Don

August 25th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^

Well sure, I would hope and expect that. That being said, if Glasgow participated in the MIchigan drill and was blowing people up, he would have appeared in it.

Since they're probably going to rotate frequently it may not really matter who the designated starters are, but I'll be a bit surprised if RG is the starter by the time conference play rolls around.

Space Coyote

August 25th, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^

I bet he will be. Now, Pip is still coming back, some of the other guys are still young. But I'm not going to write off RG because he was a PWO. He won't be the most athletic guy, and he will certainly get rotated out in some situations, but if he performed the most consistently in Fall camp and continues to do so, he'll continue to start.

Michigan drill also teaches the DL to be a little more of a two-gap (though not necessarily). But they aren't showing their one-gap ability, they aren't showing how they handle doubles (which they almost always will), etc. So there are many more applicable things in other drills.

Don

August 25th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^

This assumes there's a direct correlation between sound technique and on-field production. In cases where the talent level is approximately equal, I can easily see how the technique would be the difference-maker. What if the physical talent levels are not?

I heard an anecdote several years ago on the radio that involved Bo Schembechler and Alex Agase. While both were primarily OL during their college years, Agase was a far more talented lineman than Bo was, and was a three-time All American guard and had a short career in the pros.

Both Bo and Agase were young assistants under Ara Parseghian at Northwestern during the '56 and '57 seasons, and at some point they got into an argument about the importance of physical talent versus technique and execution when it came to line play. Eventually they decided to conduct their own version of the Michigan drill, going mano a mano to see who could get the better of whom, with Bo declaring that superior technique would defeat raw physical talent. As the story goes, despite repeated attempts, Bo and his superior technique was no match for the physical talent of Agase, and Alex basically cleaned Bo's clock.

bighouse22

August 25th, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^

I am really curious to see how this plays out.  I am not there evaluating performance, so I have to reserve judgement.  I sure hope they are truely starting the best players rather than basing decisions on experience in the program.  

What I really want to see is whether or not Michigan is actually more aggressive at corner and on defense.  From all that we have been hearing Lewis was the most aggressive at the line of scrimmage throughout spring and fall.  

 

reshp1

August 25th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^

I thought Burzinyski played well in the couple of series against Indiana last year. Granted, Indiana made a lot of people look good, but he was getting push, playing his assignments, etc. It might just be a case of experience trumping natural talent for another year before the younger guys start reaching that potential.

michgoblue

August 25th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^

Not sure this is the final depth chart as it says "as of 8/25" and has a ton of "or" designations - pretty much for any position in which there is any real competition.



So, in typical Hoke fashion, this tells us nothing that we didn't already know and nothing that matters worth a hill of beams come Saturday.



I am fine with that. Adds excitement.

GoWings2008

August 25th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^

I'm glad Green is listed first, don't get me wrong, but it seemed like reports from camp indicated Smith was the first option....am I remembering that wrong?  Either way, I know both guy will get some reps and I think the offense is better for it.

JClay

August 25th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^

I really thought Pipkins, Charlton, and Dymonte would be starting this year. Seeing them on the bottom of their respective positions is surprising, but hopefully it just means our D is that good.

LSAClassOf2000

August 25th, 2014 at 10:58 AM ^

If that chart held (as everyone knows, "Depth chart" does not mean depth chart, and it is qualified with "as of 8/25"), then certainly that's what the optimist in me takes this to mean, is that we are pretty well set in the two-deep most everywhere on the defense.

As for something which was posed elsewhere in thread, I am also willing to admit that I did not scan this document top-to-bottom and left-to-right, but did indeed scan middle-out on the offense column, if you will. 

Yeezus

August 25th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^

So the night practice was a huge smokescreen and everyone (including Brian) overreacted.  

Ain't no way you're going to bench Countess after you give him #2.  Anyone that was thinking that, ever, was a moran.  

Bodogblog

August 25th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^

They are listed as OR, though I do think RJS being first gives some indication of preference (i.e. the ORs on this list are not alphabetical).

Sam Webb has been talking up the competition at that spot for a while, saying since after spring that it was even.  RJS has speed and blitz-ability the coaches like, if I recall correctly.

nowayman

August 25th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^

JJ Watt was a walk on (Bielema recruit.  Bert was also a walk on, at Iowa, coincidentally).*

Probably every Bielema team, too.

I'm fairly certain the 2012 and 1993 Wisconsin Rosebowl teams had two.

/not a fan of Wisconsin.  Just saw a BTN show on Alvarez recently.

To answer your question, probably lots of teams, even if you exclude necessary 'starting spots' that don't usually get scholarships.

 

*Watt had a scholarship elsewhere his first year and was a two star recruit but later went to Wisconsin as a walk on.
 

 

 

 

dosleches

August 25th, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^

Jake Ryan is an OR with Desmond Morgan?

So many ORs on here you can't really put much stock into it. I think Hoke uses this as a way to keep depth players motivated/interested.