at 5:29 AM ^
August 12th, 2014 at 7:54 AM ^
August 11th, 2014 at 12:39 PM ^
August 11th, 2014 at 2:15 PM ^
- I think Jabrill has been our only concensus 5-star of the bunch - we love to focus on the one site that hapens to rank a recruit highest. I think Kalis was 5 on 2 sites, Green on one, and not sure Dymonte remained a 5-star on any site in the final rankings.
- While I have high hopes for D. Green, he was NOT the top RB in the staff's opinion in 2013. That Honor - and the selective 5-star rating as well - goes to Ty Isaac.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:39 PM ^
Lol ... I love it!
Meanwhile, the offensive line. Whyyyyyy?
August 11th, 2014 at 12:42 PM ^
.....and another top level safety prospect fails to live up to the hype.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
August 11th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
a true sophomore who never played defensive back in High School.
It's like Hoke/Borges wanting to turn Denard into a more conventional QB; Dymonte has great athletecism/tools but little past experience to project on so It is a bit of a crap-shoot in re: how well and how quickly it will succeed. Unfortunatley in Dymonte's case there is no option just to tuck it and run if plan A doesn't work out.
I wish he would have gotten a RS last year as I expect good things in his last few years in AA.
To contrast - I have higher expectations for Jabrill this year, but a BIG part of that is that he played nearly exclusively CB and safety in HS - when he wasn't playing RB or QB on offense.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:58 PM ^
The secondary is the very least of my concerns. We are pretty well stacked back there
August 11th, 2014 at 12:44 PM ^
I know they are trying to figure it out, but if last year was any indication, wouldn't it just make sense to select 5 guys and roll with it.
I don't see how starting a true freshman at LT is anything but suicide.
OL performance is more about functioning an a unit than it is individual talent and I don't know how we get there with the continous shuffle.
I am loving every other unit on this team right now, really fearing the OL problems cost us a legitimate shot at the B1G title.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
Just run the damn plays and see what happens.
Michigan recruits a ton of 4 and 5 star OL over the last 3 years. Meanwhile teams like MSU, Iowa and Wisconsin - who are not recruiting anything remotely like that - wind up featuring far better OL play and running attacks than Michigan.
Then I pour myself some green tea and listen to my favorite David Cassidy song (I woke up in love this morning), reminding myself that UM has only 3 upper classmen on the OL for 2014 (one RS Sr, two RS Jr.), and that the Wolverines are probably still a year away from where they need to be in this dept. Groovy man.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
OL is going to get a steady diet of lineman jumping around and LBs blitzing to mess with assignments until they prove they can stop it. Better to struggle now in practice than on the field at game time. The coaches better pick their Top 5 OL by the end of the week as planned to give these guys time to get on the same page before Aug. 30. If they don't, then I'll wonder if they learned anything from "OL starters with bungy cords" in 2013. I'm going to remain positive for now. Too early to panic. Just keep repeating my mantra...
August 11th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^
This was my sense as well -- if the D is being super-aggressive then the OL is getting a trial by fire. Perhaps -- full hope engaged here -- perhaps what we're hearing about the OL is a result of this. When the dust settles we'll have our best 5 OL on the field that can handle such an aggressive D.
I hope.
August 11th, 2014 at 7:03 PM ^
Hope...
Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing, hope can drive a man insane.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
It's a pity for him we have so many running backs -- he was great there in high school.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
August 11th, 2014 at 1:01 PM ^
I think it's reasonable to say that the guys we have are pretty good and the issues are on the OL. I mean, yes, by the numbers they aren't very good, but when they've actually had some holes, they all seem to pass the eye test. Whether they are elite or not is of course impossible to say at this point, but I feel pretty confident to say we aren't lacking in the RB dept at all.
August 11th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
I understand talking about individual players not living up to their potential in terms of different position groups, such as Green and Thomas. But I dont think we should be pointing to individaul players as being at fault in terms of the OL. At this point, the OL problems extend across years, and seem to be a coaching issue (whether it's technique or culture).
August 11th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
John Cooper wasn't the best coach ever, but he was a great talent evaluator. This quote by him applies:
"If a dog's gonna bite, he's gonna bite as a pup"
From watching Michigan last year, Smith was the better runner compared to Green, so I'm not surprised there. But it's head scratching that Kalis and Thomas aren't performing. I thought Thomas would be a game changer for you guys.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
Dear Denver Buckeye -
You say "John Cooper wasn't the best coach ever", but I think he was one of the best and doesn't get his due.
Sincerely,
The Michigan Fanbase
August 11th, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^
So much positive.... one soul crushingly depressing negative. I have a feeling that's going to be a trend for the season as well.
I'm starting to seriously question whether Funk should have gone with Al.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^
Tend to agree--
And on the positive side of the ledger, it's nice to hear Jabrill is being used to blitz with regularity from the NB (and perhaps occassionally SS?) spot.
August 11th, 2014 at 7:50 PM ^
Starting?
I wonder if Hoke is thinking the same thing. Wisconsin replaced their OL coach (or was it their OC?) after two or three games a year or two ago. It seemed to help them. I wonder if we could or should do the same. Only maybe a little earlier... like tomorrow.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
I would be shocked, after watching the Michigan drill yesterday, if Dawson was legitimately in front of Kalis. I suspect this is a motivational ploy.
August 11th, 2014 at 1:28 PM ^
I agree. I don't think the "ones" on the OL even mean that much when half the projected starters are on the twos. Both units are probably equal and the coaches are experimenting with people at various positions before deciding who their best five are.
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