Michigan Tidbits: Defense and Future

Michigan Tidbits: Defense and future.

First, here are some additional thoughts on my visit to Alabama last weekend and also some more comments from the Crimson Tide coaching staff.

I think Alabama and Michigan are very similar in terms of where both programs were and how they are trying to get back to national prominence. When it comes to recruiting, the assistant coaches at Alabama explain that Coach Saban's philosophy is although you have to be competent at your position, recruiting is the main reason you were hired. In addition, Saban,like many top coaches, believes that you develop on offense, but you recruit for defense.

This has been my issue with Michigan in the past five years. We simply have missed on too many top defensive players, and Coach Rod has to turn that around.
Alabama coaches believe the reason you have to spend more time on recruiting defense is simply that defensive players are harder to evaluate. Why? Because almost every top high school player is on offense. They may play both, but the top talent is on the offensive side of the ball. So you have to evaluate, and often just guess, on how good a defensive player the recruits are.

Side-note: This is why Saban favors recruiting JUCO kids, especially for defense. He thinks they become easier to judge. For example, his top defensive lineman this year (Cody) is a JUCO player and is sometimes given most of the credit for Alabama's defensive improvement.

My conclusion: Recruit, recruit, recruit! And please concentrate on defensive players.

Now to the Michigan Defense:

Defensive Line:

Martin:
Of course, we all know about Martin. As reported last March, he is our best freshman and has a big future at Michigan.

Patterson:
I know he is not a freshman, but he is still a big mystery to a great deal of posters and at times, his coaches. Patterson had a huge summer. He was one of the team’s workout warriors who did everything he could to move up the depth chart. Unfortunately, he simply does not perform in practice and seems to project the attitude that he is just happy with his place on the team, and he does not seem overly competitive. After Michigan State, I am hoping Patterson gets some additional snaps to see if he can play in game situations. As of now, though, both RVB and Banks are ahead of him.

Sagessee:
He is another kid who needs more of a chance. Sagessee is going to have to be a big part of this team a year from now unless they decide to move RVB inside (which RVB is not a big fan of). Sagessee had no spring practice experience (injury) and limited fall participation, but it is time to find out if he can play.

Kates:
It seems as though Kates’ only chance at Michigan is if Big Will decides not to become a Wolverine. If that happens, then Kates may be forced into playing time because of a lack of depth. It does not help his situation that we haven’t played a team that fits his style except Wisconsin. As with Patterson, I’d like to see him get more snaps after the MSU game—snaps he has worked hard enough to earn.

Note:
Martin was the only defensive linemen recruited last year. This year we have four, assuming Big Will, Jones, LaLota, and Roh sign in February. But we need to upgrade both depth and athleticism on the defensive line, and I hope there is a major focus on getting the top kids possible.

Defensive line coach Bruce Tall has been okay, not great, and this may be one area of the coaching staff that could be upgraded.

Linebacker:

Demens:
He is one of key kids to watch this spring. He could be a big part of the defense next year. Why? Because is he is probably the smartest linebacker we have in terms of football instincts. He is not the most obviously athletic linebacker on the team, but he rarely makes mistakes. He has enough speed and is physical, and also shows signs of being able to handle pass coverage. Hopson is high on him and I have no doubt he will go through Barwis workouts with the proper attitude. If anything, he will add very good depth a year from now and challenge starters enough that they will have to perform to keep their jobs.

Fitzgerald:
I cannot see how he does not start next year, assuming of course that he goes through off-season workouts with the proper attitude. Fitz plays with a great motor and seems to really love playing football. He is very upbeat, enthusiastic and talented. He needs to get stronger, but there is no reason he cannot be ready by September of next year. He is better at middle linebacker, but his ability to gain strength may determine where he plays next fall.

NOTE:
Bell, Hawthorne and Jones all seem like the same type of player to me: outside linebacker types who will have more speed than strength. All will need a least a year (IMO) to adjust to position changes and to be able to handle Division 1 football. As of now, Brandon Smith is still considered a safety, and is too good an athlete not to have a place in Michigan’s defense. In the future, speed will be upgraded, but the big question is: can these kids play?

Side-note:
I asked Alabama coaches about Barnes, who they were rumored to have offered. They confirmed the offer. They said Barnes was the type of linebacker Saban likes: a big kid who has athletic ability and can be developed. They looked at him as a kid who may not play until his red shirt sophomore year, but could end up being a good one. At the very least, they felt he was worth a scholarship.

Defensive Back's:

Floyd:
The big question is whether he has enough speed to play cornerback at Michigan. He will have to be a fundamental type of cornerback and a switch to safety is not out of the question. Because of his size, Michigan coaches might prefer to keep him at cornerback. The good news is he is one of the most competitive and highly motivated kids on the team. Everyone agrees he needed the red shirt, but coaches do not see him far behind Boo Boo. Floyd may be one of those kids who is just a football player, and Michigan needs a bunch of football players.

Boo Boo:
The best news on Boo Boo is that he takes the game very seriously. He is a very coachable kid, but he tends to get excessively excited during games and overplays too may times. Because of that, the coaches have decided to take their time with him and pick their spots to get him into a game. However, with some more experience and growing confidence, he will be a good one.

B. Smith:
Smith is the one kid who came to Michigan and played just about as advertised. He is physical, athletically gifted and was very impressive in camp defending the run. He seemed to struggle in pass coverage. The injury really hurt his progress, but may have been a blessing in disguise because he is now red shirted and will have a whole year to get ready. From viewpoint, I can’t see him not playing somewhere next year, at least on the 2 deep and getting major snaps. I think he will be a four year contributor at Michigan.

NOTE:
Despite posters questioning my sanity at times, I still maintain that Michigan's most consistent problem in the last five years has been the recruitment of defensive kids. Sure, we have had some top kids, but football is a team sport and even more so on defense. And despite some great players (some of whom did not play anywhere close to potential such as Woods, Watson, Burgess, Crable…I could go on), we did not have enough speed and depth throughout the program. I know posters will bring up 2006, but it’s hard to say that was a great defensive team because the only two good offenses they faced that year scored at will.

To conclude: Coach Rod needs to spend the remainder of his scholarships for the ’09 class on defensive players and then really hit the streets and go after the best players available for the ’10 class.

One more note:
Alabama coaches said the key to a great defense is being great up the middle; force opposition try to go wide or pass wide. Then there is less of the field to defend. Does anyone think we are strong up the middle? I didn’t think so.

written by MaizeMan and ErocWolverine