Drevno Interview Comments RE LT position (and bonus Don Brown interview)
Chris Balas @Balas_Wolverine 5m5 minutes ago
Too close to call between Grant Newsome and Ben Bredeson at left tackle. Other positions as expected, for now, on the line.
#Michigan OC Tim Drevno says Ben Bredeson and Grant Newsome are battling it out at left tackle
#Michigan OC Tim Drevno says they are way farther along than they were last year, but still need to eliminate the drive stoppers
Dan Murphy @DanMurphyESPN 24m24 minutes ago
Michigan might start true freshman Ben Bredeson at left tackle, according to OC Tim Drevno. http://es.pn/2bbS2AC
Drevno says Bredeson is a lot like Mason Cole. Could play 3 or 4 spots up front if he had to.
Drevno says if game was tomorrow starting O-line would be Bredeson/Newsome-Braden-Cole-Kalis-Magnuson
Bonus Tidbits:
#Michigan OC Tim Drevno says they don't want to name a starter too early and still going through the process
Drevno says they won't play 2 qbs. Will settle on one before season.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:30 PM ^
Good info
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^
He says he had broken the defensive installation into 3 phases and hoped to have two installed-- but they are installing phase 3 right now, so they are ahead of schedule.
He names particular players, and how they are doing. He sounds very excited about a number of players; thought it was interesting he names Furbush as one who can grow into being a Dude.
He comprehensively denies that this is a "high-risk, high-reward" defensive scheme-- that every call they make is studied, and playing man defense is not high risk due to coaching and players.
When asked about physicality, he says there have been many days he's been in "cringe-mode," where the hits are such that he pulls a face. He says that when they say "ready, set, go" to unleash the defense in a game situation, he thinks they will "go."
I love the transparency and lack of platitudes. This interview is worth watching in full.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2016 at 1:41 PM ^
I'd agree with this take. Obviously none of us know who should win the LT job purely on its merits, but if they feel like Newsome needs to pick it up this is exactly the kind of competition-oriented message the coaches would want to send.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:41 PM ^
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:43 PM ^
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^
Yeah, I agree with this. I don't see this as simply a motivational tactic. I think there really is a good chance Bredeson starts at LT.
Which, thank goodness. Newsome has not impressed me.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:59 PM ^
I don't think it's simply motivational, but I do think part of the gist is a mental game between Newsome and Bredeson, from which Newsome has the most to be pushed (insert more cushion for the pushin joke).
Either way I'm fine with the result, I think Bredeson can be a great one, although highly likely that he ends up inside.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^
sake of motivation.
I think serious talk of Bredeson starting at LT bodes very well for his future career. What few clips I saw of him in drills against Wormley and Gary suggest the same--he is suprisingly good as a freshman.
Wisconsin: Ready-made offensive linemen.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:12 PM ^
I like your optimism here.
Frankly I think this means Newsome just hasnt been very good. It would not be this much of a competition with a true freshman guard if Newsome were playing well.
August 22nd, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
August 22nd, 2016 at 4:59 PM ^
Newsome is only 1 year ahead of Bredeson and has very little experience. I think it's a true competition and the best one will win out and play.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:33 PM ^
How is it that the state of Wisconsin seems to produce ready-made, good-to-go, badass offensive lineman? Is it the cheese, or what??
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:35 PM ^
It's the beer...
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:07 PM ^
That kid is so creepy looking.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:39 PM ^
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin#Ethnicity
Mostly central / northern European stock. Hearty folks.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:41 PM ^
Same way with Iowa, too. The Midwest isn't really known for producing quick, speedy athletes like you'll find down south, but man oh man do we produce large, wooly mammoth-sized offensive linemen. Spending all day working the fields at your corn / dairy farm must make you an abnormally strong man.
I'm sure they're drinking whole milk, too.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:07 PM ^
August 22nd, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:42 PM ^
August 22nd, 2016 at 6:23 PM ^
Years ago I remember Alverez joking about when they would have camps, all of the kids who showed up were lineman.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:54 PM ^
Their life is meat, cheese, and forests, sooo that's pretty much how.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^
As someone who's driven the length of Wisconsin a few too many times, show me those damn forests and I'll show you big foot. It's mostly farmland.
But the rest + beer, yes.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:54 PM ^
You ever go up by Superior/the border with the UP? That's like the original forest.
August 22nd, 2016 at 3:13 PM ^
August 23rd, 2016 at 11:39 AM ^
Just the width. Lots of Minneapolis to Chicago or Ann Arbor and back trips.
August 22nd, 2016 at 3:48 PM ^
As Stephenrjking says correctly, the top 1/3 of Wiscy is almost entirely forest and lakes.
August 22nd, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^
Width is just as, if not more, important than length...is what I've heard...
August 22nd, 2016 at 4:27 PM ^
Soooooooooo.....when do we get to see big foot?
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:00 PM ^
My guess is that you can't be consistently successful with a passing offense in the frozen tundras of Wisconsin, so you have to develop O-linemen and run the ball to win.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:03 PM ^
German and Norweigian genes. Also a good amount of Swiss. Well, when you don't produce a lot of skill position talent, you have to produce somewhere right?
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:34 PM ^
Can September 3rd get here yet?
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:36 PM ^
I hope Bredeson getting the nod just means he's that good vs. Newsome just being that far behind.
It's nice to have the rest of the line settled, but if we can't protect Speight / O'Korn's blind side at LT, we're going to be in real trouble. Luckily, its out outside the realm of possibility for a true freshman to play left tackle, and play it admirably. Cole did it only two short years ago.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:38 PM ^
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:06 PM ^
It's not like Newsome is some 6'2 280 lb. Rodriguez recruit. Sure, maybe we don't have Cam Robinson at LT but I feel with having Harbaugh and Drevno you could always do A LOT WORSE on the OL. I feel confident whoever wins the job will progress dramatically throughout the season.
August 22nd, 2016 at 3:33 PM ^
I know it was a popular opinion to bash Rodriguez for his OL recruiting and "just wait till Hoke's guys get older", but with the benefit of hindsight I think we are on approaching having to definitively revise that thought. It's Hoke that should represent the nadir of OL play at UM, not Rodriguez.
Considering Rodriguez (in 3 years) recruited Schofield, Lewan, and Omameh (NFL starters), not including de-commit Jake Fisher, while Hoke's NFL OLmen (in 4 classes) will probably total Cole and Braden* - NFL production will likely favor Rodriguez. If Rodriguez OL's performed better (after 2008) and Hoke's OLs performed worse (after 2011) Rodriguez gets the edge in performance (on field) as well. The worst thing you can say about Rodriguez's OL recruiting is that he didn't set up Hoke very well for success (which is kind of hard to argue given the two NFL tackles he inherited for his first 3 years.)
(*Depending on how you want to count preferred walk-on Glasgow - who Hoke though enough of to offer a preferred walk-on status, but not enough for a full scholarship.)
August 22nd, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^
Please don't confuse this for a defense of the Rodriguez regime. Rodriguez screwed up a lot of stuff, but OL was probably the ONE thing that he absolutely nailed. He had a high success rate with recruits, he developed them quickly, and all his OL stats were excellent in '09 and '10. Some of that was Denard, but a lot of it was coaching.
Rodriguez and Hoke actually faced pretty similar voids in OLs (vs new system) when they arrived. The difference was that Rodriguez immediately addressed his through numbers and development while Hoke failed badly. (On the other side of the ball Hoke fixed the D - especially at LB and DB, while Rodriguez clearly did anything but.)
August 22nd, 2016 at 5:20 PM ^
Greg Frey was probably the best assistant coach during that tenure, and now he's at Indiana doing the same thing. The guy took spare parts and put together a decent line and now he's got 1, maybe 2 All-Americans grown from lower-rated recruits.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:39 PM ^
At the very least this bodes well for next year. Are Ulizio and Runyan strictly interior players (there were whispers that they were doing pretty well but I don't know if it was ever revealed if there was any substances to those rumors)?
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:54 PM ^
ive been the biggest proponent of Ulizio's play, and I thought he was slated inside, but apparently he is RT all the way, and in line to replace Magnuson next year, as of now.
August 22nd, 2016 at 3:03 PM ^
And Runyon is a C/G.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^
Blerg. There are very few questions on the team, and 'bad at LT' is one of those questions that could sink a championship season. I mean, I expect Bredeson to be good, but true freshman LT is never a good thing for a team with championship aspirations.
August 22nd, 2016 at 1:44 PM ^
Bama did fine starting Cam Robinson as a true freshman. Bredeson was a top-50 guy and one of the few recruits to slow down Gary. Everyone that has seen Bredeson has heaped praise on him. So I think we would be fine with either.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^
There's a big drop off from the number 4 recruit in the nation who is true tackle to a very good good recruit who everyone has pegged for the inside, but could slog it tackle if needed. And anyway, I don't think year 2 of Harbaugh after the RR and Hoke years compares to year 8 of a well-oiled Saban machine, even as stacked as this UM team is going be.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:14 PM ^
This is the wrongest thing ever said about the OL. Offensive linemen are total crapshoots. Recruiting sites can't grade them for shit. That's why Wisconsin was sending two and three star guys to the NFL at crazy rates.
August 22nd, 2016 at 2:37 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^
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