It’s week three of a broken spring practice and there’s so little coming from the program about the program that I haven’t bothered to write it down, especially because I don’t believe half of it, and the parts I do believe are making me miserable. The most encouraging things have been the constant refrain of “There’s a ton of energy” the young coaches have brought. I mean, there are a lot of grams:

 

 

 

 

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Where they’ve been most open is about the freshmen, most of whom aren’t expected to play major roles. That’s smart from a PR perspective—the future of this team is brighter than its present—but complicates things for those of us planning to watch the 2021 edition.

Spring Format: Michigan got a waiver to break up their spring practice into two sessions, so I think after this week they take a hiatus then resume in May.

A piece of Carr: Sap and I often ask former players what’s one aspect of the program from their eras they would bring back, and the Carr guys always had the same answer: several minutes at the end of every practice focused on Ohio State. Now that two Carr guys are assistants, they’ve brought it back($).

Quarterback

Competition? Love it. [Patrick Barron]

What we want to hear: The good chemicals.

Michigan: Got some 5* hype translating!
Id: Release the good chemicals!
Superego: Is Cade's shoulder healed? Who's JJ better than, Villari? How many times have we been lied to?
Ego: Okay here's the plan. We're going to feel optimism but tweet about it so we can pretend we didn't.

— Seth M. Fisher (@Misopogon) February 25, 2021

What we’re hearing: There's this can't-miss analysis of Michigan's QB situation from my friend at QB Spotlight.

Short version: Cade has moxie, McCarthy has the tools, Bowman sees the field well and has the best mid-game--he and I both make the Alex Hornibrook comp.

Cade McNamara is practicing, which is great news for his chances to keep the job he tenuously won last year. He’s “been okay” while McCarthy “has a lot to pick up.” Gattis says he’s happy with Cade’s confidence. But note the bar being set here (emphasis mine):

“I think the quarterbacks have done a really good job doing what we’re asking them to do. Obviously, first and foremost, is take leadership of the team. They’ve done a really good job of a group pushing each other. Cade, specifically, obviously with his experience, coming back and having game reps. I think that’s provided him some confidence in his play and confidence in his demeanor as a leader on the team.

Andrew Stueber made it clear Cade’s got a huge head start, and where the other two QBs on campus are at:

“[Cade]’s been doing great so far. I love his poise in the pocket, the decisions he’s making. His confidence, too, is growing, so it’s great to see.

“Obviously, we have J.J. coming in. He’s still learning the playbook. But he’s shown some really impressive stuff, scrambling out of the pocket, making people miss. I know he’s known for that, so it’s really great to see that. And we also have Dan Villari, too, who is really impressive with his read option, so far. It’s been pretty nice seeing him run out of the pocket, making some moves.

What it means: I think JJ’s got a very long way to go, and Cade has a long way to go, and Bowman isn’t a savior but is good enough that this will be a legit 2004-ish three-way race decided late in fall. That one was going to be won by RS Soph Matt Gutierrez, the only one with experience, until Gutierrez got injured right before the opener versus Notre Dame and 5-star true freshman Chad Henne, who’d moved past RS freshman Clayton Richard, was shoved into the starting role. We played that out in percentages—starting at 60-20-20 Gutierriez-Richard-Henne—so I’m going to start doing that here. Right now: 50% Cade, 40% Bowman, 10% it’s McCarthy, with Villari possibly carving out a role as an option guy. Stay tuned.

[After THE JUMP: A lot more nothing]

Running Back

What we want to hear: Blake Corum breakout, Hassan Haskins didn’t injure anybody, some of that sweet Donovan Edwards hype.

What we’re hearing: Lots of love for freshman Donovan Edwards, especially for his acceleration and his attitude. He was literally the first player mentioned in the first spring presser. Donovan has “displayed some unique talent” says Gattis, who added Tavierre Dunlap has really come on in the last few practices.

Blake Corum was mentioned among those stepping up as a leader.

Wide Receiver & Tight End

What we want to hear: Cornelius Johnson is ready to be their Nico Collins. Go ahead with the Ronnie Bell leadership talk. Love for the slots. Love for the young tight ends.

What we’re hearing: Not much because Gattis focused on the offense as a whole and we haven't gotten a presser from Jay yet. Giles Jackson is dealing with an injury. Freshman Andrel “Drel” Anthony has bulked up a little and he’s a bigger guy with some Nico Collins to him, which nobody on the returning roster really can say. His athleticism is showing($). Anthony also talked to Juwan Howard about walking on at one point.

What it means: Haven’t gotten a depth chart yet but other than Ronnie Bell and maybe Jackson nobody's established enough to have a pecking order.

Offensive Line

Like big butts, do often lie. [Barron]

What we want to hear: Everyone healthy, great young players like Ryan Hayes, Trevor Keegan, Trente Jones, and Karsen Barnhart, Zak Zinter, etc. are going to start looking like draft picks here. Andrew Vastardis had a very good reason for not starting last year.

What we’re hearing: They’re still moving people about but there will be a spot for($) grad transfer Willie Allen, who’s huge. The players are obviously going to be positive about the coaching transition so the most you can get out of them is what’s different. Andrew Stueber said Sherrone’s a lot more conversational:

It’s a more open environment. You can ask a lot more questions. He knows from experience, too. I think the older guys are liking the energy and the vibe he’s bringing to the room, to the practice field and his overall energy

Sam Webb went way Hot with his take on our roundtable by taking Raheem Anderson. His explanation tells you more about the center position, that Michigan was planning on Zach Carpenter to be their starter the next three years and surprised them by bolting for Indiana. Sam says it’s a longshot, but Anderson did the same thing at Cass Tech as a freshman. The guys predict Raheem is going to be a captain at Michigan one day. That said, center is clearly Vastardis now and Atteberry second.

What it means: Wait for Sherrone’s presser. That should get us a depth chart update and be the opportunity for him to bring up who’s winning a spot.

Defense Overall

In short: DL simplified, LB complicated, safeties have to do lots. [Barron]

What we want to hear: They all love the new system, which works this way and calls the positions that, and it’s going to be an instant upgrade.

What we’re hearing: The answer to what kind of defense are you going to be has been “Multiple” and while I’m sure that’s true it’s been kind of frustrating as Macdonald’s tried to put that in terms reporters will understand:

“Look, we’re gonna be multiple. The best way I can describe our scheme is it’s gonna look a lot like the places I’ve been previously. But, you look at, you watch our Baltimore defense, and tell me the times we looked like a 3-4. There’s gonna be a certain percentage there. But there’s gonna be a lot of times we look like a 4-3, there’s gonna be sometimes where we’re 6-1, sometimes we’re gonna look like a 6-2. Sometimes you’re not gonna know what the heck it looks like.”

“It’s hard for me to say that we’re gonna be a 3-4, per se. The thing about our defense that makes us unique is that it’s a series of concepts that we teach like, for example, there are things we teach our guys that there’s no call even involved with those concepts. We’re teaching this concept today, this concept tomorrow, we marry them together. There’s gonna be more of that and you marry it over time. Now that gives us the flexibility to build certain fronts, certain coverages and certain pressures that allows you to, one, for guys to do well what they do, and two, stop the offenses that you’re seeing.”

We got a similar idea from one guy who’s going to really be feeling that “multiple” in the roles he’s asked to play, Dax Hill:

“We’re mixing in a lot of different things. Can’t wait to put it out there on the field in the fall,” Hill said. “We’re installing new things every other day. Everything’s coming together like one big puzzle, piece by piece, every day. So, we’re working hard and can’t wait to show the people how we’ve been playing so far.”

Harbaugh discussed how it was pitched and how it’s being taught:

“That’s hard to say right now, how different it’s going to look. Definitely different language, different front structures, different coverages, different blitz patterns. Hope it looks really good. It could be (a big departure from last season). No sense talking about what exactly, specifics, of what it’s going to be. It’s in the making,” he told reporters in his first meeting of the spring. “Starting with the base fronts, the base coverages. How quickly our guys can pick up. Mike’s definitely got the philosophy of mastering a front, a coverage, before we move to the next layer. We’re still in the process of those first beginning layers. What we want our guys to know best. The principal of first learning. It’s good. I see a lot of coaching, a lot of communication. Definitely like very much what’s happened the first few days of practice.”

And I read “smarter” here to mean “more complex”:

“In terms of staffs I’ve been around since I’ve been at Michigan, this is probably the smartest staff I’ve been around,” Hutchinson said. “Just in these few weeks that I’ve been around this staff, I have learned more about the game of football — much more about defenses. All that different stuff, just because of the coaches we brought in.

Is it taking though? This, from Balas($), was ominous, albeit from March 5:

It’s early in practice and they’ve only had a few practices in pads, but as expected, the offense is way ahead of the defense right now. There are talented players on both sides of the ball, but new coordinator Mike Macdonald’s defense is not easy to pick up, and it’s markedly different than what they did under Don Brown (obviously). “The defense looks bad right now,” one observer said … but again, with everything changing, that’s to be expected.

The Viper position is no longer a thing. Macdonald:

“It’s my knowledge that the VIPER was a SAM/nickel hybrid, linebacker-type guy. So, if you look at our roster right now, we have a lot of big, fast, big safeties, undersized linebackers on our roster. We’re able to use those guys to create matchups. Where they play will be a little bit different in our scheme — we don’t actually have that position. But we can create something like that in our packages.”

WolverinesWire’s Isaiah Hole shared on his podcast was told by several people that the defense should have made this transition after the 2018 Game (at about 4 minutes).

What it means: Let’s start with the Viper: DO NOT interpret this as Michigan’s getting rid of their hybrid to run a more standardized 11 out there (like e.g. Ohio State’s specialized defense), you’re the opposite of correct. My interpretation of Macdonald is he means ALL linebackers and safeties are going to be on the Viper spectrum.

Also I’m adding Kirby Smart’s Georgia defenses to my watch list because Macdonald coached there, and because UGA likes to teach a few defenses then play them from whatever personnel package you’re in. How you line up isn’t as important as what kind of personnel you have and what kinds of looks you show. MacDonald is all but pointing at the Ravens and saying “Like that” and his recruiting approach has underlined that as well. “That” means I’m going to need a whole HTTV article to make it clear what that means on the college level, but “Multiple” is the concept. They’re going to have a lot of hybrids on the field, and ideally you’re not going to know what any one guy’s role is until the quarterback’s two reads into his progression. Transitioning to that from a roster recruited to match personnel is not a one-year deal.

I want you to brace yourselves: it’s probably going to be bad this year, with Michigan doing some fun things to confuse opponents and still confusing themselves quite a bit. Anyone with an ear near the program got some version of grousing about Don Brown; I think it would have been insane to fire Brown after the Revenge Tour year, and in retrospect it probably would have been the right move. Both things can be true.

Defensive Line

Need that knee. [David Nasternak]

What we want to hear: Hinton breakout, Mazi breakout, Jeter gives them a three-man rotation with a lot of cool parts to use. Aidan has found his next Kwity among the DEs.

What we’re hearing: I often say we read more into whom the program makes available to us than what they say, which was why it was pleasant to see DT Donovan Jeter, a big X-factor in Michigan’s hopes for a plus DT position, was the senior they put in front of us. I did find this interest from a schematic perspective:

In terms of the defense, nothing’s really changed. Still getting vertical, still attacking. It’s not like you’re reading much. Still attacking. I think that fits right in my alley.

There was a lot of reading in Don Brown’s fronts, which ran stunts that convert to inside or outside depending on if the quarterback’s dropping back. Those increased as he had to count more on his ends making plays where his DTs couldn’t hold up. It seems like the tradeoff for more complicated back seven assignments is the front can just go out and play. That helps in the short term and could really pay off if they can recruit well up front since young players would be playable faster.

Apparently I’m not the only one hoping to hear anything about Braiden McGregor after his knee injury, especially now that the perfect scheme for his type came to him. McGregor “had a setback with illness” this spring but is in the mix for playing time($), says Rivals and “seems determined to make his presence felt this year” says 24/7.

Linebacker

It doesn’t look good but it can’t go as bad as it did last year. [Barron]

What we want to hear: The kids are going to be superstars, but have to rotate with old man Josh Ross who kens the new defense and is sagely instructing the youngsters in its ways.

What we’re hearing: The kids are having a hard time picking it up. Josh Ross and Michael Barrett, who’s moved to ILB($), are ahead of Nikhai Hill-Green and early enrollee Junior Colson for the two inside positions. Barrett’s viper-ish physicality has to pick up($), Kalel Mullings and Cornell Wheeler have fallen behind the true freshman.

Rivals is saying they’re unsure of the roles($) for the other vipers, though that’s probably less of a schematic problem and more that they haven’t been around. Anthony Solomon has been out with an illness, and Joey Valazquez has been with the baseball team but is back with football this week.

What it means: This was where the transition was going to be toughest, since the greater simplicity it affords the defensive line puts greater complexity on the linebackers. I smell some motivational tactics here, am willing to wait for the fall camp talk.

Safety

What we want to hear: Dax Hill can do everything on top of everything, and all the safeties are finding roles because they’re going to using lots of them.

What we’re hearing: This, from Brad Hawkins, could have gone with the defense overall talk but seems specifically about how the safeties are going to be Ravens-like:

“Everybody’s interchangeable and playing all over the field. A lot of players around the ball.”

Dax Hill, a guy with all the options who was done the most dirty by functionally having no safeties coach last year, never thought of transferring. He’s willing to throw away the tape from last year:

Feel like last year was a learning curve and I feel like we’ve got the gist of that and now we can focus more on the new things and the new things that have been implemented with our system. I feel like this year is going to be totally different.

He named Moten, Paige, and German Green among the young safeties impressing.

What it means: Jordan Morant’s name wasn’t among those brought up so it’s something to keep an eye on there.

Cornerback

I’m sorry we’re out of time.