Coaches Corner: Inside Linebackers

Inside Linebackers:

Obi Ezeh: Looked better in this scheme, but he has always performed better in spring. Athletic enough to get into deep coverage and he is huge, looks like a defensive end in our opinion physically.

Also is very smart player, he is one making calls and checks, extremely important in zone blitz scheme. Still has problems getting too wide and over scrapping.

J.B. Fitzgerald: Lots of talent, very raw and is still learning new inside linebacker position. Inexperience showed, but so did overall talent.

Kenny Demens: Really like this kid, he is a nasty / intense player. Still learning and has some problems with coverage, but with some patience should be alright. The new defense was giving him some extra problems, he was forced to call checks for second team group.

Leach: Added him despite being walk-on for a reason. He seems like a great kid who despite some limitations loves Michigan and football. Was giving 100% every play and working his ASS off. This says a lot to me about Coach Rod and staff. When walk-ons feel this much part of program it is good thing.

Would be surprised if Leach does not see some playing time. How much will be determined by the health of our linebackers. He is fourth or fifth at this time in our opinion. So if one goes down he plays some, if two go down he plays quite a bit, and three goes down he just might start.

Jonas Mouton: Injured and did not practice, but as with Mike Martin and Donovan Warren he was still on sidelines actively participating with teammates. This is good thing again in our opinion.

Makes for much closer team. We have a lot of respect for Mouton, this is his third position change since arriving at Michigan. Would be very easy for him to be frustrated. Not quite sure what to expect because of playing new position, but in theory his skills fit very well with what inside linebackers must do in new scheme.

Brandon Smith: Hard to rank him or even talk about how he played at linebacker since the move was so late in the spring. In our opinion his coverage skills was his weakness at safety. Biggest adjustment in our opinion at linebacker will be how much quicker things happen closer to line of scrimmage and playing against bigger stronger players.

Regarding inside linebackers: No discussion from Coach Hopson, but they were not the primary blitzer in the practices and scrimmages that we watched. Michigan was using the quicker more athletic safeties, weak side linebacker and spinners in blitz packages.

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Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine