Presser And Practice Notes 4-6-10
Injuries:
- DE Will Heininger (right) has torn his ACL and will have surgery to repair it. His status for the fall is dependent on how his rehab progresses.
- Martavious Odoms, Junior Hemingway, and Je'Ron Stokes will practice a little today and will hopefully be full-go by the end of the week.
- Vlad Emilien, Jared Van Slyke, and Quinton Washington will hopefully return to practice next week.
- The guys who are out for spring (David Molk, Brandon Herron, Mike Martin, and Vincent Smith) are progressing on schedule.
Quarterbacks:
- Tate and Denard are splitting reps with the first team. Rich does not care if one guy wins the job, or if he has a few guys who are ready to play. He wants to have at least two QBs ready to play. The guys understand that they're competing for the starting position.
- Tate Forcier is being challenged by the coaches this spring, with football, academics, as a student-athlete at the University. He's very competitive, and likes being challenged to improve.
- Denard has a better understanding of the offense and the passing game than he did last year (unsurprising, since this is his first spring). He still has a ways to go, but he's improving. Once he gets the QB position down, he'll learn other positions to get him on the field.
- Gardner is fun to be around, and has a high energy level. He's learning quickly, but still has a lot to improve upon. The coaches can't expect too much too soon.
- The quarterbacks are practicing full-contact to work on their ball security. Normally they'd have non-contact jerseys. Once the QBs get used to taking some hits, they'll let them wear non-contact jerseys.
Running backs
- Michael Cox has had a very good spring, and Michael Shaw has had some good days and some days "where we expected more out of him." Fitzgerald Toussaint is also in the first group with them; he's gotten bigger and is getting a good grasp of the offense.
- Stephen Hopkins is a big guy, and they needed a big back to replace Minor and Grady. He has a chance to play some at big back this fall.
- Austin White has been a little banged up this spring. However, he has the talent to help the team in the future.
- Kelvin Grady and Terrence Robinson have gotten some reps at running back. Grady missed some strength work when he was practicing with the basketball team this winter, and Rodriguez would let him return to basketball this fall only if he can handle it academically, and isn't just going to sit on the end of the bench.
Safety
- There is still competition ongoing at the safety position. They don't have a comfortable 2-deep, and probably won't until fall. Vlad Emilien's injury has hurt them there.
- Cameron Gordon has had a really good spring, and that's one of the better personnel changes they've made.
- Jordan Kovacs is capable of playing any safety position.
Special Teams
- Some days there has been good kicking performance, sometimes not so good. The situation still isn't comfortable punting or placekicking.
- Will Hagerup with arrive in the fall and will compete with Seth Broekhuizen for the starting punter spot in the fall.
- There is no starting kicker yet, as the best performer is different every day. That situation won't be resolved until fall. Brendon Gibbons has a strong leg, but he's been back-and-forth.
- The snapping and coverage units look good, and they have the athletes to contribute there.
Miscellaneous
- "We'll have a better team, and I expect us to have a good team, yes." This spring practice is much, much better than two years ago, and is a little better than last year.
- Chemistry - The leadership can come from not only the 12-man senior class, but also some underclassmen who can be leaders.
- Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is the annual coaching clinic. Thursday will be a practice in just shorts, and Saturday will be a full-scale scrimmage. This is the most important scrimmage of the spring.
- There has probably been more talk about the changes to the defense than there have actually been changes. They did a lot of multiple-front stuff last year, and Greg Robinson is trying to best fit the scheme to Michigan's personnel. They're trying to find the right combination of simplicity for the player to learn and the flexibility they'd like from the defense.
- Regarding Demar Dorsey, Rodriguez said "If anything changes with any of our signees, I'll let ya'll know if anything happens with that."
After Rich was done speaking, the media got a chance to watch a couple periods of practice. My observations from that:
- Injured guys running inside Glick Fieldhouse: Mike Martin, Vincent Smith, Brandon Herron.
- Red Shirts (no contact): Quinton Washington, Zac Johnson, Vladimir Emilien.
- Green Shirts (limited contact): Devin Gardner, Austin White, Je'Ron Stokes, Junior Hemingway, Karl Tech, Martavious Odoms.
- Mark Moundros only practiced with the linebackers.
- Adam Braithwaite quote of the day: "We're gonna be the best-tackling team in America."
- Visitors to practice: former Michigan QB Rick Leach, former WVU running back Avon Cobourne, the leading rusher in West Virginia history and current Montreal Alouette.
I lol'ed at Adam Braithwaite's comment.
Adam Braithwaite quote of the day: "We're gonna be the best-tackling team in America."
I sure hope this isn't entirely fluff.
# Jordan Kovacs is capable of playing any safety position.
Hey, that's a half-truth.
Agreed. "O RLY" owl goes here.
I really like Kovacs, but he has a limited skill set (specifically, tackling fools at or behind the LOS). Playing deep safety is not on the menu.
LOL that owl is the best! Kovacs playing deep safety would not be good for business
You guys think you know better than Rodriguez?!! What's wrong wtih you!?!?! You're not getting paid to coach football and he is, that tells me all I need to know! (/sarc)
I really like this post, other than the last part of /sarc.
The mark of good satire is that it can be mistaken as reality. And I don't think you're the only one, because at some point yesterday I noticed someone posbanged me and negged the guys I was responding to. I'm guessing they were confused as to what "sarc" meant. On that note if Rodriguez tells me Kovacs runs a 4.38 40 I believe it, because he knows more than me.
you gerk-ass-head, OMG, how dare you speak ill of Jordan Kovacs!!! Jordan Kovacs is the best safety, freshman ALL AMERICAN, best tackler in the history of the university. Kovacs owned shit last year, this kid dominates the opposition and cannot be stopped. Just ask Brian Greise!!! Walk ons deserve to start every game and can play WHATEVER position they want. Rooooooaaaaaaarrrr!!!! KOVACS!!!!
Kovacks is "capable" of playing the deep safety position much like Nick Sheridan was "capable" of playing the QB position. (i.e Kovacks at deep safety = death).
out of his name, please.
ovacks?
Kovacs last year at deep safety = death
does not necessarily mean
Kovacs this year at deep safety = death
Surely athletes can get stronger and faster under Barwis, no? This of course said with the caveat that I'd feel more comfortable seeing Kovacs at box safety.
especially another year removed from a knee operation
Last year, when Kovacs was thrown into action, he was a walk-on, who prior to being thrown into an unexpected situation, probably received about as little coaching on the team. He likely, since he was a walk-on who was not expected to play, he did not practice with the ones or the twos - more than likely, he practices with the scout players. With a full offseason to prepare for his increased role, to grow, to further rehab his injury and to practice with the ones, why is it out of the question for him to make a drastic improvement? Yes, he is not the uber-athelete that we would all like to see, but with expected improvement, he should be a non-liability at box safety.
Also, RR is in practice with the team every day, and presumably has a better handle on how the players are progressing than we do. If he is impressed with Kovacs, there is likely a reason.
I love reading these little nuggets of information. Keep up the good work.
Tim did a nice job of emphasizing the Denard quote, but between that and the Tate quotes about challenging him it seems like RR was trying to douse the Robinson as the starter flames a bit.
Good information as always.
won't just sit on the end of the bench.
Michigan's getting their one man press breaker back
best tackling team in the B10, for starters.
Baby steps.
Who is Karl Tech? Isn't that some high school in Detroit that produces teeny cornerbacks?
No, that's Cass Tech. Isn't it some small SoCal brewery?
No, that's Karl Strauss. Isn't it the guy who wrote the Communist Manifesto(with Fredrick Engels)?
No, that's Karl Marx. Isn't that the guy who was the head of campaigns under George W. Bush?
No, that's Karl Rove. Isn't it the German engineer who invented the modern automobile?
No, that's Karl Benz. Isn't it the astronomer behind the PBS series Cosmos?
No, that's Carl Sagan. Isn't it the cop who lives next door to Steve Urkel?
No, that's Carl Winslow. Isn't it Mitch from Streetcar Named Desire?
No, that's Karl Malden (RIP). Isn't it the other half of Stockton to [_________]?
No, that's Karl Malone. Isn't it the Swiss dude whose ideas are the basis of analytical psychology?
thats Carl Jung, I think this is that poet who wrote Fog.
No, that's Carl Sandburg. But isn't it Rhoda's doorman?
the doorman. Or was it Will Smith's cousin in Bel-Air?
That's Carlton Banks. Isn't it the guy who does announcing & scoring for Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me?
No, that's Carl Kasell. Isn't it the guy who has that heart-stopping burger chain in the West?
No, that's Carl Karcher. Is it the German optician who started a company known for producing high-quality microscopes and optical lenses?
Nope, that's Carl Zeiss. Is it the actor/comedian whose wife's most famous line was, "I'll have what she's having"?
No, that's Carl Reiner. Is it that guy who's the Schwartzenegger knock-off in all the action movies on the Simpsons?
No that's Rainier Wolfcastle...looks like we are at the end, so I will carl it a day.
...Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolf Blitzer, Blitzen the Reindeer. It could have been epic as we worked towards the creation of the new thinnest post.
I hope Gibbons can get his act together before the beginning of the season. His leg is ridiculously strong, but I've been leery of his accuracy ever since the Army All-American game.
Like this guy.
And this guy (he's almost as big as him as well).
So he'll be fine.
Nice bit of coaching bravado from the newest guy on the staff. I guess he hasn't yet learned that talk is cheap. We'll see on game day, but I ain't holding my breath.
I would take best tackling team in the tri-state area or simply be called a "solid" tackling team.
I hadn't heard he was banged up until today.
The comment about Dorsey did not make me very happy.
I hate to be a Negative Nelly on this, but I'd set my expectations for qualifications at 50/50 at best fellas.
Based on what information?
A conversation I had with a friend in Florida who knows the situation well (and doesn't have ties to Mich or FSU). Also, the fact that according to a previous post Brian made that only 57% (or 58% - whatever) of these kids qualified last year.
I think it's worse than it's being let on. Dorsey apparently failed a lot of classes his first three years and has been working hard this year to make it right. Not saying it can't happen, but I'm not too positive about it.
I'm concerned with our punting/kicking. Hopefully it doesn't cost us a game or two this year.
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