Ben Braden: Starting RT
Being that I live in Rockford, I am very proud of this kid! Congrats to him and his hard work. Let's hope he can develop a high level of cohesiveness with the other 4 lineman!
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/08/michigans_brady_hoke_…
August 14th, 2014 at 2:16 PM ^
Reading tea leaves it seems like the inside spots yet again are the spots up for grabs. I'd wager Mags ends up at LG. Which leaves C/RG as the open spots assuming Cole starts at LT which seems to be happening.
I will start clenching now but still be happy that these kids will be running the same damn scheme week after week this season.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^
Cole will be a backup
August 14th, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^
Mags is the leader in experience, so putting him next to Cole helps train Cole to be his LT backup better than putting someone who is trying to learn LG. Everything in the Inside/Outside Zone scheme primers indicated that the repetitions are required because the secret sauce is combo blocking and the timing and decision making involved in executing those against the variation of defensive formations/shifts.
I think this whole "experimention" has just been to increase reps for all such that any backups aren't coming in cold. It increases risk to the starters for "gelling" and honing their skills, but that has been part of Hoke's strategic approach since he arrived. Everyone has forgotten how much he had to restate that he wanted rotation on the DL and that's why he wouldn't name a solid starting lineup for that group. Yet the first season went pretty much as expected with Mike Martin staying in almost 100% of the time, same with Ryan Van Bergen.
They know the starting 5, but they aren't betting everything on the starting 5.
August 14th, 2014 at 8:45 PM ^
I would also think that by shuffling around you also learn what the guy next to you is seeing, doing, perhaps it makes a given player better. It would seem to be a crash course in the strategy of making the blocks work, using team work. By understanding your fellow guy's assignment it should theoretically make you better at your own position, knowing who's got who in a critical second or two. Nothing like having that understanding by seeing the field thru that vantage point.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^
You'd think Bosch, Mags, and Glasgow are high on that list. Makes you wonder where Kalis will end up.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:36 PM ^
RG is my bet, but not until after the App St. game.
August 14th, 2014 at 4:33 PM ^
Dammit man I really want to see Kali's work out. Insane potential.
August 14th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
He was the one position where a guy with experience did not lead. He is a huge kid with good athleticism. I think the other spots are likely very competitive and performing well. Cole is in the mix because he is good IMO. Not because they need Mags at guard. The best 5. This gives me confidence.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:16 PM ^
But the internet told me it was going to be Dawson.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:18 PM ^
I bet Mason Cole starts at left tackle too. At least at the beginning of the season he does.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
start a freshmen opening day...lol, that's a first.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^
hi my name's jabrill
August 14th, 2014 at 3:01 PM ^
only if we start out in nickel on defense.
I would bet mags gets the start at LT unless Cole has been the next coming of jake long in practice (even he redshirted soooooo). If they are gonna burn his redshirt this season, hopefully he can replaces mags in the 3rd quarter if the game is in hand
August 14th, 2014 at 3:07 PM ^
kick return?
August 14th, 2014 at 5:51 PM ^
All accounts indicate that Cole has had a great camp...but returning kicks? Insane!
August 14th, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^
no way they burn his RS. Kalis spent all of 2012 2nd on the depth chart without taking a snap.
August 14th, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^
Freddy.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:58 PM ^
Brady Hoke has actually already played more freshman at Michigan than any other Michigan coach.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^
One down - four to go.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^
Congratulations, this indicates that are line is progressing as planned!
August 14th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
We still face the prospect of a true freshman Left Tackle. I'm not sure that constitutes progress.
If your post was intended as sarcasm then disregard the above.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:23 PM ^
LT - Cole
LG - Magnuson
C - Miller/Glasgow
RG - Glasgow/Kalis/Bosch/Fox/Dawson/Burzynski/Peppers
RT - Braden
Looks like a good OL to me. But only if all 7 guys can play RG at the same time.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:26 PM ^
Peppers could do it alone
August 14th, 2014 at 3:05 PM ^
Now I'm hungry.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^
Missing 1 pepper?
August 14th, 2014 at 3:23 PM ^
it is a "Ghost" pepper.....
August 14th, 2014 at 3:36 PM ^
This looks like a Borges alignment from '13. (I wish I was joking.) Tell your WR2 pepper to take a step back off the line of scrimmage, otherwise the TE pepper is covered and is an ineligible receiver.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:38 PM ^
Then WR1 needs to be on the line. Which maybe he is, it's hard to tell.
August 14th, 2014 at 6:18 PM ^
WR1 looks like Tacopantspepper- he's so tall it looks like he's on the line, but I think his feet are a yard or 2 short.
August 14th, 2014 at 6:59 PM ^
I might be wrong, but I think it's Tacopepperpants. Which I think I've had before.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
Better be a run play. If I see that TE downfield, I'm throwing a flag.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
I'm far from an X's and O's expert, but the idea of putting the FB in was that it was going to be a run to the strong side of the line.
At least that's how it played out in my mind.
August 14th, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^
You can run plays out of that formation. You can run to the strong side, but the as will be looking for that with the TE covered. You're not hiding anything that way. Your other option is to throw out of that, keeping the TE in to max protect. Send both wideouts deep, keep one back in to block and let the other slip into the flat as a safety valve. Not a bad play, especially if the D is thinking run.
August 14th, 2014 at 5:04 PM ^
I think you need the FB lined directly behind the QB. It's the position that dives into the wash and plugs up any remaining holes for our tippy-toed RB of the day.
August 14th, 2014 at 5:09 PM ^
Is that a Carolina Reaper?
August 14th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
Upset that our pepper TE is thinner than the pepper WR. Wellman should be fired.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:25 PM ^
You can play with 10 guys, but if that WR2 isn't on the LOS (and it's hard to tell if he is or not) then you've got illegal procedure for only having 6 guys on the LOS. If he is on the line, your TE is ineligible.
I'm a first year HS football official, so this stuff is on my brain lately.
August 14th, 2014 at 3:24 PM ^
Norris' reaction:
August 14th, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^
Peppers could probably pull really fast.
August 14th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
Sure but can he pick fast?
Can Peppers pick a peck of pickled passes pronto?
August 14th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
I wouldn't be surprised in the least if peppers actually did beat out all of those guys for the RG position
August 14th, 2014 at 2:23 PM ^
If Braden is at least named as starting RT right now, that should be probably 4 of the 5 that have very likely starters.
Mags and Cole will man the left side, but the order isn't set yet.
Glasgow should be leading for Center still, would be surprising if it's not him at this point.
And now with Braden the RT to start from Hoke himself, that only leaves the RG spot up for graps. Probably a battle between the Kyles but could be someone else sneaking in.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
I just hope to god that if Cole doesn't start, or isn't going to see significant time die to injury, please redshirt the guy. If he's so good, I would love to see some separation between the classes.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:32 PM ^
He's definitely not going to redshirt. Hoke was asked about the "separation between the classes" in his 8/12 press conference and he responded: "No, we don't think about that at all. You have to have the best players play and ready to play, if you don't have [the best players playing], you cheat this great program and we're not gonna do that."
August 14th, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^
Man, I just disagree. I think you're doing the program a disservice by not planning for the future. If Cole playing can win you a game, you play him. If you play him in junk time, and sacrificing the future, you're cheating the program. But just my opinion.
August 14th, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^
The best five players have to play regardless of class, if a Cole/Mags LT/LG combo is better than Mags/Bosch(or whoever), then you play Cole, period. You can't be worried about what that'll do to the line in 2018. You play the best players and then adjust your recruiting accordingly.