Defensive 2 deep next year - choose your own adventure
Let's do something that's NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE (see tag) and predict the volatile defense next year. With the return of Woolfolk, the uncertainty of where to place Cam and the megacluster at Spur it seems like the possibilities are endless. In writing this list, for some reason I felt pretty good about next year. I sense a big jump upcoming. I'm leaving out the next year's recruiting class because it is uncertain.
NT: Martin (please God stay) / Campbell
DT/DE: Black / ummm Watson? Wilkins?
DE: RVB / ...Paskorz?
MLB: Demens / JBFitz or Bell
OLB: Roh / Herron (edited out MJones, moved to other OLB)
OLB: Cam Gordon or MRob or MJones / Hawthorne
Spur: Prison Abs or Carvin or Cam Gordon or MRob / Furman
Bandit: Kovacs / one of the Spur battle royale losers
Corner: Floyd / Cullen
Corner: Avery / Talbott
FS: Woolfolk / Vinopal or CB position switcher
I guess the main things I wanna do is get speed at FS - Woolfolk or a former CB - and care less about big hitters back there. It'd be nice if Cam could bulk up and compete with MRob for Mouton's position - I know neither are slated for that spot but I like a pretty fast yet super aggressive and big hitter to occupy that spot. I'm not a fan of Kovacs to MLB and would prefer to keep him as the run stuffing safety. The DL is....pretty thin. If Martin leaves it's not going to be pretty.
Yeah, there's not much to talk about leading up to Indiana. What say you?
September 28th, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^
| DE | Ryan Van Bergen | Jibreel Black |
| NT | William Campbell | Richrad Ash |
| DE/DT | Mike Martin | Jibreel Black |
| LB/DE | Craig Roh | Brandon Herron |
| MLB | Femens/Fitz |
Ryan/Kellen Jones |
| WLB | Mike Jones | Kevin Leach |
| Spur | Carvin Johnson | Thomas Gordon |
| Bandit | Marvin Robinson | Jordan Kovacs |
| FS | Cam Gordon | Ray Vinopal |
| CB1 | Troy Woolfolk | Cullen Christian |
| CB2 | JT Floyd | Courtney Avery |
September 29th, 2010 at 6:05 AM ^
I agree with you 100%. Well actually like 98% because I wouldn"t start femens. Switch him for Demens and I am down with your 2-Deep.
September 29th, 2010 at 7:14 AM ^
....how bad is it?
|
Pos |
First | Second |
|---|---|---|
| DE | Jibreel Black | Steve Watson |
| NT | Mike Martin | William Campbell |
| DE/DT | Ryan Van Bergen | Terry Talbott |
| LB/DE | Craig Roh |
Brandon Herron |
| MLB | Kenny Demens |
Isaiah Bell |
| WLB | JB Fitzgerald | Mike Jones |
| Spur | Carvin Johnson | Thomas Gordon |
| Bandit | Marvin Robinson | Jordan Kovacs |
| FS | Cam Gordon | Ray Vinopal |
| CB1 | Troy Woolfolk | Cullen Christian |
| CB2 | JT Floyd | Courtney Avery |
September 28th, 2010 at 5:33 PM ^
where is the love for b. hawthorne next year? I remember reading an article in which his coach compared him and his importance to the team his senior season to janoris jenkins the year before him, I also remember the coach saying he was one of if the the hardest hitters he had ever seen. plus wasn't he the small schools defensive player of the year for FL schools? He is only 207, is that too small for olb? is he too slow for safety?
September 28th, 2010 at 5:51 PM ^
If the coaches decide to make him a full-time DE, he needs to gain at least 15-20 lbs. His current weight is listed at 251 which actually seems like the perfect size though for the DE/OLB hybrid position that he plays.
September 28th, 2010 at 6:59 PM ^
Woolf won't be at FS he was going to play CB this year . I think Ray will take Cams spot at FS by the end of this year if Cam doesn't start stepping up . Ray was in a very limited time against BG 1st string and he came up with a great pic . If he is the playmaker he was in highschool and seems to be now he will start soon . I also think demens should be starting at mlb he does a very good job flying to the ball and hitting his gaps . Ezeh though i have always liked him is one of the sore spots on this D
September 28th, 2010 at 8:03 PM ^
I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books. I remember I had the ones about the Statue of Liberty and the search for Champ (in Lake Champlain).
September 28th, 2010 at 9:02 PM ^
Jon Chait sums up the Great Troy Woolfolk Debate, which Brian gave his answer to in the preseason's Five Questions post:
The picture and caption of GERG at queston four is just priceless, btw.
Michigan played six games with Woolfolk at safety -- Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Michigan State, and Ohio State. (I'm ignoring the Delaware State game because the competition level was so abnormal.) Michigan played five games with Woolfolk at cornerback, which forced Michael Williams into the starting lineup and Jordan Kovacs to move out of his more comfortable position. In those five games, Michigan played Iowa, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois and Wisconsin.
You can probably figure out where I'm going with this. In the six Woolfolk-at-safety games, Michigan's opponents gained 380 yards per game. Those six opponents averaged 374 yards on the season overall, which means that Michigan allowed its opponents to gain just a bit more than they did against the remainder of their schedule. This is a poor result, though not an absolutely horrendous one.
But in the five Woolfolk-at-corner games, Michigan gave up 445 yards per game, against opponents who gained 382 yards per game on the season overall. That is a horrendous result. That is a sieve of a defense.
September 29th, 2010 at 4:52 PM ^
Woolfolk gets to take a RS this year and come back next year...I don't care what position he plays. We need all the experience we can get in the defensive backfield.