The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of football and basketball scuttlebutt …
Starting with football, and the latest on the season …
There’s still optimism that there will be a season in some form, but still a question as to how it will look, how much travel will be allowed, etc. We noted a few weeks back that the Washington game was in serious jeopardy (and to be clear, no decision had been made on that this spring or anytime sooner) … we can now say it’s highly unlikely, at best, that the Wolverines will travel to Seattle.
Sources as close to it as possible have said schools are scrambling to find more regional schools to play, in fact — the MAC schools will be in high demand in the Midwest if they aren’t traveling, and many believe they won’t be — and the bigger programs like Notre Dame want their games played at home. It wouldn’t stun some if most if not all of their games are played in Notre Dame Stadium this year.
That’s because even the Big Ten is exploring a more regional Big Ten slate this year in response to COVID concerns. That would mean teams playing those closest to them regionally, for example (which they already do in some respect due to the East/West Divisions) but limiting long trips for crossover games.
Adjusting the schedule is just one of many options on the table, but it’s looking more and more as though it’s headed this way. Keep in mind, it’s subject to change based on what happens over the next several weeks, but the conference is looking to make an early to mid-July decision on what’s going to transpire.
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Coaches are pleased, though, with how their players have handled workouts while away from the building. The kids are starting to work out with strength coach Ben Herbert in groups, following social distancing protocols, and as reported, a pair of players have already been quarantined from their teammates after testing positive for COVID.
One group that’s impressed — offensive line. There’s going to be great competition here this fall, and each of the guys up front have prepared as though they want to start.
“There definitely is talent,” one veteran said recently. “Seeing all the young guys come in and work so hard even this winter was very intriguing. Zak Zinter was amazing all through the winter conditioning and stuff. He impressed me. He’s a hard-working kid. Karsen Barnhart goes hard every day and is a really good kid, Trevor Keegan … all those young guys, they want to be good.
“I think that’s half the battle. Once you realize you want to be good and you put your mindset that you want to play, think that gives you a chance to be really good. They’ve all got the raw talent.”
The guys who played, meanwhile, have been going over installs with the playbook, of course. Coaches have been given more time to work with their kids following the cancellation of spring ball, and it’s paid dividends.
“Instead of seven over 15 days, one being the spring game, basically one a week, we can do that over a two month time instead of one month, so we can go more in depth as to ‘here’s what I’m doing, here’s why’ and how it relates to everything else … how the offensive line relates to what the quarterback is looking at, where the ball is going,” one source in the building said. “Picking up blitzes.
“In terms of knowledge base of players, this is a huge opportunity to go way more in depth so when do get out there, and as a tackle see a slot receiver and wide receiver outside you, but there’s a nickel corner on the slot, corner on the receiver, but then that safety’s got them backed up, for example … what does that mean?” one source explained. “They’re not going to cover two guys with three players. The numbers don’t say that, so one of those guys is coming.
“These are the things they’re really picking up on. Just that knowledge of knowing that allows you to anticipate what will happen will give those guys a mental edge. Now it’s a matter of, ‘I see this, now I’m going to process it and actually going to do it.’ It’s the doing part, once you get into training camp, that they’re going to have to hammer that down.”
Some of the veterans have taken it upon themselves to watch every single play of every game last year, “where they messed up,” going over the Ohio State, Alabama and Wisconsin film over and over and “looking over all missed assignments there, how we could correct those.
“There were a few plays in all where the outcome could have been changed just on minor details,” a source noted.
Finally, another source indicated the Wolverines are deeper at one position in particular than they’ve been in a long time — and it might be one of the best on the team in the near future.
“Offensive tackle,” he said. “I really like Trente Jones. I like Karsen Barnhart at tackle, as well. Zak Zinter can play there, Andrew Stueber could, and then you’ve got Ryan Hayes, Mayfield and Trevor Keegan.
“That tackle position is probably the deepest position you have. Having more length, more athletic ability, longer arms, all that stuff will be an advantage for this offensive line.”
More football …
Michigan’s depth at defensive end has very little experience behind senior Kwity Paye and junior Aidan Hutchinson heading into 2020, with little-used redshirt junior Luiji Vilain being the next-most experienced player at the spot.
The door is wide open for playing time at both end positions according to defensive line coach Shaun Nua, who recently told Steve McGregor (Michigan freshman defensive end Braiden McGregor’s father) he expects the freshman to contribute from the get-go.
“They want Braiden at both defensive end spots, but they see him as an open side, weakside end,” Steve McGregor explained. “Braiden just wants to be on the field once things get going again. Coach Nua has told him over and over they expect him to be on the field and contributing this year as a freshman. That’s his goal — to crack the two-deep, and Coach Nua fully expects him to. Braiden’s main objective is to first get his knee fully healthy and then compete from day one to earn a spot in the rotation.”
The updates have been positive surrounding Braiden McGregor’s knee (he tore his MCL last October), with U-M Director of Athletic Training Phil Johnson recently telling the McGregor family that Braiden is “110 percent” healed from a mental standpoint, but is at “85-90 percent” on the football side of things.
Braiden McGregor and fellow freshman defensive end Aaron Lewis had been meeting virtually with Nua twice a week over the past few months, in addition to the defensive line’s usual meetings with him. Steve McGregor confirmed Lewis and Braiden McGregor are each learning the same position up front.
Seen as arguably the most underrated prospect in Michigan’s entire 2020 recruiting class (according to Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman and national recruiting guru Tom Lemming), Lewis is another player who could crack the defensive end rotation as a freshman.
His high school coach at Williamstown, N.J., Frank Fucetola, recently told TheWolverine that Lewis handled the recruiting process by himself simply because he knew how talented he was as a player.
“I stayed out of it and Aaron recruited for himself, because he knew he was that good,” Fucetola recalled. “I just told him to have all his doors open and not to close it on any programs — he had offers from schools like Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M … programs all around the country. I also told him to give everyone a fair shot, to listen to everybody and to use his official visits wisely. He only used two of them, because he fell in love with Michigan right away. Aaron was awed by their facilities and the environment, especially after he checked out a game there.”
Another freshman who could be a potential contributor in 2020 as a backup defensive end/outside linebacker is Tampa product Jaylen Harrell, who came to U-M as a three-star but “was on the verge” of being bumped up to four-star status according to Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy.
“He was a quiet, humble kid who was a great leader for us,” Dominick Caio said, who served as Harrell’s high school coach at Berkeley Prep in Tampa. “Jaylen also worked incredibly hard to become an outstanding student-athlete for us, so I was always impressed with his leadership and his humbleness throughout the recruiting process. He always kept things in perspective, and honored all the schools and coaches who recruited him. I could not have been prouder of the way Jaylen respected everyone and handled himself.”
Even more football …
Sophomore defensive tackle Chris Hinton is expected to start alongside fifth-year senior Carlo Kemp on the interior of the line this season, and he’s put himself in position to do so during the coronavirus pandemic.
We spoke with former Georgia and NFL/CFL defensive end/linebacker Marcus Howard, who trains sophomore Hinton and other players in the Atlanta area.
First, the 6-4 Hinton was listed at 303 pounds last season, but we’re told his weight currently ranges anywhere from 308 to 310 after working hard to get there over the last several months.
“He looks like he’s 295 or something,” Howard said. “That’s great weight. What he wanted to do was just cut back some of the baby fat he had and just lean up some, which he did.
“... and he’s moving good. Feet are fast, hands are quick as I’ve ever seen them before. We really worked on it a lot this offseason.”
It’s extremely difficult for any defender, let alone a tackle, to play early in Don Brown’s system. Hinton played in just 129 total snaps on defense last season, with 75 of those coming in the final two games against Ohio State and Alabama.
He kept a good mindset throughout the season — which allowed him to have some success in the extended playing time he received late in the year — but make no mistake, not getting as much opportunity as he wanted last season is a huge motivating factor for Hinton, and that carried into this offseason’s training.
For one example, instead of taking a vacation or relaxing at home, Hinton got to work right away with Howard during spring break and trained the entire week. He went back to Ann Arbor for a few days before things shut down due to COVID-19; once classes moved to an online setting, Hinton called Howard right away, telling him he’s ready to get back at it as soon as he gets back into town.
“He always had a good mindset, but right now it’s just different, man,” Howard said of what he’s noticed about Hinton heading into his sophomore year.
The difference between Hinton now and what he was last season is “night and day,” Howard said, in terms of his game both physically and mentally.
As far as Hinton’s role this season, he’s expecting to play more 3-technique (outside shoulder of the guard), instead of lining up closer to the center like he did last season quite a bit, especially in the bowl game due to Kemp being out with injury. The 3-tech is exactly where he wants to be, and he’s been working on pass-rush moves and his quickness so he can both get after the quarterback and chase down ball-carriers on the outside while maintaining the strength to take on and shed blocks.
Look for more from TheWolverine.com on Hinton’s socially distant spring in the days to come.
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Finishing with basketball and recruiting …
Recently, we released our list of top five players most likely to commit from the 2021 class. Many asked why we aren’t including big man Efton Reid, a Richmond (Va.) center ranked No. 24 nationally who has played with signees Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams.
Michigan has told him he could come in 2020 if he’d like (though that wouldn’t make much sense given Dickinson’s arrival. Two centers in the same class vying for time with Austin Davis also in the mix — would they keep everyone happy?).
He is an option for 2021, but U-M probably isn’t a “leader.”
“He’s all over the place with things,” one source said. “Michigan is in there, though he doesn’t know if he wants to reclassify or not.”
Another who knows him as well as anyone said it’s hard to get a read on him.
“I don’t know a lot. I don’t think anybody really does,” he said. “He’s a good kid … just not transparent].”
He does like Juwan Howard. If he’s 2021, most believe U-M will have a shot. Others strongly believe he’s Virginia’s to lose. Rivals.com’s Corey Evans recently called him a “must get” for Tony Bennett.
“Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers are going to need more size and who better than a top 30 in-state player like Reid to come in?” he wrote. “Reid is big, he’s strong and he would likely be a strong anchor to Bennett’s defense and a good fit on the offensive end. He’s not a high flyer, but he’s smart and showing more and more skill.”
The competition: Reid still has a rather large list which consists of Florida, Kansas, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, Rutgers, VCU and more.
As for the future … college basketball coaches were allowed to start reaching out directly to 2022 recruits starting at midnight on June 15, so it’s not surprising that the offers for that class have picked up for Michigan and around the country. Even less surprising is where one of the latest 2022 offers came from — the DMV. Howard and Co. have been hitting the area hard, landing 2020 signees Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams.
Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI 2022 four-star point guard Dug McDaniel — a member of Team Takeover, the same Nike EYBL program that produced Dickinson and Williams — was extended an offer last night. The No. 36 player in the country, per Rivals.com, has had offers flooding in over recent days.
While Howard was evaluating the aforementioned incoming freshmen on the AAU circuit last year, McDaniel caught his eye, we’re told. He’s a bit undersized at 5-10, but his elite passing ability stands out.
Although it’s early (and the staff needs to get going on what will be a big 2021 class), McDaniel and other prospects from the elite AAU program are ones to keep an eye on. Howard has built a strong relationship with Takeover’s coaching staff over the last year, and it’s believed more of their players could be headed to Ann Arbor in the future.
One more youngster from the DMV (and Takeover) to keep an eye on is Washington (DC.) Gonzaga 2022 four-star Judah Mintz. We’ve been told Howard was also impressed with him while on the trail out east. The 6-4, 170-pound shooting guard was also a teammate of Williams at Gonzaga. It wouldn’t surprise if Michigan got in the mix with an offer for Rivals.com’s No. 59 player in the class.
As always, thanks for visiting TheWolverine.com!
Starting with football, and the latest on the season …
There’s still optimism that there will be a season in some form, but still a question as to how it will look, how much travel will be allowed, etc. We noted a few weeks back that the Washington game was in serious jeopardy (and to be clear, no decision had been made on that this spring or anytime sooner) … we can now say it’s highly unlikely, at best, that the Wolverines will travel to Seattle.
Sources as close to it as possible have said schools are scrambling to find more regional schools to play, in fact — the MAC schools will be in high demand in the Midwest if they aren’t traveling, and many believe they won’t be — and the bigger programs like Notre Dame want their games played at home. It wouldn’t stun some if most if not all of their games are played in Notre Dame Stadium this year.
That’s because even the Big Ten is exploring a more regional Big Ten slate this year in response to COVID concerns. That would mean teams playing those closest to them regionally, for example (which they already do in some respect due to the East/West Divisions) but limiting long trips for crossover games.
Adjusting the schedule is just one of many options on the table, but it’s looking more and more as though it’s headed this way. Keep in mind, it’s subject to change based on what happens over the next several weeks, but the conference is looking to make an early to mid-July decision on what’s going to transpire.
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Coaches are pleased, though, with how their players have handled workouts while away from the building. The kids are starting to work out with strength coach Ben Herbert in groups, following social distancing protocols, and as reported, a pair of players have already been quarantined from their teammates after testing positive for COVID.
One group that’s impressed — offensive line. There’s going to be great competition here this fall, and each of the guys up front have prepared as though they want to start.
“There definitely is talent,” one veteran said recently. “Seeing all the young guys come in and work so hard even this winter was very intriguing. Zak Zinter was amazing all through the winter conditioning and stuff. He impressed me. He’s a hard-working kid. Karsen Barnhart goes hard every day and is a really good kid, Trevor Keegan … all those young guys, they want to be good.
“I think that’s half the battle. Once you realize you want to be good and you put your mindset that you want to play, think that gives you a chance to be really good. They’ve all got the raw talent.”
The guys who played, meanwhile, have been going over installs with the playbook, of course. Coaches have been given more time to work with their kids following the cancellation of spring ball, and it’s paid dividends.
“Instead of seven over 15 days, one being the spring game, basically one a week, we can do that over a two month time instead of one month, so we can go more in depth as to ‘here’s what I’m doing, here’s why’ and how it relates to everything else … how the offensive line relates to what the quarterback is looking at, where the ball is going,” one source in the building said. “Picking up blitzes.
“In terms of knowledge base of players, this is a huge opportunity to go way more in depth so when do get out there, and as a tackle see a slot receiver and wide receiver outside you, but there’s a nickel corner on the slot, corner on the receiver, but then that safety’s got them backed up, for example … what does that mean?” one source explained. “They’re not going to cover two guys with three players. The numbers don’t say that, so one of those guys is coming.
“These are the things they’re really picking up on. Just that knowledge of knowing that allows you to anticipate what will happen will give those guys a mental edge. Now it’s a matter of, ‘I see this, now I’m going to process it and actually going to do it.’ It’s the doing part, once you get into training camp, that they’re going to have to hammer that down.”
Some of the veterans have taken it upon themselves to watch every single play of every game last year, “where they messed up,” going over the Ohio State, Alabama and Wisconsin film over and over and “looking over all missed assignments there, how we could correct those.
“There were a few plays in all where the outcome could have been changed just on minor details,” a source noted.
Finally, another source indicated the Wolverines are deeper at one position in particular than they’ve been in a long time — and it might be one of the best on the team in the near future.
“Offensive tackle,” he said. “I really like Trente Jones. I like Karsen Barnhart at tackle, as well. Zak Zinter can play there, Andrew Stueber could, and then you’ve got Ryan Hayes, Mayfield and Trevor Keegan.
“That tackle position is probably the deepest position you have. Having more length, more athletic ability, longer arms, all that stuff will be an advantage for this offensive line.”
More football …
Michigan’s depth at defensive end has very little experience behind senior Kwity Paye and junior Aidan Hutchinson heading into 2020, with little-used redshirt junior Luiji Vilain being the next-most experienced player at the spot.
The door is wide open for playing time at both end positions according to defensive line coach Shaun Nua, who recently told Steve McGregor (Michigan freshman defensive end Braiden McGregor’s father) he expects the freshman to contribute from the get-go.
“They want Braiden at both defensive end spots, but they see him as an open side, weakside end,” Steve McGregor explained. “Braiden just wants to be on the field once things get going again. Coach Nua has told him over and over they expect him to be on the field and contributing this year as a freshman. That’s his goal — to crack the two-deep, and Coach Nua fully expects him to. Braiden’s main objective is to first get his knee fully healthy and then compete from day one to earn a spot in the rotation.”
The updates have been positive surrounding Braiden McGregor’s knee (he tore his MCL last October), with U-M Director of Athletic Training Phil Johnson recently telling the McGregor family that Braiden is “110 percent” healed from a mental standpoint, but is at “85-90 percent” on the football side of things.
Braiden McGregor and fellow freshman defensive end Aaron Lewis had been meeting virtually with Nua twice a week over the past few months, in addition to the defensive line’s usual meetings with him. Steve McGregor confirmed Lewis and Braiden McGregor are each learning the same position up front.
Seen as arguably the most underrated prospect in Michigan’s entire 2020 recruiting class (according to Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman and national recruiting guru Tom Lemming), Lewis is another player who could crack the defensive end rotation as a freshman.
His high school coach at Williamstown, N.J., Frank Fucetola, recently told TheWolverine that Lewis handled the recruiting process by himself simply because he knew how talented he was as a player.
“I stayed out of it and Aaron recruited for himself, because he knew he was that good,” Fucetola recalled. “I just told him to have all his doors open and not to close it on any programs — he had offers from schools like Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M … programs all around the country. I also told him to give everyone a fair shot, to listen to everybody and to use his official visits wisely. He only used two of them, because he fell in love with Michigan right away. Aaron was awed by their facilities and the environment, especially after he checked out a game there.”
Another freshman who could be a potential contributor in 2020 as a backup defensive end/outside linebacker is Tampa product Jaylen Harrell, who came to U-M as a three-star but “was on the verge” of being bumped up to four-star status according to Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy.
“He was a quiet, humble kid who was a great leader for us,” Dominick Caio said, who served as Harrell’s high school coach at Berkeley Prep in Tampa. “Jaylen also worked incredibly hard to become an outstanding student-athlete for us, so I was always impressed with his leadership and his humbleness throughout the recruiting process. He always kept things in perspective, and honored all the schools and coaches who recruited him. I could not have been prouder of the way Jaylen respected everyone and handled himself.”
Even more football …
Sophomore defensive tackle Chris Hinton is expected to start alongside fifth-year senior Carlo Kemp on the interior of the line this season, and he’s put himself in position to do so during the coronavirus pandemic.
We spoke with former Georgia and NFL/CFL defensive end/linebacker Marcus Howard, who trains sophomore Hinton and other players in the Atlanta area.
First, the 6-4 Hinton was listed at 303 pounds last season, but we’re told his weight currently ranges anywhere from 308 to 310 after working hard to get there over the last several months.
“He looks like he’s 295 or something,” Howard said. “That’s great weight. What he wanted to do was just cut back some of the baby fat he had and just lean up some, which he did.
“... and he’s moving good. Feet are fast, hands are quick as I’ve ever seen them before. We really worked on it a lot this offseason.”
It’s extremely difficult for any defender, let alone a tackle, to play early in Don Brown’s system. Hinton played in just 129 total snaps on defense last season, with 75 of those coming in the final two games against Ohio State and Alabama.
He kept a good mindset throughout the season — which allowed him to have some success in the extended playing time he received late in the year — but make no mistake, not getting as much opportunity as he wanted last season is a huge motivating factor for Hinton, and that carried into this offseason’s training.
For one example, instead of taking a vacation or relaxing at home, Hinton got to work right away with Howard during spring break and trained the entire week. He went back to Ann Arbor for a few days before things shut down due to COVID-19; once classes moved to an online setting, Hinton called Howard right away, telling him he’s ready to get back at it as soon as he gets back into town.
“He always had a good mindset, but right now it’s just different, man,” Howard said of what he’s noticed about Hinton heading into his sophomore year.
The difference between Hinton now and what he was last season is “night and day,” Howard said, in terms of his game both physically and mentally.
As far as Hinton’s role this season, he’s expecting to play more 3-technique (outside shoulder of the guard), instead of lining up closer to the center like he did last season quite a bit, especially in the bowl game due to Kemp being out with injury. The 3-tech is exactly where he wants to be, and he’s been working on pass-rush moves and his quickness so he can both get after the quarterback and chase down ball-carriers on the outside while maintaining the strength to take on and shed blocks.
Look for more from TheWolverine.com on Hinton’s socially distant spring in the days to come.
****
Finishing with basketball and recruiting …
Recently, we released our list of top five players most likely to commit from the 2021 class. Many asked why we aren’t including big man Efton Reid, a Richmond (Va.) center ranked No. 24 nationally who has played with signees Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams.
Michigan has told him he could come in 2020 if he’d like (though that wouldn’t make much sense given Dickinson’s arrival. Two centers in the same class vying for time with Austin Davis also in the mix — would they keep everyone happy?).
He is an option for 2021, but U-M probably isn’t a “leader.”
“He’s all over the place with things,” one source said. “Michigan is in there, though he doesn’t know if he wants to reclassify or not.”
Another who knows him as well as anyone said it’s hard to get a read on him.
“I don’t know a lot. I don’t think anybody really does,” he said. “He’s a good kid … just not transparent].”
He does like Juwan Howard. If he’s 2021, most believe U-M will have a shot. Others strongly believe he’s Virginia’s to lose. Rivals.com’s Corey Evans recently called him a “must get” for Tony Bennett.
“Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers are going to need more size and who better than a top 30 in-state player like Reid to come in?” he wrote. “Reid is big, he’s strong and he would likely be a strong anchor to Bennett’s defense and a good fit on the offensive end. He’s not a high flyer, but he’s smart and showing more and more skill.”
The competition: Reid still has a rather large list which consists of Florida, Kansas, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, Rutgers, VCU and more.
As for the future … college basketball coaches were allowed to start reaching out directly to 2022 recruits starting at midnight on June 15, so it’s not surprising that the offers for that class have picked up for Michigan and around the country. Even less surprising is where one of the latest 2022 offers came from — the DMV. Howard and Co. have been hitting the area hard, landing 2020 signees Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams.
Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI 2022 four-star point guard Dug McDaniel — a member of Team Takeover, the same Nike EYBL program that produced Dickinson and Williams — was extended an offer last night. The No. 36 player in the country, per Rivals.com, has had offers flooding in over recent days.
While Howard was evaluating the aforementioned incoming freshmen on the AAU circuit last year, McDaniel caught his eye, we’re told. He’s a bit undersized at 5-10, but his elite passing ability stands out.
Although it’s early (and the staff needs to get going on what will be a big 2021 class), McDaniel and other prospects from the elite AAU program are ones to keep an eye on. Howard has built a strong relationship with Takeover’s coaching staff over the last year, and it’s believed more of their players could be headed to Ann Arbor in the future.
One more youngster from the DMV (and Takeover) to keep an eye on is Washington (DC.) Gonzaga 2022 four-star Judah Mintz. We’ve been told Howard was also impressed with him while on the trail out east. The 6-4, 170-pound shooting guard was also a teammate of Williams at Gonzaga. It wouldn’t surprise if Michigan got in the mix with an offer for Rivals.com’s No. 59 player in the class.
As always, thanks for visiting TheWolverine.com!
