Speculation: Kovacs to Will

Submitted by Double Nickel BG on

Some have been asking about next year and if we could potentially move Kovac into the SAM linebacker spot. I don't think Kovacs would fit in well at the SAM because power plays usually head to the strength and I don't see Kovacs being able clog up the hole.

Now moving him to WILL would be a little better because it would allow Kovacs to knife into holes and take on fewer blockers. The only problem I see with Kovacs at WILL is getting off blockers consistently. Have we seen Kovacs shed a blocker yet? All I remember is him knifing in and filling. If Kovacs can't get off blocks on the weakside, it opens up alot of holes on the counters/weakside isos.

Next year I really hope to see Kovacs at the SS spot that he was at earlier in the year. If we can find a few corners and can put in a nickel package next year, maybe we can take out Kovacs and put in someone who is a little more skilled at covering.

Starko

October 28th, 2009 at 9:40 AM ^

i think i like him at linebacker better than safety for the same reasons I like stevie brown better at linebacker. I haven't gon over the film, but our coverage in the secondary is terrible, and I can't believe it's due to the corners; it seems to me it has to be because the safety help is non-existent. kovacs is great in run support, but can he cover?

MWW6T7

October 28th, 2009 at 10:39 AM ^

If he would just grow some stubble on his upper lip we could then create the ever dangerous "Stache-backer" and he could be a follicle flaunting dealer of destruction which no one could stop!

allHAILthedeat…

October 28th, 2009 at 11:24 AM ^

He's fairly small, but WILL is definitely not out of the question. SAM is often considered a better switch because he is fast and light like Stevie Brown (and maybe he covers about as poorly as Stevie too).

Magnus

October 28th, 2009 at 12:28 PM ^

Why are some of you confusing Kovacs with someone who is fast? He's not fast. Not even close. He has a linebacker's speed. I'd take Johnny Thompson in a footrace over Kovacs (okay, maybe that's going too far...).

Kovacs is currently playing strong safety, for whoever said he wasn't.

I like Kovacs because when he sees a hole, he fills it. No, he hasn't had to shed many blocks, but he'd have to do that whether he's at SAM or WILL. But he's not fast enough to play SAM, at least not the way they've deployed Brown. If you thought Brown's coverage on Zug was bad against PSU, turn Brown into a slow, white walk-on and run that same play at him. Yikes.

those.who.stay.

October 28th, 2009 at 1:06 PM ^

like we've got 6 guys that project well to SAM and 6 guys that project well to Roh's current position,

but few true Mikes or safety types...

I trust the coaches, but I'm not gonna act like I'm not nervous.

S.G. Rice

October 28th, 2009 at 4:58 PM ^

I will be forever baffled by defensive nomenclature.

I'm neither a coach nor an expert, but in pretty much every other defense I've ever seen, the strong safety either plays the strong side of the field (and/)or can be found close to the line of scrimmage as the "run support" safety. The free safety plays the weak side and handles deep coverage.

In Michigan's scheme, apparently the strong safety is the deep safety. Huh. You mean that's *not* the free safety sitting back there?

The SAM and WILL positions also don't seem to match up with what I would expect. It's weird, man.

Oh, well, I guess I should be happy that Coach Rod hasn't gotten all ticked off and ordered GERG to install the 3-3-5.