Inside The Fort features a doubleheader on the weekend before Michigan’s season-opening football game. The two-day, two-part ITF starts now, and will feature more tomorrow.
When fifth-year senior defensive tackle Chris Wormley described senior end Taco Charlton as having the best fall camp of any in Michigan’s front, he was no lone voice in the wilderness. Several have backed him on that, and gone beyond Wormley’s stamp of approval.
Charlton came into Michigan like so many prep superstars, perhaps with an unrealistic vision of what was about to unfold in Michigan Stadium. His true freshman season, he got into 10 games, backing up at defensive end and playing on special teams.
But the Pickerington, Ohio, native wanted more, and there were even rumblings that he might go elsewhere. Again, that’s nothing out of the ordinary, especially for a Division-I All-Ohio performer who has known nothing but stardom.
Charlton is a different player now – physically, emotionally, and in the knowledge of the game. He’s all of 6-6, 272 pounds, playing with a focus and intensity that he’s not shown before in consistent, long stretches, according to those who have watched his development closely.
Charlton appears set to experience quite a senior season. He’s been through enough struggles on the field at Michigan to appreciate the present situation. He proved a key part of a successful Michigan defense last season.
Now, he’s a key cog in the machine defensive coordinator Don Brown is putting together. There’s no chance opposing offenses can identify and counteract Charlton as THE pass rusher for the Wolverines, lest they risk Jabrill Peppers, Wormley, Dymonte Thomas, or a host of other guided missiles taking advantage.
Charlton enjoyed his best season yet as a junior in 2015, with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles-for-loss, along with a forced fumble. Those numbers, in a Brown scheme, could go up – especially for someone who has grown up in every way.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s linebackers continue to draw solid reviews by those who are watching daily. Yes, the inside ‘backers won’t have the experience their predecessors did. But they’re bigger, more mobile, and perhaps more equipped for success, given the present scheme.
Veterans Ben Gedeon, Mike McCray and Peppers can form a very solid crew, one that has time to develop through a manageable non-conference season. But that same pre-Big Ten slate will afford Michigan coaches the chance to employ a number of rookie linebackers, led by true freshman Devin Bush, in building depth and ramping up the competition.
Insiders won’t put a number on the freshman linebackers who will play this season. But it would be a surprise if there aren’t several who find their way into the mix.
Another performer who has verified his spring performance is redshirt junior tailback Ty Isaac. No, that doesn’t mean he’s surpassed senior De’Veon Smith on the depth chart. Jim Harbaugh clearly loves the tough, physical, aggressive style of Smith.
But Isaac is smart enough to recognize what Harbaugh loves – and demands. He figured out plenty last year, and is running with a higher level of toughness this fall. He might have the most innate skills of any of Michigan’s backs. He found out those alone weren’t going to put him into a prime position to carry the football.
That means the competition for carries has continued in heated fashion in the fall. Smith himself said he looks around the running backs room, and sees plenty of guys who could be in the lineup instead of him – that’s a major motivator.
Isaac thinks he can be one of them – and he’s acting like it.
On to football recruiting, and some big news on a big target.
If Brooklyn (N.Y.) Poly Prep five-star offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson is offensive line target No. 1, Aledo (Texas) four-star offensive tackle Chuck Filiaga may just be No. 2. The 6-6, 335-pounder is an absolute mountain of a young man and has hands that seem to weigh about 50 pounds when it comes to his punch (or a handshake).
Filiaga is originally from American Samoa and then moved to California just before high school. The No. 16 offensive tackle and No. 122 overall prospect in the country has developed into a top-tier offensive lineman and Michigan director of player personnel Tony Tuioti saw it coming. Tuioti spent six seasons at the University of Hawaii where he was the team's linebackers coach, defensive tackles coach, and director of player personnel. While at UH, Tuoiti was in charge of recruiting American Samoa and that’s when he discovered a young Filiaga when he was in just the eighth grade.
Fast forward to now and that connection has Filiaga seriously looking at the Wolverines.
"I don’t have a top 10 or top five yet, and I’m really open to anybody and everybody, but Michigan is definitely up there," he said. "I'm very interested in Michigan but I'm very interested in all of the schools and I'm getting to know the coaches on every staff.
“I've been in contact with Coach Tuioti for a while. I also talk with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and Coach [Tim] Drevno a lot.”
Filiaga has been in contact with Tuioti, Harbaugh, and Drevno multiple times in the past three days, indicating that interest is very legitimate on both sides. The big lineman is starting to piece together his list of official visits and based on how he talks, Michigan will likely get one.
Tuioti’s efforts in American Samoa and with other Polynesian players have been very noticeable and he’s a big reason why Berrien Springs (Mich.) defensive tackle Phillip Paea is committed to Michigan. Sacramento (Calif.) Inderkum four-star tight end Josh Falo, Pago Pago (Leone) American Samoa four-star athlete Juliano Falaniko, and South Jordan (Utah) Bingham four-star defensive tackle Jay Tufele are all considering Michigan as well because of Tuioti’s influences.
As of right now only one prospect is coming in for an official visit for Michigan’s season opener against Hawaii next weekend but it’s a big one. Cheshire (Conn.) Academy four-star wide receiver Tarik Black will be in the house just a few weeks after spending a considerable amount of time in Ann Arbor for the BBQ.
It’s big for a few reasons. One, he’s been high on Michigan throughout and coming in for an official visit, against a lackluster opponent, just weeks after being in town for an unofficial visit makes it seem like something could be afoot. Two, something could also be afoot based on a tweet Black sent out last week. It was quickly deleted but it read, “Decision made.”
Tweeting something like that just a couple weeks before your first official visit could be significant. Three, Black will be accompanied by his mother, father, and high school coach. The NCAA’s new rule, which allows a university to pay for two guests of a prospect, as long as they are parents or legal guardians, is very big for the recruiting process and Black is taking full advantage of it. Now, maybe Black’s parents and coach will attend all of his officials with him, or maybe they’re coming to Ann Arbor knowing it’s going to be an eventful trip — we shall see.
The 6-3, 201-pounder recently received a decent bump in the Rivals rankings and is now the No. 14 wide receiver and No. 99 overall prospect in the country. He might be behind five-stars Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins in the rankings and on Michigan’s board, but Black has the potential to be a difference maker in his own right.
Back to the present team … and a little surprise.
Freshman running back Chris Evans has been getting a lot of hype throughout fall camp, whether it’s been from head coach Jim Harbaugh, running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley, or his backfield mates who are also on the roster. The 5-11, 200-pounder out of Indianapolis has surprised a lot of people including one source close to the program.
“He’s been really, really good,” our source said. “He’s a stud. He’s really explosive and is a lot thicker in the legs than I realized.”
Evans, as a senior at Ben Davis, looked like he had the potential to be a special player. He made plays out of the backfield, at slot receiver, and in the return game. He had the skill set and showed flashes of being a dynamic offensive weapon but not many people thought it would happen during his freshman season. It remains to be seen how much he’ll be used, but based on camp reports, he’ll be on the field and will have the ball in his hands this fall.
Finally there is the $1 million question — who will start at quarterback? Since last year, throughout the spring, and even lately during fall camp, we at TheWolverine.com have been on the John O’Korn bandwagon … but we’re amending that stance. In fact, we believe the QB competition has been all but wrapped up by Wilton Speight. The 6-6, 243-pounder is not as flashy as O’Korn and probably isn’t as naturally talented, but he has the “it” factor Jim Harbaugh looks for and needs in his field general.
Speight rarely turns the ball over, consistently moves the chains en route to scoring drives, and knows the offense backwards, forwards, and upside down. O’Korn isn’t necessarily disappointing, but Speight is checking every box Harbaugh has created. With just over a week before kickoff, it seems that Speight is going to be the guy, but O’Korn is definitely still pushing. It’ll be a moment of truth when a quarterback trots onto the field next Saturday but right now, we expect it to be No. 3.
When fifth-year senior defensive tackle Chris Wormley described senior end Taco Charlton as having the best fall camp of any in Michigan’s front, he was no lone voice in the wilderness. Several have backed him on that, and gone beyond Wormley’s stamp of approval.
Charlton came into Michigan like so many prep superstars, perhaps with an unrealistic vision of what was about to unfold in Michigan Stadium. His true freshman season, he got into 10 games, backing up at defensive end and playing on special teams.
But the Pickerington, Ohio, native wanted more, and there were even rumblings that he might go elsewhere. Again, that’s nothing out of the ordinary, especially for a Division-I All-Ohio performer who has known nothing but stardom.
Charlton is a different player now – physically, emotionally, and in the knowledge of the game. He’s all of 6-6, 272 pounds, playing with a focus and intensity that he’s not shown before in consistent, long stretches, according to those who have watched his development closely.
Charlton appears set to experience quite a senior season. He’s been through enough struggles on the field at Michigan to appreciate the present situation. He proved a key part of a successful Michigan defense last season.
Now, he’s a key cog in the machine defensive coordinator Don Brown is putting together. There’s no chance opposing offenses can identify and counteract Charlton as THE pass rusher for the Wolverines, lest they risk Jabrill Peppers, Wormley, Dymonte Thomas, or a host of other guided missiles taking advantage.
Charlton enjoyed his best season yet as a junior in 2015, with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles-for-loss, along with a forced fumble. Those numbers, in a Brown scheme, could go up – especially for someone who has grown up in every way.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s linebackers continue to draw solid reviews by those who are watching daily. Yes, the inside ‘backers won’t have the experience their predecessors did. But they’re bigger, more mobile, and perhaps more equipped for success, given the present scheme.
Veterans Ben Gedeon, Mike McCray and Peppers can form a very solid crew, one that has time to develop through a manageable non-conference season. But that same pre-Big Ten slate will afford Michigan coaches the chance to employ a number of rookie linebackers, led by true freshman Devin Bush, in building depth and ramping up the competition.
Insiders won’t put a number on the freshman linebackers who will play this season. But it would be a surprise if there aren’t several who find their way into the mix.
Another performer who has verified his spring performance is redshirt junior tailback Ty Isaac. No, that doesn’t mean he’s surpassed senior De’Veon Smith on the depth chart. Jim Harbaugh clearly loves the tough, physical, aggressive style of Smith.
But Isaac is smart enough to recognize what Harbaugh loves – and demands. He figured out plenty last year, and is running with a higher level of toughness this fall. He might have the most innate skills of any of Michigan’s backs. He found out those alone weren’t going to put him into a prime position to carry the football.
That means the competition for carries has continued in heated fashion in the fall. Smith himself said he looks around the running backs room, and sees plenty of guys who could be in the lineup instead of him – that’s a major motivator.
Isaac thinks he can be one of them – and he’s acting like it.
On to football recruiting, and some big news on a big target.
If Brooklyn (N.Y.) Poly Prep five-star offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson is offensive line target No. 1, Aledo (Texas) four-star offensive tackle Chuck Filiaga may just be No. 2. The 6-6, 335-pounder is an absolute mountain of a young man and has hands that seem to weigh about 50 pounds when it comes to his punch (or a handshake).
Filiaga is originally from American Samoa and then moved to California just before high school. The No. 16 offensive tackle and No. 122 overall prospect in the country has developed into a top-tier offensive lineman and Michigan director of player personnel Tony Tuioti saw it coming. Tuioti spent six seasons at the University of Hawaii where he was the team's linebackers coach, defensive tackles coach, and director of player personnel. While at UH, Tuoiti was in charge of recruiting American Samoa and that’s when he discovered a young Filiaga when he was in just the eighth grade.
Fast forward to now and that connection has Filiaga seriously looking at the Wolverines.
"I don’t have a top 10 or top five yet, and I’m really open to anybody and everybody, but Michigan is definitely up there," he said. "I'm very interested in Michigan but I'm very interested in all of the schools and I'm getting to know the coaches on every staff.
“I've been in contact with Coach Tuioti for a while. I also talk with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and Coach [Tim] Drevno a lot.”
Filiaga has been in contact with Tuioti, Harbaugh, and Drevno multiple times in the past three days, indicating that interest is very legitimate on both sides. The big lineman is starting to piece together his list of official visits and based on how he talks, Michigan will likely get one.
Tuioti’s efforts in American Samoa and with other Polynesian players have been very noticeable and he’s a big reason why Berrien Springs (Mich.) defensive tackle Phillip Paea is committed to Michigan. Sacramento (Calif.) Inderkum four-star tight end Josh Falo, Pago Pago (Leone) American Samoa four-star athlete Juliano Falaniko, and South Jordan (Utah) Bingham four-star defensive tackle Jay Tufele are all considering Michigan as well because of Tuioti’s influences.
As of right now only one prospect is coming in for an official visit for Michigan’s season opener against Hawaii next weekend but it’s a big one. Cheshire (Conn.) Academy four-star wide receiver Tarik Black will be in the house just a few weeks after spending a considerable amount of time in Ann Arbor for the BBQ.
It’s big for a few reasons. One, he’s been high on Michigan throughout and coming in for an official visit, against a lackluster opponent, just weeks after being in town for an unofficial visit makes it seem like something could be afoot. Two, something could also be afoot based on a tweet Black sent out last week. It was quickly deleted but it read, “Decision made.”
Tweeting something like that just a couple weeks before your first official visit could be significant. Three, Black will be accompanied by his mother, father, and high school coach. The NCAA’s new rule, which allows a university to pay for two guests of a prospect, as long as they are parents or legal guardians, is very big for the recruiting process and Black is taking full advantage of it. Now, maybe Black’s parents and coach will attend all of his officials with him, or maybe they’re coming to Ann Arbor knowing it’s going to be an eventful trip — we shall see.
The 6-3, 201-pounder recently received a decent bump in the Rivals rankings and is now the No. 14 wide receiver and No. 99 overall prospect in the country. He might be behind five-stars Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins in the rankings and on Michigan’s board, but Black has the potential to be a difference maker in his own right.
Back to the present team … and a little surprise.
Freshman running back Chris Evans has been getting a lot of hype throughout fall camp, whether it’s been from head coach Jim Harbaugh, running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley, or his backfield mates who are also on the roster. The 5-11, 200-pounder out of Indianapolis has surprised a lot of people including one source close to the program.
“He’s been really, really good,” our source said. “He’s a stud. He’s really explosive and is a lot thicker in the legs than I realized.”
Evans, as a senior at Ben Davis, looked like he had the potential to be a special player. He made plays out of the backfield, at slot receiver, and in the return game. He had the skill set and showed flashes of being a dynamic offensive weapon but not many people thought it would happen during his freshman season. It remains to be seen how much he’ll be used, but based on camp reports, he’ll be on the field and will have the ball in his hands this fall.
Finally there is the $1 million question — who will start at quarterback? Since last year, throughout the spring, and even lately during fall camp, we at TheWolverine.com have been on the John O’Korn bandwagon … but we’re amending that stance. In fact, we believe the QB competition has been all but wrapped up by Wilton Speight. The 6-6, 243-pounder is not as flashy as O’Korn and probably isn’t as naturally talented, but he has the “it” factor Jim Harbaugh looks for and needs in his field general.
Speight rarely turns the ball over, consistently moves the chains en route to scoring drives, and knows the offense backwards, forwards, and upside down. O’Korn isn’t necessarily disappointing, but Speight is checking every box Harbaugh has created. With just over a week before kickoff, it seems that Speight is going to be the guy, but O’Korn is definitely still pushing. It’ll be a moment of truth when a quarterback trots onto the field next Saturday but right now, we expect it to be No. 3.
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