The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT heading into the opener with Western Michigan (Noon, Saturday, ESPN), including plenty of pregame intel …
We’re now less than 24 hours from kickoff, and we (and many) still aren’t entirely sure what to expect from Jim Harbaugh’s seventh team, other than one thing — they’ll bring the energy. Now, that can change when adversity hits, of course. Even some of the best leaders last year were energy ‘suckers’ at times instead of providers, and that hasn’t been tolerated this year.
Part of it can be explained by the new staff additions (especially Mike Hart, but Ron Bellamy and Steve Clinkscale have been outstanding in that role, too), and head coach Jim Harbaugh has been much more ‘hands on’ this year in that respect.
He’s also been heavily involved in the offense, and in our opinion, that’s a good thing. We’ve said many times in response to the ‘he’s not letting Josh Gattis do his thing’ … just, no. And while Gattis is obviously still heavily involved, the commitment to more of a run game is Harbaugh.
“The offensive line … you’ll see more pushing off and attacking,” one observer said (and that would make former line coach Jerry Hanlon very happy). They’ve got the strength up front to do it, and a back like Hassan Haskins … it takes two guys to bring him down. He’s had a great camp.”
They could be down a man, as we’ve alluded to over the last several weeks. One of the best linemen suffered an upper body injury — pictures released by MgoBlue.com show Trevor Keegan and Chuck Filiaga at left and right guard, respectively — but we know the injured Wolverine was supposed to be cleared to return last Monday.
Would he be able to go in an emergency? It seems possible. It’s also very probable he’ll be back for Washington the following week, and they’ll need him in that role.
Freshman tight end Louis Hansen also had a minor setback and missed some time, though he returned this week, too. Though he’d had a really nice camp in a lot of ways and showed promise — his injury, a hip pointer, came when he took two guys out on a Donovan Edwards touchdown run — it’s more likely he’ll redshirt now given how much deeper the tight end room is than initially expected.
Erick All, for one, looks like “a pro,” other than the occasional drop. One of Cade McNamara’s few picks this fall came in the scrimmage last week when All had a ball go off his hands. Other than that, he’s been “amazing.” We’ll see if he can do it when the lights are on.
Luke Schoonmaker has had a great camp, too, and everyone keeps telling us about Carter Selzer and his role. We’ll see on that one, but it’s clear he’s in the mix.
McNamara has been every bit the leader folks have said he’s been, and he’s been really good getting the ball out quickly and avoiding mistakes (other than last week, when he also threw another pick, that one to Caden Kolesar. That kid is going to have a role, special teams and more). But freshman J.J. McCarthy had a very, very good last two weeks of camp and continues to push.
“Cade is a great leader,” one source said. “There’s still the sense that J.J. is the kind of quarterback you need to beat Ohio State, when he gets closer to his ceiling."
The competition has brought out the best in both guys. On a positive note, they’re also good friends and have embraced the battle like the QBs of old. The room is not at all cutthroat, and there’s nobody who’s going to be “pissed off” if their teammate spells them and does well if they aren’t getting the job done.
And yes, that was the case in the very recent past. There are less guys like that and more ‘team guys,’ we’re told, and that bodes well. There’s enough talent to win, according to a former Wolverine who has seen a number of practices this year. For you vets, he brought up the 1985 team as an example of what can be accomplished with an unselfish group of guys who all do their jobs.
“Look at the running back. It was 5-7 Jamie Morris,” he said. “The receivers were kind of like this crew — there were no surefire NFL guys, but they blocked their asses off and did everything right, caught the ball when it came their way.”
He also said there are less guys “looking to use Michigan as a ‘springboard’ to the NFL.’
He also likes the defense much better than last year’s. We’ll say it again — for all the hating on Don Brown, the Wolverines won a lot of games because of his defense, too, when the offense was awful (10-3 vs. Iowa comes to mind). But for this group, coordinator Mike Macdonald has designed a defense that fits his personnel well.
Listening to practice observers (and not giving away any trade secrets), this is a traditional, two-deep base defense that is “going to make the offense earn it” … but it’s got the concepts of traditional defense with pro complexity.
The linemen, in particular, like it better because they aren’t being run in and out every second or third play and getting gassed by running 40 yards to their positions in a rush. The corners like Vince Gray, who made it clear last week in the presser without pulling punches, insist it fits them better, and Macdonald has made it clear he’s going to mix things up and adjust based on the teams they play.
In a base two-deep, R.J. Moten is going to be your safety and Daxton Hill a cover guy, whether nickel or on the edge.
While Macdonald is calling the shots, he’s getting plenty of help. Clinkscale has been ‘fantastic,’ and while Ron Bellamy is still learning while coaching safeties, he’s getting plenty of input (off the field) from analyst Doug Mallory, who clearly knows a ton about secondary play.
“He’s been doing a lot of orchestrating,” one source said … and that’s not a knock on the secondary coaches, at all. They welcome it, knowing his credentials.
Finally, one guy who continues to impress — defensive end/OLB Mike Morris. He hasn’t been talked about as much as he was in the spring, but he’s played really, really well and has a bright future.
That’s all the talking … it’s time for ‘doing,’ and we’ll find out tomorrow what this team has.
****
On the opponent now, and a bit of recruiting …
We’ve talked quite a bit about how Western Michigan’s offense will be a formidable challenge, but it’s important to note what they lost just from two departures last season, which is a big storyline for the Broncos heading into the year, according to MLive WMU insider Patrick Nothaft.
“Replacing two NFL draft picks (second-rounder D'Wayne Eskridge and fifth-round offensive lineman Jaylon Moore) is a position the team hasn't been in since 2018, when offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor and cornerback Darius Phillips went in the third and fifth rounds, respectively,” Nothaft said.
Still, there is optimism surrounding the group.
“The offense returns all but those two starters from a unit that was very good last year, so there's a lot of excitement around that unit,” he said.
Many are pointing to redshirt junior wide receiver Jaylen Hall as the guy who will step up now that Eskridge has moved on, and it’s a safe bet given that he led the nation in yards per reception (26.9) and hauled in seven touchdown catches last season. But another to keep an eye on is sophomore wideout Corey Crooms, who has caught 14 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown in two years in Kalamazoo. Nothaft believes he’s ready for a breakout season.
“As far as surprises go, I think sophomore Corey Crooms is in for a big year,” he said. “He looked great in the times the team opened practice to the media, and [head coach Tim] Lester has been talking him up as someone who got a lot faster this offseason.”
He’s just one of the reasons why Nothaft thinks the Broncos will see some success in the pass game Saturday.
“I think WMU's passing game matches up favorably with Michigan's defense, as long as the quarterback can stay upright for more than a couple seconds,” he said. “When the teams played in 2018, WMU used a lot of max protect and three-step drops, which hamstrung the passing game, especially with David Long and Lavert Hill on the outside.
“[Redshirt sophomore quarterback] Kaleb Eleby throws a great deep ball, and Jaylen Hall is a great vertical target at 6-foot-3 and the ability to run a sub-4.4 40, so as long as the Broncos have time to let longer routes develop, they should have success through the air.
The Wolverines, however, hold the edge in several areas. One of those is the Wolverines’ offensive line against the Broncos’ front seven. While there’s talent on the defensive line, the linebackers are a makeshift group, and even needed to move senior A.J. Thomas from defensive back into the position group because of a lack of numbers.
“When Michigan has the ball, I think they'll be able to run the ball effectively against WMU's undersized linebacking corps, which should then open up the passing game for Cade McNamara,” Nothaft said. “It should be a good opportunity for the young quarterback to build some confidence against some untested cornerbacks.”
WMU is a relatively healthy club coming into the opener, with one exception. Senior tight end Brett Borske suffered a knee injury early on in fall camp, and he’s ‘doubtful’ for this game. If he’s not able to give it a go, it’s a significant loss, as he’s a key piece as a run-blocker.
In his (potential) absence, Nothaft said to look out for redshirt sophomore Anthony Torres to take his place. He’s seen action in just one career game, and that came back in 2018. There’s a significant drop off in talent and experience after Borske.
***
The Wolverine was out at Belleville (Mich.) High Thursday night to see two-star Michigan linebacker commit Aaron Alexander, who shined in his team’s 49-0 blowout win over Dearborn (Mich.) High. We’ll have some more on Alexander in the coming days, but we wanted to drop a couple quick notes here.
Alexander clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash at Michigan’s prospect camp, and he definitely flashed his speed. He told us after the game that defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has stressed how much he’s looking for speed at the inside linebacker spot … and all over the field, of course.
He believes he already has a good amount of that on the current roster.
“Coach Macdonald told me it’s a fast defense,” Alexander said.
His conversations with Macdonald, linebackers coach George Helow and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale have remained frequent and positive, even as the Wolverines are busy preparing for their season opener.
Alexander is excited for the Wolverines to open the long-awaited campaign.
“I’m looking forward to them blowing teams out,” he said. “I need to see them destroy teams. Western Michigan, I need to see them destroy them, just like we do, blowing out these teams out here.”
He said after being around head coach Jim Harbaugh and the staff on multiple occasions this summer, he feels the Wolverines can and will turn things around in a hurry.
“He brought this unbelievable energy,” Alexander said of Harbaugh. “I just feel like this year is going to be a totally different turnaround for Michigan.”
Watch for a special basketball edition of INSIDE THE FORT mid-next week. And as always, thanks for visiting TheWolverine.com!
We’re now less than 24 hours from kickoff, and we (and many) still aren’t entirely sure what to expect from Jim Harbaugh’s seventh team, other than one thing — they’ll bring the energy. Now, that can change when adversity hits, of course. Even some of the best leaders last year were energy ‘suckers’ at times instead of providers, and that hasn’t been tolerated this year.
Part of it can be explained by the new staff additions (especially Mike Hart, but Ron Bellamy and Steve Clinkscale have been outstanding in that role, too), and head coach Jim Harbaugh has been much more ‘hands on’ this year in that respect.
He’s also been heavily involved in the offense, and in our opinion, that’s a good thing. We’ve said many times in response to the ‘he’s not letting Josh Gattis do his thing’ … just, no. And while Gattis is obviously still heavily involved, the commitment to more of a run game is Harbaugh.
“The offensive line … you’ll see more pushing off and attacking,” one observer said (and that would make former line coach Jerry Hanlon very happy). They’ve got the strength up front to do it, and a back like Hassan Haskins … it takes two guys to bring him down. He’s had a great camp.”
They could be down a man, as we’ve alluded to over the last several weeks. One of the best linemen suffered an upper body injury — pictures released by MgoBlue.com show Trevor Keegan and Chuck Filiaga at left and right guard, respectively — but we know the injured Wolverine was supposed to be cleared to return last Monday.
Would he be able to go in an emergency? It seems possible. It’s also very probable he’ll be back for Washington the following week, and they’ll need him in that role.
Freshman tight end Louis Hansen also had a minor setback and missed some time, though he returned this week, too. Though he’d had a really nice camp in a lot of ways and showed promise — his injury, a hip pointer, came when he took two guys out on a Donovan Edwards touchdown run — it’s more likely he’ll redshirt now given how much deeper the tight end room is than initially expected.
Erick All, for one, looks like “a pro,” other than the occasional drop. One of Cade McNamara’s few picks this fall came in the scrimmage last week when All had a ball go off his hands. Other than that, he’s been “amazing.” We’ll see if he can do it when the lights are on.
Luke Schoonmaker has had a great camp, too, and everyone keeps telling us about Carter Selzer and his role. We’ll see on that one, but it’s clear he’s in the mix.
McNamara has been every bit the leader folks have said he’s been, and he’s been really good getting the ball out quickly and avoiding mistakes (other than last week, when he also threw another pick, that one to Caden Kolesar. That kid is going to have a role, special teams and more). But freshman J.J. McCarthy had a very, very good last two weeks of camp and continues to push.
“Cade is a great leader,” one source said. “There’s still the sense that J.J. is the kind of quarterback you need to beat Ohio State, when he gets closer to his ceiling."
The competition has brought out the best in both guys. On a positive note, they’re also good friends and have embraced the battle like the QBs of old. The room is not at all cutthroat, and there’s nobody who’s going to be “pissed off” if their teammate spells them and does well if they aren’t getting the job done.
And yes, that was the case in the very recent past. There are less guys like that and more ‘team guys,’ we’re told, and that bodes well. There’s enough talent to win, according to a former Wolverine who has seen a number of practices this year. For you vets, he brought up the 1985 team as an example of what can be accomplished with an unselfish group of guys who all do their jobs.
“Look at the running back. It was 5-7 Jamie Morris,” he said. “The receivers were kind of like this crew — there were no surefire NFL guys, but they blocked their asses off and did everything right, caught the ball when it came their way.”
He also said there are less guys “looking to use Michigan as a ‘springboard’ to the NFL.’
He also likes the defense much better than last year’s. We’ll say it again — for all the hating on Don Brown, the Wolverines won a lot of games because of his defense, too, when the offense was awful (10-3 vs. Iowa comes to mind). But for this group, coordinator Mike Macdonald has designed a defense that fits his personnel well.
Listening to practice observers (and not giving away any trade secrets), this is a traditional, two-deep base defense that is “going to make the offense earn it” … but it’s got the concepts of traditional defense with pro complexity.
The linemen, in particular, like it better because they aren’t being run in and out every second or third play and getting gassed by running 40 yards to their positions in a rush. The corners like Vince Gray, who made it clear last week in the presser without pulling punches, insist it fits them better, and Macdonald has made it clear he’s going to mix things up and adjust based on the teams they play.
In a base two-deep, R.J. Moten is going to be your safety and Daxton Hill a cover guy, whether nickel or on the edge.
While Macdonald is calling the shots, he’s getting plenty of help. Clinkscale has been ‘fantastic,’ and while Ron Bellamy is still learning while coaching safeties, he’s getting plenty of input (off the field) from analyst Doug Mallory, who clearly knows a ton about secondary play.
“He’s been doing a lot of orchestrating,” one source said … and that’s not a knock on the secondary coaches, at all. They welcome it, knowing his credentials.
Finally, one guy who continues to impress — defensive end/OLB Mike Morris. He hasn’t been talked about as much as he was in the spring, but he’s played really, really well and has a bright future.
That’s all the talking … it’s time for ‘doing,’ and we’ll find out tomorrow what this team has.
****
On the opponent now, and a bit of recruiting …
We’ve talked quite a bit about how Western Michigan’s offense will be a formidable challenge, but it’s important to note what they lost just from two departures last season, which is a big storyline for the Broncos heading into the year, according to MLive WMU insider Patrick Nothaft.
“Replacing two NFL draft picks (second-rounder D'Wayne Eskridge and fifth-round offensive lineman Jaylon Moore) is a position the team hasn't been in since 2018, when offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor and cornerback Darius Phillips went in the third and fifth rounds, respectively,” Nothaft said.
Still, there is optimism surrounding the group.
“The offense returns all but those two starters from a unit that was very good last year, so there's a lot of excitement around that unit,” he said.
Many are pointing to redshirt junior wide receiver Jaylen Hall as the guy who will step up now that Eskridge has moved on, and it’s a safe bet given that he led the nation in yards per reception (26.9) and hauled in seven touchdown catches last season. But another to keep an eye on is sophomore wideout Corey Crooms, who has caught 14 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown in two years in Kalamazoo. Nothaft believes he’s ready for a breakout season.
“As far as surprises go, I think sophomore Corey Crooms is in for a big year,” he said. “He looked great in the times the team opened practice to the media, and [head coach Tim] Lester has been talking him up as someone who got a lot faster this offseason.”
He’s just one of the reasons why Nothaft thinks the Broncos will see some success in the pass game Saturday.
“I think WMU's passing game matches up favorably with Michigan's defense, as long as the quarterback can stay upright for more than a couple seconds,” he said. “When the teams played in 2018, WMU used a lot of max protect and three-step drops, which hamstrung the passing game, especially with David Long and Lavert Hill on the outside.
“[Redshirt sophomore quarterback] Kaleb Eleby throws a great deep ball, and Jaylen Hall is a great vertical target at 6-foot-3 and the ability to run a sub-4.4 40, so as long as the Broncos have time to let longer routes develop, they should have success through the air.
The Wolverines, however, hold the edge in several areas. One of those is the Wolverines’ offensive line against the Broncos’ front seven. While there’s talent on the defensive line, the linebackers are a makeshift group, and even needed to move senior A.J. Thomas from defensive back into the position group because of a lack of numbers.
“When Michigan has the ball, I think they'll be able to run the ball effectively against WMU's undersized linebacking corps, which should then open up the passing game for Cade McNamara,” Nothaft said. “It should be a good opportunity for the young quarterback to build some confidence against some untested cornerbacks.”
WMU is a relatively healthy club coming into the opener, with one exception. Senior tight end Brett Borske suffered a knee injury early on in fall camp, and he’s ‘doubtful’ for this game. If he’s not able to give it a go, it’s a significant loss, as he’s a key piece as a run-blocker.
In his (potential) absence, Nothaft said to look out for redshirt sophomore Anthony Torres to take his place. He’s seen action in just one career game, and that came back in 2018. There’s a significant drop off in talent and experience after Borske.
***
The Wolverine was out at Belleville (Mich.) High Thursday night to see two-star Michigan linebacker commit Aaron Alexander, who shined in his team’s 49-0 blowout win over Dearborn (Mich.) High. We’ll have some more on Alexander in the coming days, but we wanted to drop a couple quick notes here.
Alexander clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash at Michigan’s prospect camp, and he definitely flashed his speed. He told us after the game that defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has stressed how much he’s looking for speed at the inside linebacker spot … and all over the field, of course.
He believes he already has a good amount of that on the current roster.
“Coach Macdonald told me it’s a fast defense,” Alexander said.
His conversations with Macdonald, linebackers coach George Helow and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale have remained frequent and positive, even as the Wolverines are busy preparing for their season opener.
Alexander is excited for the Wolverines to open the long-awaited campaign.
“I’m looking forward to them blowing teams out,” he said. “I need to see them destroy teams. Western Michigan, I need to see them destroy them, just like we do, blowing out these teams out here.”
He said after being around head coach Jim Harbaugh and the staff on multiple occasions this summer, he feels the Wolverines can and will turn things around in a hurry.
“He brought this unbelievable energy,” Alexander said of Harbaugh. “I just feel like this year is going to be a totally different turnaround for Michigan.”
Watch for a special basketball edition of INSIDE THE FORT mid-next week. And as always, thanks for visiting TheWolverine.com!
