Michigan Football Tidbits: More from the Coaches Clinic

Coaching and Clinic Notes:

Shafer and Robinson are total opposites in terms of coaching style. Shafer was a very intense Ron English-type coach with a lot of energy. Robinson is very laid back in comparison and rarely loses his temper. There is more than one way to skin a cat, so I am not sure how much weight you put on that. I, personally, like the high intensity people. I think Coach Robinson is a very knowledgeable coach and like the fact he places a ton of emphasis on proper tackling.

In some of the breakout sessions, many of the defensive coaches noted that he was simply the best they have been around in terms of teaching proper tackling. Robinson is still going to be using the Eagle defense Shafer used last season, but there should be a bit more multiple, with a few hybrid, looks. Having been to see many coaches and practices from Midwest schools, I think Michigan has some quality assistants: Jay Hobson, Tony Dews, Greg Frey and Bruce Tall really stand out as guys who are just plain good football coaches.

I have not had as much experience with the other coaches, but they seem to be quality guys as well. Lastly, just want to say that the clinic itself is run very well. Simply put, this staff knows how to do things the right way. This has become my favorite clinic, not just because it is Michigan, but because the coaches are truly there to share what they know and help. I’ve gotten more out of these clinics than any other by far.

The Great:
Vincent Smith: made a ton of plays and was very elusive. Most impressive player all day by far (Thursday). Only concern is pass protection, where he struggled.

The Good:
Brandon Graham: was initially lazy in some of the drills, but shined in team scrimmage. Made many plays and pursued the ball well.

Greg Banks: nothing spectacular but I think he will be able to contribute this season. He used his arms very well which allowed him to make some plays in team play. Looked good in drill work.

Mike Martin: best lineman in drills. Drew plenty of praise from a rather reserved Bruce Tall. Limited in team work by injury.

Troy Woolfork: got a lot of first team reps and looked pretty comfortable. Showed good range and ball skills and had a couple of interceptions.

Brandon Herron: certainly looks the part and is one of the more athletic linebackers Michigan has.

Tight Ends: night and day better compared to last season, the question is how often they will be used.

Running Backs: this should be the strength of the offense. Minor looked confident running the ball, while Vincent Smith got a ton of reps. Carlos Brown was used quite often in the slot in empty packages as well.

Steve Brown: Brown is being used in a more inverted look that should really help his game. He looked much more confident and natural being down in the flats rather than in deep zone coverage.

Terrence Robinson: another slot player who can make some plays.

Ryan Van Bergen: looked better athletically and appears to have eliminated some of the stiffness that concerned me last season. An overall improved pass rusher.

Adam Patterson: certainly think he can help this year.

The So-So
Renaldo Sagesse: I was absolutely shocked to see the kind of shape he is in now. He certainly “looks the part” now, unlike before. That being said, I still think he has some work to do. Credit him for the marked improvement, however I think he still struggles in being able to redirect. He has fairly good straight line speed, but still lacks ideal burst. I would figure him as more of a run stopper than a pass rushing threat, as of right now.

Michael Williams, Brandon Smith: Williams looks to be more comfortable in the spot, but doesn’t have ideal size. Smith looks like an NFL player, but seems to be lagging behind in terms of being ready to play. He certainly could make strides before the season is here, but doesn’t seem poised to take the position this season.

J.R Hemingway: looks like a linebacker playing wide receiver. He can still be productive, but he really lacks the burst to create on his own. Was most productive on drag routes and other combo routes that somewhat masked this deficiency.

Offensive Line:
I think moving Schilling to guard will pay off. He’s somewhat undersized for tackle and IMO the best players should always be at guard in a heavy zone running team which Michigan is. Mark Ortmann looks solid at left tackle. He’s no Jake Long in pass protection, but I don’t think we will see a whole lot of vertical sets given the current situation at quarterback. Dave Molk is very mobile and strong, but somewhat limited by his size and arm length. He will find better matchups against even-front teams where he will be going to the second level more often, compared to odd front teams. He will struggle if covered up by a legit nose tackle. David Moosman is another solid, but not great, option at right guard. I think if Ricky Barnum or Quentin Washington play, it would be at this spot or right tackle. The hole at right tackle is currently being plugged by Mark Huyge, but I would not expect to see him there when the season starts. Dan O’Neill, as of right now, looks to be one, maybe two, years away. He is not quite the kid I expected to see. Tim McAvoy saw much of the backup work at center, though he wasn’t impressive. Elliot Mealer, Rocko Khoury and Kurt Wermers are tough kids who appear to be getting better. They saw many of the second/third team reps at guard. Patrick Omameh still looks to be at least a year away from competing for a spot. He has put on much needed size and moves well, but it is quite obvious he lacks the strength to battle in the Big Ten right now. He also struggled mightily in pass protection.

J.B Fitzgerald: looked great one play, and timid the next. However, I think he could be one of their better defensive players when the season starts.

William Campbell: very strong kid and was not an easy block for any of the lineman. Limited pass rush moves, but simply walked a few of the centers and guards right into the quarterback. That being said, he does appear to have a little lazy streak and didn’t seem too concerned about using the proper techniques being drilled.

The Bad:
Quarterbacks: Ugh. I think this team will miss Steve Threet more than expected. I find it hard to believe Tate Forcier would be the opening day starter. Forcier looks to be a hard-working kid who is certainly tough despite his size (ala McGuffie). However, it appears his size will limit him, at least initially. He looks to be quite uncomfortable in the pocket since he can't look over the college-sized linemen. There was a ton of roll-out passes to get him on the edge, which could be the only solution to settle him down. Forcier appears to be timid in the pocket and eager to just tuck and run. He completed very few passes on the day and had several bad interceptions that could have been picked off by multiple defenders. While he is a better runner than Threet, I don’t see him as a decided game breaker. I understand he is a freshman with little time under his belt, but I think he has some built-in limitations. Some kids, like Reesing from Kansas, learn to overcome their weakpoints, some don’t. IMO Michigan will turn to Denard Robinson, at some point, during the season, if he doesn’t win the job in the fall. David Cone continues to look extremely out of place in the system.

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Written by Josh Turel