The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of spring football.
First, in case you missed it, some great contributions from posters IABlueCrue and MaizenBlue1817:
https://michigan.forums.rivals.com/threads/talking-spring-football-alot-of-spring-football.245644/
https://michigan.forums.rivals.com/threads/early-practice-notes.245555/
Now some of what we’ve picked up, noting that the team hasn't been in pads long and that things change daily … in other words, just because one lineup is on the field doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way.
On the offensive line, for example, they always — always — experiment to get their best five on the field and work guys at different positions on the line in case of injuries, etc. We don't expect fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty to start at left tackle, for example, but that’s where he was yesterday, with junior Ben Bredeson at left guard, sophomore Cesar Ruiz at center, junior Mike Onwenu at right guard and redshirt junior Jon Runyan at right tackle.
Bushell-Beatty … we’re not going to sit here and say he can be a great left tackle. We will tell you he’s moving well and holding up pretty well against a defensive line that is expected to dominate. Defensive coordinator Don Brown chuckles to himself every time he gets ready to talk about them, shaking his head at the embarrassment of riches there.
Bushell-Beatty has changed his body and moves much better, so that’s promising.
Ruiz is a natural at center, and that should be a strength of this line. Redshirt sophomore Stephen Spanellis was solid there last season, at times, but he’s the backup at this point and competing for time at guard.
They’ll continue to mix and match this spring, but finding the tackles is (obviously) the priority.
Recent practices have produced a number of outstanding individual plays, with each quarterback having played well. Redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey is much bigger and stronger. He was thin last year but has added very good weight and continues to be that guy everyone talks about as a future captain. He’s been good.
Redshirt sophomore Brandon Peters has thrown well, as well.
In other recent practices, junior Shea Patterson has made a few unbelievable plays, keeping plays alive and throwing on the run. Sophomore Tarik Black caught one — he’s back in form, and looks the part of Michigan’s best receiver, just as he did last year as a frosh.
He also made a circus catch on another pass that teammates joked would likely appear on his Instagram account before too much longer. He’s gifted.
Another who is turning heads again — redshirt freshman Oliver Martin. Martin played well last fall but struggled with an upper body injury for much of the year. He’s got great hands, though, and he’s back and healthy. He’s got the potential to be a really good one.
And freshman quarterback Joe Milton has also had some really nice moments. He had a throw on the run off his back foot, about 45 yards on a rope that not a lot of people can make. He’s got a long way to go, but he’s certainly got the arm strength and the body to be a very good quarterback.
On those we didn’t expect to hear from again, quarterback transfer Wilton Speight is back in the news after head coach Jim Harbaugh said on his podcast that the door is still open for a potential return. This is the second time we’ve heard this, and we can assure you that it came from the Michigan end both times.
The first time (a few months back), Speight laughed it off in speaking to someone close to us, saying, ‘never say never, I guess.’ But he left here less than enamored with the way he was treated (he felt), and he told many people as much.
To be clear, we have nothing against Speight and believe he got a raw deal at times given how poorly his teammates blocked for him on many occasions. But given how he felt, and probably still feels, it doesn't seem to be the right team move.
Some have speculated the only reason Harbaugh brought it up was because he was worried Patterson wouldn’t be ruled immediately eligible. Those close to it remain confident he will, but there’s always that ‘is the NCAA going to do the right thing here?’ aspect that will always leave an uneasy feeling.
More football …
We keep hearing about and seeing more and more of new strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, and there’s a good reason for that. Herbert is doing things with the program that simply haven’t been done under Jim Harbaugh. The staff and players have more than accepted his energy, dedication and overall approach, and they swear it’s going to show up this fall.
Michigan football multimedia coordinator Ty Rogers has been putting out video after video depicting the team approach that Herbert has created, and you can feel the energy in the short video clips. Players like Ben Mason, Cesar Ruiz, Rashan Gary and Donovan Peoples-Jones are regulars in the clips and seem to love working out under Herbert.
A source extremely close to the program has been able to observe Herbert doing his thing, and he can’t believe how different things look and feel from previous years.
“Things are jus way different with Herbert,” our source said. “Everything you see is 100 percent real. Guys are having fun at working extremely hard. It’s a crazy difference.
“Every single session is something. It’s more than just the weight lifting and getting stronger, though. Obviously that stuff is important, but it’s the bonding and the camaraderie. Teammates are screaming at each other to finish a rep. The guys are dancing and enjoying one another. That stuff will go further than any weight someone lifts. It’s a ‘do it for your brother, fourth quarter’ mentality.”
Our source has observed many strength staffs and believes Michigan’s is now at the top. Expectations are always high at U-M, but Herbert and his guys might take those expectations up a notch.
“I’ve seen five or six strength coaches up close and personal, and Herbert is the best one I’ve been around,” our source said. “He’s a great guy, too. He’s not a typical strength coach that acts too good for people. He actually cares and builds relationships and trust with the players.
“If Michigan wins big in the fall it’ll be in large part because of what that strength staff has implemented. A lot of people can’t wait to see how it all looks on the field.”
Herbert has also been very involved in recruiting. Numerous recruits have mentioned meeting him and his staff and watching them work. It’s very clear that Herbert and his guys are intentionally a part of recruiting visits because of how they interact with prospects.
It also doesn’t seem to matter the status of a recruit. Westerville (Ohio) Westerville Central three-star weakside defensive end Dontay Hunter doesn’t hold a Michigan offer but still spent time with Herbert and his staff while on campus yesterday.
“Coach Herbert and the staff are amazing and fun to talk to,” Hunter said. “They want the best for everyone and they genuinely care about their players. They told me that I have the measurable to be an impactful player. They want to help me get stronger.”
Charlotte (N.C.) Providence School four-star strongside defensive end Jacolbe Cowan is one of the more coveted prospects in the 2020 class and he does hold an offer from U-M. He received the same type of treatment from Herbert and his staff and mentioned them as one of the things that really stuck out during his recent Michigan visit.
“I could tell that Coach Herbert is very passionate about his job,” Cowan said. “He was very detailed in his approach about strength and conditioning. He was equipped with before-and-after visuals of athletes that he’s trained, and that was cool to see.”
Finally, a lack of communication between the Michigan coaches and recruits has been a topic of controversy among the U-M fan base as of late, but that wasn’t the case at all in Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch four-star quarterback Cade McNamara’s recruitment. McNamara committed to Michigan on March 16, and his coach, Shawn Dupris, explained that the U-M staff’s frequent contact with the young quarterback was actually a major attraction.
“Cade had a sparkle in his eye when he got back from his official visit there about a month ago, and I could tell he really liked it,” Dupris said. “One thing he really appreciated was how Coach [Jim] Harbaugh spent the majority of the day with him, and the communication the two have had since. The University in itself has always been one of Cade’s top five schools, and his mind was made up once he visited.”
Dupris also explained how much he appreciated it when another U-M assistant made his way out to Reno prior to McNamara’s visit.
“Pep Hamilton came out to campus to see Cade and size him up a bit,” Dupris recalled. “We had a good conversation with him. From there, they had a good idea of who Cade was, and it was just one of those eye-measuring things. After speaking with him, they made it clear how comfortable they were with him.”
Dupris also explained what McNamara’s game is like on the field, and why he was so sought after on the recruiting trail.
“First of all, he’s an extreme competitor,” the Damonte Ranch head coach said. “He’s been starting for me since he was a freshman, and actually beat out a returning All-Conference player who was a junior that year.
"Cade just has a heck of an arm, is extremely accurate and has a quick release. He also has a sixth sense in the pocket where he can move around and buy himself time. His eyes always stay up the field too — he’s not an immediate tuck and run guy and is always looking for that third or fourth option.”
****
To Michigan basketball now …
There’s a sense of calm and of purpose down here in San Antonio at the Final Four, and a less stringent John Beilein. The Michigan head coach seems to be deferring a bit more to his seniors, asking how they feel, how hard they want to go to preserve legs for two games (potentially), and they’re grateful.
Yesterday was not a great shooting day for the Wolverines, according to a couple of the kids, but they’re still getting used to the Alamodome environment. The rims are forgiving, freshman Jordan Poole said, and they shot it much better today at practice.
Sophomore point guard Zavier Simpson still struggled with his free throws, at times, and that’s going to be something to watch closely. The Wolverines will need every point they can get this weekend, and you’d hate to see them lose on missed free throws.
The Final Four is obviously a huge accomplishment, and for many kids, the fulfillment of the ultimate goal. Junior Moritz Wagner said more and more people are becoming aware of it near his home in Berlin, Germany … and talk has picked up that this run may have sealed his future.
Recently, folks believed he would seriously consider returning to Michigan for his senior year. Now, though, those same people are saying this could be the last weekend we see Wagner in a Michigan uniform.
Wagner isn’t on many draft boards right now — at least not in the first round — but he has plenty of options, could even start overseas and work his way to the NBA, which remains his ultimate goal.
We’ll have more on this after the tournament.
That’s the potential bad news. The good news … kids have taken notice of the Wolverines’ run to the Final Four and how much fun they’re having, and a lot of them are giving U-M a much closer look. We would have had in-state offerees Mark “Rocket” Watts of Detroit Old Redford as a possibility, not a probability last month, but Michigan has made serious in-roads there.
We aren’t going to say Michigan is the team to beat, like others are, but it’s clear U-M has made a move.
Five-star wing Romeo Weems of New Haven (Mich.) , too, appears to be giving Michigan a closer look. He’s been all about Michigan State for quite some time, and some still believe he’ll end up out of state, but folks say he’s picked up the interest.
Finally, those hoping for a Fab Five reunion — well, keep hoping. The rift between Jalen Rose and Chris Webber doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon.
Some close to it told us the differences between Rose and Webber and how they wanted to portray things in the Fab Five documentary aired on ESPN led to an irreconcilable situation. In fact, Rose was supposedly listening in on a conference call on which Webber was shopping his own, separate idea to a competing network.
Rose hasn’t held back in discussing this with many people. He was completely taken aback, as you’d expect.
It’s disappointing, but not surprising.
First, in case you missed it, some great contributions from posters IABlueCrue and MaizenBlue1817:
https://michigan.forums.rivals.com/threads/talking-spring-football-alot-of-spring-football.245644/
https://michigan.forums.rivals.com/threads/early-practice-notes.245555/
Now some of what we’ve picked up, noting that the team hasn't been in pads long and that things change daily … in other words, just because one lineup is on the field doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way.
On the offensive line, for example, they always — always — experiment to get their best five on the field and work guys at different positions on the line in case of injuries, etc. We don't expect fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty to start at left tackle, for example, but that’s where he was yesterday, with junior Ben Bredeson at left guard, sophomore Cesar Ruiz at center, junior Mike Onwenu at right guard and redshirt junior Jon Runyan at right tackle.
Bushell-Beatty … we’re not going to sit here and say he can be a great left tackle. We will tell you he’s moving well and holding up pretty well against a defensive line that is expected to dominate. Defensive coordinator Don Brown chuckles to himself every time he gets ready to talk about them, shaking his head at the embarrassment of riches there.
Bushell-Beatty has changed his body and moves much better, so that’s promising.
Ruiz is a natural at center, and that should be a strength of this line. Redshirt sophomore Stephen Spanellis was solid there last season, at times, but he’s the backup at this point and competing for time at guard.
They’ll continue to mix and match this spring, but finding the tackles is (obviously) the priority.
Recent practices have produced a number of outstanding individual plays, with each quarterback having played well. Redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey is much bigger and stronger. He was thin last year but has added very good weight and continues to be that guy everyone talks about as a future captain. He’s been good.
Redshirt sophomore Brandon Peters has thrown well, as well.
In other recent practices, junior Shea Patterson has made a few unbelievable plays, keeping plays alive and throwing on the run. Sophomore Tarik Black caught one — he’s back in form, and looks the part of Michigan’s best receiver, just as he did last year as a frosh.
He also made a circus catch on another pass that teammates joked would likely appear on his Instagram account before too much longer. He’s gifted.
Another who is turning heads again — redshirt freshman Oliver Martin. Martin played well last fall but struggled with an upper body injury for much of the year. He’s got great hands, though, and he’s back and healthy. He’s got the potential to be a really good one.
And freshman quarterback Joe Milton has also had some really nice moments. He had a throw on the run off his back foot, about 45 yards on a rope that not a lot of people can make. He’s got a long way to go, but he’s certainly got the arm strength and the body to be a very good quarterback.
On those we didn’t expect to hear from again, quarterback transfer Wilton Speight is back in the news after head coach Jim Harbaugh said on his podcast that the door is still open for a potential return. This is the second time we’ve heard this, and we can assure you that it came from the Michigan end both times.
The first time (a few months back), Speight laughed it off in speaking to someone close to us, saying, ‘never say never, I guess.’ But he left here less than enamored with the way he was treated (he felt), and he told many people as much.
To be clear, we have nothing against Speight and believe he got a raw deal at times given how poorly his teammates blocked for him on many occasions. But given how he felt, and probably still feels, it doesn't seem to be the right team move.
Some have speculated the only reason Harbaugh brought it up was because he was worried Patterson wouldn’t be ruled immediately eligible. Those close to it remain confident he will, but there’s always that ‘is the NCAA going to do the right thing here?’ aspect that will always leave an uneasy feeling.
More football …
We keep hearing about and seeing more and more of new strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, and there’s a good reason for that. Herbert is doing things with the program that simply haven’t been done under Jim Harbaugh. The staff and players have more than accepted his energy, dedication and overall approach, and they swear it’s going to show up this fall.
Michigan football multimedia coordinator Ty Rogers has been putting out video after video depicting the team approach that Herbert has created, and you can feel the energy in the short video clips. Players like Ben Mason, Cesar Ruiz, Rashan Gary and Donovan Peoples-Jones are regulars in the clips and seem to love working out under Herbert.
A source extremely close to the program has been able to observe Herbert doing his thing, and he can’t believe how different things look and feel from previous years.
“Things are jus way different with Herbert,” our source said. “Everything you see is 100 percent real. Guys are having fun at working extremely hard. It’s a crazy difference.
“Every single session is something. It’s more than just the weight lifting and getting stronger, though. Obviously that stuff is important, but it’s the bonding and the camaraderie. Teammates are screaming at each other to finish a rep. The guys are dancing and enjoying one another. That stuff will go further than any weight someone lifts. It’s a ‘do it for your brother, fourth quarter’ mentality.”
Our source has observed many strength staffs and believes Michigan’s is now at the top. Expectations are always high at U-M, but Herbert and his guys might take those expectations up a notch.
“I’ve seen five or six strength coaches up close and personal, and Herbert is the best one I’ve been around,” our source said. “He’s a great guy, too. He’s not a typical strength coach that acts too good for people. He actually cares and builds relationships and trust with the players.
“If Michigan wins big in the fall it’ll be in large part because of what that strength staff has implemented. A lot of people can’t wait to see how it all looks on the field.”
Herbert has also been very involved in recruiting. Numerous recruits have mentioned meeting him and his staff and watching them work. It’s very clear that Herbert and his guys are intentionally a part of recruiting visits because of how they interact with prospects.
It also doesn’t seem to matter the status of a recruit. Westerville (Ohio) Westerville Central three-star weakside defensive end Dontay Hunter doesn’t hold a Michigan offer but still spent time with Herbert and his staff while on campus yesterday.
“Coach Herbert and the staff are amazing and fun to talk to,” Hunter said. “They want the best for everyone and they genuinely care about their players. They told me that I have the measurable to be an impactful player. They want to help me get stronger.”
Charlotte (N.C.) Providence School four-star strongside defensive end Jacolbe Cowan is one of the more coveted prospects in the 2020 class and he does hold an offer from U-M. He received the same type of treatment from Herbert and his staff and mentioned them as one of the things that really stuck out during his recent Michigan visit.
“I could tell that Coach Herbert is very passionate about his job,” Cowan said. “He was very detailed in his approach about strength and conditioning. He was equipped with before-and-after visuals of athletes that he’s trained, and that was cool to see.”
Finally, a lack of communication between the Michigan coaches and recruits has been a topic of controversy among the U-M fan base as of late, but that wasn’t the case at all in Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch four-star quarterback Cade McNamara’s recruitment. McNamara committed to Michigan on March 16, and his coach, Shawn Dupris, explained that the U-M staff’s frequent contact with the young quarterback was actually a major attraction.
“Cade had a sparkle in his eye when he got back from his official visit there about a month ago, and I could tell he really liked it,” Dupris said. “One thing he really appreciated was how Coach [Jim] Harbaugh spent the majority of the day with him, and the communication the two have had since. The University in itself has always been one of Cade’s top five schools, and his mind was made up once he visited.”
Dupris also explained how much he appreciated it when another U-M assistant made his way out to Reno prior to McNamara’s visit.
“Pep Hamilton came out to campus to see Cade and size him up a bit,” Dupris recalled. “We had a good conversation with him. From there, they had a good idea of who Cade was, and it was just one of those eye-measuring things. After speaking with him, they made it clear how comfortable they were with him.”
Dupris also explained what McNamara’s game is like on the field, and why he was so sought after on the recruiting trail.
“First of all, he’s an extreme competitor,” the Damonte Ranch head coach said. “He’s been starting for me since he was a freshman, and actually beat out a returning All-Conference player who was a junior that year.
"Cade just has a heck of an arm, is extremely accurate and has a quick release. He also has a sixth sense in the pocket where he can move around and buy himself time. His eyes always stay up the field too — he’s not an immediate tuck and run guy and is always looking for that third or fourth option.”
****
To Michigan basketball now …
There’s a sense of calm and of purpose down here in San Antonio at the Final Four, and a less stringent John Beilein. The Michigan head coach seems to be deferring a bit more to his seniors, asking how they feel, how hard they want to go to preserve legs for two games (potentially), and they’re grateful.
Yesterday was not a great shooting day for the Wolverines, according to a couple of the kids, but they’re still getting used to the Alamodome environment. The rims are forgiving, freshman Jordan Poole said, and they shot it much better today at practice.
Sophomore point guard Zavier Simpson still struggled with his free throws, at times, and that’s going to be something to watch closely. The Wolverines will need every point they can get this weekend, and you’d hate to see them lose on missed free throws.
The Final Four is obviously a huge accomplishment, and for many kids, the fulfillment of the ultimate goal. Junior Moritz Wagner said more and more people are becoming aware of it near his home in Berlin, Germany … and talk has picked up that this run may have sealed his future.
Recently, folks believed he would seriously consider returning to Michigan for his senior year. Now, though, those same people are saying this could be the last weekend we see Wagner in a Michigan uniform.
Wagner isn’t on many draft boards right now — at least not in the first round — but he has plenty of options, could even start overseas and work his way to the NBA, which remains his ultimate goal.
We’ll have more on this after the tournament.
That’s the potential bad news. The good news … kids have taken notice of the Wolverines’ run to the Final Four and how much fun they’re having, and a lot of them are giving U-M a much closer look. We would have had in-state offerees Mark “Rocket” Watts of Detroit Old Redford as a possibility, not a probability last month, but Michigan has made serious in-roads there.
We aren’t going to say Michigan is the team to beat, like others are, but it’s clear U-M has made a move.
Five-star wing Romeo Weems of New Haven (Mich.) , too, appears to be giving Michigan a closer look. He’s been all about Michigan State for quite some time, and some still believe he’ll end up out of state, but folks say he’s picked up the interest.
Finally, those hoping for a Fab Five reunion — well, keep hoping. The rift between Jalen Rose and Chris Webber doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon.
Some close to it told us the differences between Rose and Webber and how they wanted to portray things in the Fab Five documentary aired on ESPN led to an irreconcilable situation. In fact, Rose was supposedly listening in on a conference call on which Webber was shopping his own, separate idea to a competing network.
Rose hasn’t held back in discussing this with many people. He was completely taken aback, as you’d expect.
It’s disappointing, but not surprising.
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