Yesterday was the offense update to Fall Football Bits, here is the defense and special teams installment: 

 

Defensive End

What we want to hear: Mike Morris has taken the next step to be a top notch EDGE defender, while the rotation at the weakside spot is still a thing because the options are all quality. Taylor Upshaw is ready for the senior year emergence, Derrick Moore, TJ Guy, and Braiden McGregor are breakout candidates, and Jaylen Harrell has found a little pass rush. 

What we're hearing: Well, there's a new name in this room due to the arrival of Eyabi Anoma from UT-Martin (via Alabama and Houston), who enrolled in the university and joined the team last week. The early reporting confirmed that Biff Poggi did indeed play a role in routing Anoma to Michigan. A few players gave quotes on their early impressions of Anoma and so far, it doesn't seem that he has ruffled any feathers in the locker room. As for Anoma's role, the insider stories the night he committed made sure to say that he would be starting at the bottom of the depth chart. Since then, Balas said that playing time for Anoma is to be determined ($), while Henschke said the team is "pleased" with Anoma's athleticism and then produced the most outrageous piece of camp hype yet ($). 

As for the rest of the positional group, we don't hear much about Mike Morris other than that he's good and is a leader *shrug*. Elsewhere, it's a revolving door of EDGE names. TJ Guy hasn't been featured much since he appeared in the last defensive update, but the newest rising name is Braiden McGregor. Steve Lorenz named his as a "legitimate contributor" ($), while Henschke noted McGregor as a standout in his own update, and Balas yesterday said that McGregor is "starting to come into his own as a pass rusher" ($). That same Balas piece notes that the EDGE battle will continue through September, but for now it seems like McGregor is on the rise. 

Taylor Upshaw's name is still in the battle, but it mostly gets brought up because of his experience and leadership, not because he's suddenly on track to stardom. Derrick Moore is still a guy that the team is very excited about, with Lorenz also bringing up his name in the same article McGregor was in, while Balas used the term "freak athlete" to describe Moore ($). The consensus seems to be that Moore is climbing his way up the EDGE depth chart.

Nothing new on Jaylen Harrell, which feels somewhat bad, but this time I do want to mention Julius Welschof, because I omitted him on accident last time. The team is said to have high hopes for Welschof but that at the moment, it hasn't quite happened on the practice field yet ($). 

What it means: Morris is starting at one EDGE spot, but he may rotate inside on passing downs. After that, it's likely going to be an open competition for the first half of the season to see who grabs the job. The first month in particular is not exactly a murderer's row of offensive lines, so it will give Jesse Minter and Mike Elston a chance to see who they like at this position. Upshaw is probably the nominal starter but if he is still the starter by mid-season, that's probably a bad sign. I'd guess that McGregor and Moore are the most likely to pull through and snag a role, but you're going to see a lot of names in the mix and I would wager that the coaches aren't even sure who the winner of this competition will be.   

[AFTER THE JUMP: a surprising freshman linebacker!]

 

[Bryan Fuller]

Defensive Tackle 

What we want to hear: Mazi Smith, All-American here we come. Kris Jenkins, breakout player of the year, here we come. Mason Graham, Rayshaun Benny, George Rooks, and Kenneth Grant are making everyone feel comfortable about the future. 

What we're hearing: Very little to say here. The two starters are set, with Mazi Smith getting rave reviews for his leadership (Harbaugh said that Smith is coaching guys on the field) and Kris Jenkins being singled out for having a great camp ($). Outside of that, not much else going on that wasn't talked about last time. No new mentions of any of the second year DTs or of Cam Goode, who may or may not be alive, but the hype train for Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant is rolling along. A recent update named them both as having very good camps and they seem like locks to see playing time this season.  

What it means: The same. Jenkins-Smith as the starters, Goode likely with Benny next up, and then Graham/Grant/Rooks below that, but with the true freshmen showing flashes of Dude status already. 

 

Linebacker

What we want to hear: Junior Colson is ready to roll in year #2, NHG is steady eddy, and the depth is better than we expected. 

What we're hearing: The starters remain pretty locked in stone and we continue to hear the "All-American" phrase used to describe Junior Colson, although it's unclear if the program thinks that for 2022 or 2023. Nikhai Hill-Green got a nice shoutout in an update naming him as one of the least mistake-prone players on the team ($), a good thing to say about a linebacker. That's really it about the 1s. 

It's a similar story with the 2s, where Michael Barrett is still being praised for his leadership but does not appear to be in serious contention for a starting role, and Kalel Mullings is being mentioned at LB, probably because he has to be. Nothing new on the Velazquez/Hood front, but we are hearing some positive chatter about a couple of freshman LBs. Jimmy Rolder has been singled out by two different insiders as a player who is still pretty fresh because he didn't arrive in Ann Arbor until July, but is already impressing some on staff. Brandon Justice reported that Rolder could find himself on the field at some point in his true freshman season ($). Deuce Spurlock got a namedrop for his performance in camp, but no implication about playing time.

The newest name to appear is Micah Pollard, who I probably could've put at EDGE but there were already so many names there that I thought it would be more efficient to put him at LB. Pollard was not heard from until the start of this week and then he popped up in reports from both Henschke ($) and Balas ($) within 24 hours of each other, which suggests it's perhaps something to note. Both said that he has made surprising strides and had a good performance at the weekend scrimmage. However, both mentioned him with terms like "depth" and "deeper than we thought" attached, which feels important- probably not going to see him much in meaningful minutes this year, but probably good news for down the road. 

What it means: Colson-NHG, (gap), Barrett, (gap), Mullings, (gap), Velazquez-Hood, (gap), Rolder-Pollard-Spurlock. Starters will probably be pretty/very good, but please don't get injured!!! 

 

[Patrick Barron]

Cornerback

What we want to hear: DJ Turner is being slept on by national analysts, Gemon Green is ready to finally be able to play the football, Will Johnson is everything we dreamed of, and Mike Sainristil has picked up the nickel job no problem. 

What we're hearing: The discussion of DJ Turner is pretty scant, but not really surprising for a guy who is a lock to start and a returning Dude. Focus instead has turned to the battle for the #2 corner job, and reports have it that Gemon Green seems likely to start the season as CB2 ($), though Will Johnson is going to play heavily. Otherwise, cornerback discussion from insiders is almost as quiet as it is for defensive tackles. 

However, we do have a little bit more to gnaw on because Steve Clinkscale spoke to the media and left us with some nuggets. Clink was asked about Mike Sainristil and went into a bit of a tangent which transitioned into him talking about rotation at the nickel spot: 

Mikey’s still playing both sides, and he’s doing a great job of understanding and embodying what we’re doing on defense. And to be honest with you, man, he’s so natural. Sometimes, when I watch film — ‘Wow, he’s only been over here with us for a few months.’ He’s really been a good leader in that room with the nickels. And he, DJ Turner has given us some nickel reps, Will Johnson, Kody, and of course, Rod Moore.

The other interesting piece of information I picked out was about Ja'Den McBurrows, where the injury prognosis does not sound great. The quote Clinkscale gave is interesting because it relays both how much the staff likes McBurrows but also how he is not remotely close to the football field right now: 

Medically speaking, (McBurrows) has a chance, but I’m not really sure. But, if he is and he’s available and able to go out there and do his job, he’ll definitely have a part in the secondary. He showed that he’s physical, he’s super quick and fast. Now he’s showing me that he knows the game more and the defense. So that’s gonna gain more trust. So when he’s 100%, he’ll definitely contribute and be a big asset for us.

It sounded like McBurrows was a guy they wanted to use at corner last season but couldn't due to injury, and now it's happening again. 

What it means: Turner starts at one corner spot and Green at the other... until Johnson passes him. Sainristil likely starts in the slot but Michigan may be more flexible than anticipated there, and the possibility Rod Moore or a different safety grabs that job at some point is very real. As for McBurrows, it's a major bummer for the player, but it does seem like he's a secret weapon in waiting... could be following the DJ Turner career path where injuries wipe out the first two years and then he explodes in year #3 when finally healthy. 

 

Safety

What we want to hear: The future is now and the next generation is every bit as good as the players who came before them. Rod Moore and RJ Moten are ready drop the "for a freshman" label from the phrase "great for a freshman", while Makari Paige has made The Leap.  

What we're hearing: The known quantities are still known, and they're still pretty good. Rod Moore has gotten continued effusive praise, with Clinkscale dropping one of my favorite quotes about Moore as a freshman grasping the scheme compared to his compatriots: "except for Rod Moore, he was different". One insider report says that some in the program think Moore is a future NFL Draft candidate ($) and another named him as one of the least mistake-prone players on the defense ($). 

Nothing new on RJ Moten, but the reports that Makari Paige is going to have a role on this defense are continuing to trickle out into the open ($). Clinkscale said that Paige's growth in the spring has continued into the fall, while other insiders have maintained the line from last week about Paige cobbling together a strong camp. 

Among the freshmen, Zeke Berry hype is starting to pick up as the comparisons to Rod Moore continue. The phrase "real deal" was used to describe Berry ($) and Clinkscale said he's "especially performing to a level where you can see his instincts. You can see why we recruited him and what he’s gonna be able to do". 

What it means: Moten and Moore are your starters, Paige will likely see the field early and often, and then there's a bit of a drop off from there, with Berry perhaps rising to be next in line, though Quinten Johnson and Keon Sabb should be in the discussion as well. 

 

[Patrick Barron]

Special Teams

What we want to hear: BEST. SPECIAL. TEAMS. IN. THE. COUNTRY. 

What we're hearing: I don't have anything on the specialists... Moody and Robbins are Moody and Robbins really. But the updates we do have revolve around the return game. Lorenz was listing some questions he had about the team and mentioned that punt returns seem to be an open battle, dropping it in that the team inquired about ex-Iowa punt returner Charlie Jones who was in the portal earlier in the offseason (committed to Purdue) ($). That would suggest some degree of dissatisfaction about the options. He threw out Ronnie Bell and AJ Henning as the likeliest returners, but went on to give some more information on that front behind the paywall. Meanwhile, Balas stated that Bell will have some role in the return game ($), but again, the details are murky. DJ Turner's name has been mentioned there too ($). 

Meanwhile, a Henschke update earlier this week stated that the team would like to keep Blake Corum off the kick return unit and said that several of the young receivers are applying themselves hard on special teams, knowing it is the fastest way to playing time ($). Henschke tossed out a couple names who could run kicks back, saying the team likes their potential at that position. 

What it means: I would venture to guess that despite the speculation, it will be Ronnie Bell and AJ Henning sharing the punt returning role, while perhaps someone like Darrius Clemons will be running kicks back. Michigan has no shortage of fast guys and while they do want to protect Bell, he is not as vital as Corum injury-wise. The depth at WR is much better, and if Michigan feels that Bell is such an asset running punts back that they have to use him there, I think they'll do it. The Turner thing feels a lot like when they tried Lavert Hill at punt returner in 2019 and then quickly put it back in the garage.