The Wolverine.com: Spring Revelations (Defense)
TheWolverine.com provides their take on the standout defensive performers of spring practice. This article is not behind their paywall.
- Most Improved: JT Floyd and Will Campbell
- Breakout Starter in 2010: Greg Banks and Cam Gordon
- Could Be Starting By Oct. 1: Kenny Demens
- Freshmen Expected To Contribute In 2010: Cullen Christian and Josh Furman
- MVPs: Jonas Mouton and Craig Roh
Click on the link for the full ananlysis, but here are my thoughts:
- Their evaluation of JT Floyd is the most encouraging word I've heard about his spring performance and provides some measure of reassurance about the state of the cornerbacks.
- Greg Banks apparently has a compelling story that they will roll out in their Football Preview. Could be another reason to get it if you don't already buy everything Michigan Football related.
- They buy into the Kenny Demens love and the Obi Ezeh skepticism.
- Amidst all the Dorsey obsession, their focus on Cullen Christian and particularly Josh Furman is interersting. Of course until these guys get on campus for summer conditioning and camp, who knows if they'll really be instant contributors, but the idea of "Furman [who] is a bit of a freak, boasting a 4.3 40-yard dash with the strength and power to play linebacker" competing for playing time at Spur is exciting.
- More Roh man love and admit it, you're smitten too: "The 6-5, 249-pounder, already showing the leadership skills of a future captain, should emerge one of the Big Ten's best pass rushers and one of the league's most versatile defenders. One astute observer noted: 'I don't think we've seen any Michigan defender, as close to the line of scrimmage as he plays, like him in 20 years.'"
April 29th, 2010 at 10:06 AM ^
How can Greg Banks start if the D-line already has Van Bergen, Martin, and Campbell? Or is Campbell going to back up Martin for another more year?
April 29th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
It appears as though when Martin returns, he's still going to be playing NT and Banks will be playing DT. And in the 3-man fronts, it will be Van Bergen, Martin, and Banks.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
Love the new avatar.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:48 AM ^
Gracias.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:57 AM ^
But I doubt he looks as good in a bikini.
blasphemous!
April 29th, 2010 at 10:15 AM ^
Rivals has his 40-time listed at 4.68. Does anyone know if his time is actually better than this?
April 29th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
It's probably electric timing that he ran a 4.68. If you were to do hand time and electric time simultaneously there would be about a .2 of a second difference. A lot of combines do hand timing even though it's not that accurate.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:05 PM ^
electronic?
April 29th, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^
You realize that makes him about dead even with DWarren, right? And wherever Christian ran a 4.68, it was probably a year before he'll arrive on campus. Give him another year of normal development and a few months with Barwis and I wouldn't be surprised if he shaves a legit tenth off.
I thought you were going to ask about the Bible (Christian question)....
April 29th, 2010 at 10:16 AM ^
The article is very glowy and upbeat about some guys that we will desperately need on defense. I want to believe so badly...
April 29th, 2010 at 10:26 AM ^
but I thought that was just precautionary.
"With the continued news that four-star defensive back talent Demar Dorsey won't likely qualify academically this fall..."
This is the first time I've heard such a negative slant on Dorsey's chances. Did I miss any new developments?
April 29th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
see Wichitan's response below.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:34 AM ^
It's not guaranteed, but according to Rivals he has a very slim chance of qualifying.
Again, I'm just the messenger...
April 29th, 2010 at 12:07 PM ^
I think I'm nitpicking here, but didn't he have a "slim chance of qualifying" when he signed with Michigan, which is why he signed the JUCO LOI as well? Or has he dropped from "Probable" to "Doubtful"?
April 29th, 2010 at 10:31 AM ^
Rivals gave an update (about a week ago, I think) basically saying he will have to pursue his JUCO opportunity.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^
Rivals said he'll PROBABLY have to go to a JUCO.
Regardless (to the OP), Dorsey did not enroll at a JUCO. He signed a LOI to attend the JUCO, just in case he doesn't qualify to get into Michigan.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
...comment refer to? I never said a thing about Dorsey enrolling at a JUCO.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:01 AM ^
gtanman15
April 29th, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^
...thanks. Mock interwebs outrage withdrawn.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^
10-4, sailor.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:47 AM ^
I thought I read on this site that one of the mods on Rivals said that the person saying that Dorsey wouldn't qualify didn't really have any new information.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:33 AM ^
I've been saying that JT Floyd is going to surprise people this year, and now everyone is starting to notice his play. Floyid and Woolfolk will make a good CB tandem. The bigger problem is depth, as there isn't any. I'm praying every day that Dorsey qualifies and gets in. Cullen should be able to effectively contribute, but I have reservations about Talbott and Avery contributing this year just as Rivals article does. The secondary is going to make or break this season.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:37 AM ^
we had the same issue last year. We THOUGHT we had a good starting CB tandem with Boubacar and Warren but look how that turned out.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
Have they figured out who the favorite at deep safety is yet?
April 29th, 2010 at 10:49 AM ^
It's pretty much neck-and-neck between Emilien and Cam Gordon, from what I gather.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:46 AM ^
So you're saying it's Cam Gordon?
April 29th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
Well...I've read that the coaches want/need to get both of them on the field, which might mean moving one of them to spur/bandit.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^
...Roundtree separate from Emilien on the 97-yarder in the spring game, I don't see what Emilien brings that Kovacs doesn't.
I think the best options might be to play:
- one of the frosh. at corner, move Woolfolk to free and Cam to bandit
- JT Turner to free and Cam to bandit
April 29th, 2010 at 11:59 AM ^
my sentiments exactly about Vlad.
OT people have been referring to Magnus and his new avatar for a couple of days now, I still see the avatar with the girl in the bikini. I have yet to see anything resembling B Graham
April 29th, 2010 at 12:25 PM ^
And refresh.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^
why? if i had the opportunity, i'd rather look at a hottie in a bikini, wouldn't you?
April 29th, 2010 at 12:02 PM ^
I felt the same way. He got completely torched on that play.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:06 PM ^
Keep in mind that Emilien missed a majority of spring practice due to a knee injury. He had just been cleared to have full contact a couple days prior to the spring game. That may have had something to do with it, although I don't think he's a true burner even when healthy.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:58 AM ^
I agree. I think moving Emilien to there makes the most sense simply because he appears to not have as much top end speed, which I've always thought to be absolutely necessary at the deep safety position.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:03 PM ^
Instincts/intelligence are much more important at free safety than pure speed. In the NFL, you see aging (aka slower) corners move to free safety all the time. Brandent Englemon was a pretty good FS, and he wasn't fast at all. This is especially true if we're going to run a lot of Cover 3, as opposed to Cover 1 or Cover 2, since the FS will have less ground to cover when he only has a deep third.
It would have been nice to see Emilien track down Roundtree on that play, but if he makes the proper read, that doesn't happen in the first place.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:06 PM ^
Got it, that makes perfect sense. Are you expecting us to run a lot of Cover 3 this season?
April 29th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^
Yes, I do. The 3-3-5 is largely a Cover 3 defense, and I also think we'll do that to hide some of the inexperience in the defensive backfield. Our safeties are all freshmen and sophomores, which doesn't bode well if we've got only 1 or 2 guys deep.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:11 PM ^
even worse by the fact that Vlad lacks the instincts/intelligence AND speed to play deep safety. IIRC, last year during the spring game or an early scrimmage, he took a poor angle and got torched by Minor or Brown I believe. Hopefully I'm wrong here.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^
No offense, but you are wrong. That was Leach's fault, and Emilien didn't have any shot at catching Brown on that play. On top of that, Emilien was basically a high school senior at that point trying to catch a junior in Carlos Brown. You can't glean too much from that play, other than "Carlos Brown is faster than Vladimir Emilien," which...well...Brown is faster than most of the Big Ten.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
I won't endorse your intelligence comment at all. But you are correct that in last year's spring game he got burned, but I don't think it was the play you mentioned.
to only use instincts? For the purposes here they mean basically the same thing. I hope I'm not offending anyone questioning their 'intelligence'. Does it sound better to say football intelligence? Means the same thing in my book, and I hope no one thinks I am actually questioning a recruits 'non-football' intelligence.
Isn't someone with speed needed for that position? Do we have anyone who can run besides Woolfolk playing DB?
April 29th, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^
Will Hagerup was the name that immediately popped into my head. He might be worth 5-10 extra yards per exchange.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
5-10 extra yards compared to what? He'll almost certainly be a downgrade from Mesko.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
But better than the guys behind him on the depth chart. Fingers crossed.
April 29th, 2010 at 11:35 AM ^
I'm guessing compared to the best alternative (T. Forcier)?
April 29th, 2010 at 12:26 PM ^
So would Thor, The God of Thunder.