Our latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, coming to you in two parts this weekend. Our behind the scenes look at some of what’s going on with the football program starts here …
We start this week’s edition in the running back room, where three guys are pushing one another for the right to see the field this year. Veteran Hassan Haskins finished spring ball as the clear No. 1, taking the fact that everyone seemed to be overlooking him for the younger guys personally, and he’s picked up where he left off this summer. He’s improving in every aspect of his conditioning, and he fully expects to be the starter this fall.
“He’s a great teammate,” one source told us. “He’ll help any of the young guys. But the fire is burning inside him. I think he’s going to have a big year.”
For those who don’t recall from previous reports, he was extremely hard to tackle in the spring game. He’s a load.
Still, perhaps nobody on the team works harder than Blake Corum, and it’s showing in his physique.
From what we’re hearing, new running backs coach Mike Hart loves his running back room, having told someone we know, “there are two backs in the room who are going to be better than I was.”
Now, he’s probably just being a bit modest — Hart was one of the best all-around backs ever to wear the winged helmet — but he’s not one of those guys who spews B.S. There’s definitely excitement in the building about the backs.
We told you recently about freshman Louis Hansen and the plans for him. He’s up to 254 pounds, an absolute rock, and if he can block when the pads go on, he’s going to play significant minutes. He’s got unbelievable hands, an incredible work ethic and has picked things up quickly, in part because he’s been working side by side with frosh quarterback J.J. McCarthy to learn and pick things up.
But sophomore tight end Erick All remains the tight end in the room with the most upside. He’s an “athletic freak” according to someone who sees him every day, has all the talent in the world and just needs to get it together mentally in order to overcome the drops. Some would argue he doesn’t have good hands given his drops … he actually has incredible hands. He’s just letting it get in his head.
As some have said, that’s an area in which former U-M Associate Athletic Director and personality guru Greg Harden might have helped.
We were worried about All as a potential transfer in the spring, and it was dicey for a while. He’s going to get his opportunities this year — it’s up to him to make the most of them. He’s got to bring it every day in everything he does if he’s going to reach his massive potential.
****
Some Name, Image & Likeness talk now …
We told you a few weeks ago that Michigan seemed to be playing from behind a bit on the NIL stuff, and that was true. But they’re in a position to catch up quickly, and we believe (strongly) they have enough of the heavy hitters in place to make U-M one of the leaders when it comes to opportunities not just for athletes, but also setting up the incoming freshmen recruits — legally, of course.
Several of those heavy hitters met virtually recently, and the ideas being thrown about were “incredible,” per a few sources. They understand this has the potential to be a difference maker for the department, and while a few higher-ups at the university don’t seem as in tune with the reality of its importance, trust us — there are several that do.
One freshman has already been approached by a Detroit business to help represent them, and they told him he wouldn’t be the first. Plans are being implemented to make sure they are on top of this, and after a slow start out of the gate, they’re making up ground quickly. As noted, sophomore safety Daxton Hill recently signed a big deal, and others are sure to follow.
We are much, much more encouraged by the things we’re hearing than we were a few weeks back. We’ll have many more details on this in the days to come.
****
A bit of football recruiting …
Everyone knows this is our EJ Holland’s territory and that he’s been all over it, but we have picked up some more intel on five-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen. The nation’s No. 6 player had been said to be close to a pledge on his last visit, and some even pegged it for early July (fourth or earlier). That, of course, has come and gone, and with players like Nolen, we always say, ‘we’ll believe it when we see it.’ There’s unbelievable competition for (and pressure on) these kids, and it can be overwhelming.
What’s clear is how much the family liked it here, though. A source told us recently he believes “there’s a real chance for this to happen,” and that it “could be the grand finale on a pretty special July.” We’ll let EJ fill in the details on this one, as he has splendidly, but yeah … we’re saying there’s a chance.
****
More football …
Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football hit the ‘reset button’ this offseason in an attempt to turn things around following a brutal 2-4 campaign in 2020. Opt-outs and injuries played a (big) factor in the struggles, but it was clear to Harbaugh that change was needed. Six new assistant coaches are in, including the big one — a new defensive coordinator in Mike Macdonald.
National college football expert Phil Steele, who recently released his annual season preview magazine, believes the Wolverines will be much improved in 2021. One of the reasons? The changes Harbaugh made, and the fact that the roster is more veteran than it was a year ago.
“Of course, going from a Don Brown defense to any other type of defense is going to be interesting,” Steele told TheWolverine.com. “We saw with Michigan, they could be dominant at times defensively with Don Brown, but sort of had some flaws the last couple years — they got exposed. I guess it was time for a change on the defensive side, especially after giving up 434 yards per game and 34.5 points per game last year.
“With seven [defensive] starters back, they should be in better shape. Overall, looking at it from the top, it’s a good year to make changes since it’s a veteran squad this year. Last year, Michigan was actually No. 130 on my experience chart — dead last.
“I talked to 110-plus of the head coaches out there, and almost everyone was telling me how experienced they were, how deep they were, they could run three-deep in the spring — it was amazing. I pretty much said, that’s the status around the country. I think the teams that will make the biggest jump are the ones that were least experienced last year, and Michigan fits that criteria.”
He’s higher on Michigan’s defensive personnel than some others, and he believes in the potential of the unit. Though he has the Wolverines finishing the season with a 7-5 record, he has them projected as a team that could surprise.
To the offensive side of the ball, where Steele projected redshirt sophomore Texas Tech transfer quarterback Alan Bowman to be the starter — much to the surprise of many (PFF also pegged Bowman as the starter). It became a topic of conversation on the message board, so we asked him to explain his reasoning. His conclusion: The competition is wide open and he went with the most-experienced guy.
“You could pick any one of the three and list them as the starting quarterback,” Steele said. “I liked what I saw out of Cade McNamara at times last year in his brief stints that he had before he got injured. But Alan Bowman is a guy that, at Texas Tech, if they would’ve just kept him healthy, they would’ve probably had a couple of bowl games under their belt.
“It seemed like their season was going along great in ‘18, then he got injured. In ‘19, of course, he got injured again. And then last year, he got in six starts, and he really impressed me at times. He’s 6-3, 218, got a great arm — or a strong enough arm, I should say. It’s not a super arm, but it’s accurate enough. He throws well on the run, and he’s just a guy that’s smart and knows the offense and has been starting for three years.
“I ended up throwing him in as the starter, just figuring that after last year, change is perhaps a good thing. Cade McNamara is definitely the starter coming out of the spring, but I could make a case for any of the three ending up as the starting quarterback.”
What’s going to be huge for whoever wins the signal-caller job — and the entire offense — will be an offensive line with (hopefully) more continuity, after the group up front was forced to mix and match all season long last year.
“I’m going to draw one big circle on the offense, and that’s the offensive line,” Steele said. “Last year, they lost four NFL Draft picks, they had 17 career starts returning. Both starting offensive tackles — Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes — missed the last four games with injuries, so this was a banged up offensive line that was inexperienced.
“There were big plays. Remember the Minnesota game — a lot of big runs. But if you take away the three biggest runs they had on the season, they only averaged about 3.5 yards per carry. So, this is an offensive line that’s definitely much more experienced than they were heading into last year, and I think that’s where you’re really going to see the rest of the unit thrive … the fact that the offensive line is going to be much improved.”
For the record — we believe QB is a two-man race with McNamara out front, but McCarthy right on his tail and closing.
****
Finally, we bumped into some of the hockey guys yesterday, and there is still some optimism that defenseman Owen Power, the projected NHL No. 1 overall draft pick, will return to school for one more year. There’s going to be pressure on him to leave, but folks in his corner would really like to see him back in Ann Arbor for one more season.
“They’d love to see him get another year in to get closer to his Michigan degree,” a source extremely close to it said. “They really want him to get it eventually, and that’s a step.”
We’ll continue to watch this one closely.
Look for ITF Part II — all basketball and recruiting — Saturday.
We start this week’s edition in the running back room, where three guys are pushing one another for the right to see the field this year. Veteran Hassan Haskins finished spring ball as the clear No. 1, taking the fact that everyone seemed to be overlooking him for the younger guys personally, and he’s picked up where he left off this summer. He’s improving in every aspect of his conditioning, and he fully expects to be the starter this fall.
“He’s a great teammate,” one source told us. “He’ll help any of the young guys. But the fire is burning inside him. I think he’s going to have a big year.”
For those who don’t recall from previous reports, he was extremely hard to tackle in the spring game. He’s a load.
Still, perhaps nobody on the team works harder than Blake Corum, and it’s showing in his physique.
From what we’re hearing, new running backs coach Mike Hart loves his running back room, having told someone we know, “there are two backs in the room who are going to be better than I was.”
Now, he’s probably just being a bit modest — Hart was one of the best all-around backs ever to wear the winged helmet — but he’s not one of those guys who spews B.S. There’s definitely excitement in the building about the backs.
We told you recently about freshman Louis Hansen and the plans for him. He’s up to 254 pounds, an absolute rock, and if he can block when the pads go on, he’s going to play significant minutes. He’s got unbelievable hands, an incredible work ethic and has picked things up quickly, in part because he’s been working side by side with frosh quarterback J.J. McCarthy to learn and pick things up.
But sophomore tight end Erick All remains the tight end in the room with the most upside. He’s an “athletic freak” according to someone who sees him every day, has all the talent in the world and just needs to get it together mentally in order to overcome the drops. Some would argue he doesn’t have good hands given his drops … he actually has incredible hands. He’s just letting it get in his head.
As some have said, that’s an area in which former U-M Associate Athletic Director and personality guru Greg Harden might have helped.
We were worried about All as a potential transfer in the spring, and it was dicey for a while. He’s going to get his opportunities this year — it’s up to him to make the most of them. He’s got to bring it every day in everything he does if he’s going to reach his massive potential.
****
Some Name, Image & Likeness talk now …
We told you a few weeks ago that Michigan seemed to be playing from behind a bit on the NIL stuff, and that was true. But they’re in a position to catch up quickly, and we believe (strongly) they have enough of the heavy hitters in place to make U-M one of the leaders when it comes to opportunities not just for athletes, but also setting up the incoming freshmen recruits — legally, of course.
Several of those heavy hitters met virtually recently, and the ideas being thrown about were “incredible,” per a few sources. They understand this has the potential to be a difference maker for the department, and while a few higher-ups at the university don’t seem as in tune with the reality of its importance, trust us — there are several that do.
One freshman has already been approached by a Detroit business to help represent them, and they told him he wouldn’t be the first. Plans are being implemented to make sure they are on top of this, and after a slow start out of the gate, they’re making up ground quickly. As noted, sophomore safety Daxton Hill recently signed a big deal, and others are sure to follow.
We are much, much more encouraged by the things we’re hearing than we were a few weeks back. We’ll have many more details on this in the days to come.
****
A bit of football recruiting …
Everyone knows this is our EJ Holland’s territory and that he’s been all over it, but we have picked up some more intel on five-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen. The nation’s No. 6 player had been said to be close to a pledge on his last visit, and some even pegged it for early July (fourth or earlier). That, of course, has come and gone, and with players like Nolen, we always say, ‘we’ll believe it when we see it.’ There’s unbelievable competition for (and pressure on) these kids, and it can be overwhelming.
What’s clear is how much the family liked it here, though. A source told us recently he believes “there’s a real chance for this to happen,” and that it “could be the grand finale on a pretty special July.” We’ll let EJ fill in the details on this one, as he has splendidly, but yeah … we’re saying there’s a chance.
****
More football …
Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football hit the ‘reset button’ this offseason in an attempt to turn things around following a brutal 2-4 campaign in 2020. Opt-outs and injuries played a (big) factor in the struggles, but it was clear to Harbaugh that change was needed. Six new assistant coaches are in, including the big one — a new defensive coordinator in Mike Macdonald.
National college football expert Phil Steele, who recently released his annual season preview magazine, believes the Wolverines will be much improved in 2021. One of the reasons? The changes Harbaugh made, and the fact that the roster is more veteran than it was a year ago.
“Of course, going from a Don Brown defense to any other type of defense is going to be interesting,” Steele told TheWolverine.com. “We saw with Michigan, they could be dominant at times defensively with Don Brown, but sort of had some flaws the last couple years — they got exposed. I guess it was time for a change on the defensive side, especially after giving up 434 yards per game and 34.5 points per game last year.
“With seven [defensive] starters back, they should be in better shape. Overall, looking at it from the top, it’s a good year to make changes since it’s a veteran squad this year. Last year, Michigan was actually No. 130 on my experience chart — dead last.
“I talked to 110-plus of the head coaches out there, and almost everyone was telling me how experienced they were, how deep they were, they could run three-deep in the spring — it was amazing. I pretty much said, that’s the status around the country. I think the teams that will make the biggest jump are the ones that were least experienced last year, and Michigan fits that criteria.”
He’s higher on Michigan’s defensive personnel than some others, and he believes in the potential of the unit. Though he has the Wolverines finishing the season with a 7-5 record, he has them projected as a team that could surprise.
To the offensive side of the ball, where Steele projected redshirt sophomore Texas Tech transfer quarterback Alan Bowman to be the starter — much to the surprise of many (PFF also pegged Bowman as the starter). It became a topic of conversation on the message board, so we asked him to explain his reasoning. His conclusion: The competition is wide open and he went with the most-experienced guy.
“You could pick any one of the three and list them as the starting quarterback,” Steele said. “I liked what I saw out of Cade McNamara at times last year in his brief stints that he had before he got injured. But Alan Bowman is a guy that, at Texas Tech, if they would’ve just kept him healthy, they would’ve probably had a couple of bowl games under their belt.
“It seemed like their season was going along great in ‘18, then he got injured. In ‘19, of course, he got injured again. And then last year, he got in six starts, and he really impressed me at times. He’s 6-3, 218, got a great arm — or a strong enough arm, I should say. It’s not a super arm, but it’s accurate enough. He throws well on the run, and he’s just a guy that’s smart and knows the offense and has been starting for three years.
“I ended up throwing him in as the starter, just figuring that after last year, change is perhaps a good thing. Cade McNamara is definitely the starter coming out of the spring, but I could make a case for any of the three ending up as the starting quarterback.”
What’s going to be huge for whoever wins the signal-caller job — and the entire offense — will be an offensive line with (hopefully) more continuity, after the group up front was forced to mix and match all season long last year.
“I’m going to draw one big circle on the offense, and that’s the offensive line,” Steele said. “Last year, they lost four NFL Draft picks, they had 17 career starts returning. Both starting offensive tackles — Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes — missed the last four games with injuries, so this was a banged up offensive line that was inexperienced.
“There were big plays. Remember the Minnesota game — a lot of big runs. But if you take away the three biggest runs they had on the season, they only averaged about 3.5 yards per carry. So, this is an offensive line that’s definitely much more experienced than they were heading into last year, and I think that’s where you’re really going to see the rest of the unit thrive … the fact that the offensive line is going to be much improved.”
For the record — we believe QB is a two-man race with McNamara out front, but McCarthy right on his tail and closing.
****
Finally, we bumped into some of the hockey guys yesterday, and there is still some optimism that defenseman Owen Power, the projected NHL No. 1 overall draft pick, will return to school for one more year. There’s going to be pressure on him to leave, but folks in his corner would really like to see him back in Ann Arbor for one more season.
“They’d love to see him get another year in to get closer to his Michigan degree,” a source extremely close to it said. “They really want him to get it eventually, and that’s a step.”
We’ll continue to watch this one closely.
Look for ITF Part II — all basketball and recruiting — Saturday.
