Michigan
Wolverines
Preview 2008 - Defense
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2008 CFN Michigan Preview |
2008 Michigan Offense
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2008 Michigan
Defense |
2008 Michigan Depth
Chart
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2007 CFN Michigan Preview |
2006 CFN Michigan Preview
What you need to know:
While there's
plenty of uncertainty on offense, Scott Shafer's defense should
be solid after bouncing back from a disastrous start. The line
has the potential to be among the best in the nation, but now
all the talent needs to turn into more production with tackles
Terrance Taylor and Will Johnson and ends Tim Jamison and
Brandon Graham needing to dominate. The secondary was terrific
last year, and it will be again even with new safeties to go
with strong corners Morgan Trent and Donovan Warren. The
question is the linebacking corps that should be decent, but
nothing special outside of Obi Ezeh in the middle.
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Returning
Leaders
Tackles: Obi Ezah, 68
Sacks: Brandon Graham, 8.5
Interceptions: Morgan Trent, 2
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Star of the defense: Senior DT Terrance Taylor
Player who has to step up and become a star: Senior LB
Austin Panter
Unsung star on the rise: Junior LB Austin Panter
Best pro prospect: Senior DT Will Johnson
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Taylor, 2) DE Tim
Jamison, 3) CB Morgan Trent
Strength of the defense: Defensive line, cornerback
Weakness of the defense:
Proven depth
across the board, outside linebacker
Defensive Line
Projected Starters: Sort of a
disappointment last year, especially against
anyone running a spread offense, the line needs
to be the rock of the team with all four
starters. The biggest key will be the play of
6-0, 319-pound senior Terrance Taylor on
the nose. He has NFL early pick talent, and he
has been a good producer over the last two
seasons finishing last year with 55 tackles, 3.5
sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, but the coaching
staff is looking for more. Taylor has all the
tools to not just be good, but be something
special, and the new staff tried to light more
of a fire under him this off-season. A
second-team All-Big Ten selection last year,
there's no reason he shouldn't become an
All-American. With his strength and quickness,
he will be the anchor of the line, and likely
the defense.
While Taylor is an established all-star, the
rising superstar is 6-5, 285-pound senior
Will Johnson, who has a hamstring issue, but
has blossomed this off-season into a big-time
talent who's poised and ready to be dominant.
Very quick, very athletic, and phenomenally
strong, he has all the physical tools to
dominate at the NFL Combine next year. For now,
he should be more of a playmaker in the
backfield after coming up with just a half a
sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, along with 40
tackles.
Back as the team's top pass rushing option up
front is Tim Jamison, a 6-3, 265-pound
senior whose main question mark going into last
year was his consistency, and then he made 52
tackles with 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Now the issue continues to be whether or not he
can hold up and stay healthy, a concern early in
his career. More than just a pass rusher, he has
All-American potential.
6-2, 270-pound junior Brandon Graham is a
freak of nature with sprinter's speed to go
along with his size, running the 100 meters in
10.9 seconds in high school. Last year the
measurables translated to better play on the
field leading the team with 8.5 sacks to go
along with 25 tackles. A top playmaker, he'll be
asked to do more against the run, but his job
will be to make plays in the backfield on a
regular basis.
Projected Top Reserves:
While he didn't see too much work last year,
6-3, 259-pound junior Adam Patterson has
the talent to be a good all-around end behind
Graham. He might not be all that big, but he was
originally considered to possibly become a light
tackle when he first started out. Last year he
made four tackles and a sack in a limited role.
Working behind Jamison will be 6-4, 258-pound
sophomore Greg Banks, who should play a
bigger role in the rotation this year. He saw a
little bit of work in every game making seven
tackles on the year, mostly in mop-up duty. A
good special teamer, he'll be on the field doing
something throughout the year, even if it's not
always on defense.
On the way is 6-2, 285-pound true freshman
Mike Martin, a top defensive tackle prospect
who's already one of the line's stronger
players. A mauler of a run stuffer and a
potentially great presence in the backfield, the
2007 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year made
96 tackles and 36 tackles for loss last season
alone.
Watch Out For ...
the all-star honors to come. Last year was
supposed to be a rebuilding one for the line,
and while the stats were there, the meaningful
production wasn't there on a consistent basis.
This year, there's too much talent and too much
returning experience not to be better.
Strength:
NFL-like skills. All four starters look like
future NFL mainstays. There's strength,
quickness, and a whole bunch of ability. Now the
hope is for a year of working together to
translate into more production.
Weakness:
Stopping the run. Forgetting that Oregon
gouged the Wolverines for 331 yards with its
spread attack, Michigan made up for it later by
stuffing the Illinois and Minnesota spread
ground games. And then there were problems again
late in the year allowing a total of 882 yards
and nine touchdowns to Michigan State,
Wisconsin, Ohio State and Florida.
Outlook: This group has to be great
every game, no matter what, or Michigan loses.
It might be that simple. Taylor and Johnson have
the potential to be among the nation's best
tackle pairs, while Jamison and Graham are big,
quick pass rushers on the outside. While the
depth with appear to be lacking, there's great
size inside with prospects like 308-pound
Renaldo Sagesse, 336-pound Marques Slocum,
and 339-pound John Kates able to step in
and clog things up if needed. Overall, this
group looks the part, and now it has to play
like it.
Rating: 8.5
Linebackers
Projected Starters: The team's second
(Shawn Crable) and third (Chris Graham)
leading
tacklers are gone, but the situation isn't all
that bad if senior Austin Panter lives up
to his billing on the strongside and if James
Mouton is healthy on the weakside.
The 6-3, 231-pound Panter was just the second
JUCO transfer in the Lloyd Carr era, but he
didn't exactly pan out in his first year making
seven tackles in seven games and was used mostly
as a special teamer despite having a great
spring. He was a superstar at Butler JC as a
pass rusher with great quickness against the
pass, earning national JUCO defensive player of
the year honors in 2006, and while he has the
upside, he has to prove he can handle the
full-time work.
Mouton, a 6-2, 230-pound sophomore, will be a
part of a rotation with Marell Evans, but he'll
be the main man as long as there aren't
lingering problems from a high ankle sprain. He
made five tackles last season, working mostly on
special teams, but he has the potential to be
one of the team's top tacklers. He's fast with
safety-like athleticism in a big frame.
Back in the middle as a solidifying force is
6-2, 247-pound sophomore Obi Ezeh, who
finished fifth on the team with 68 tackles and
two sacks with four tackles for loss and an
interception. He's a big-time prospect who'll
earn All-Big Ten honors sooner than later, and
with his versatility and tackling ability, he
can produce either in the middle or on the
strongside.
Projected Top Reserves: Working
either in the middle behind Ezeh or on the
strongside will be 6-1, 239-pound senior John
Thompson, who made 29 tackles and an
interception in nine games. A starter for part
of the year after being a main reserve early in
his career, he brings good speed along with
plenty of experience.
Battling for the weakside job is 6-3, 231-pound
sophomore Marell Evans, a good special
teamer who appears ready to take on a bigger
defensive role. With good range, he has the
skills to be strong in pass protection, and at
the very least will be a key defender in the
rotation on the outside.
6-2, 218-pound redshirt freshman Brandon
Herron was one of the team's top recruits
two years ago as a four-star linebacker prospect
who could even project to be a big safety if
needed. A good tackler, he's physical enough to
handle himself on the strongside behind Panter.
Watch Out For ... Crable to be
sorely missed. There's just no immediate
replacement for a playmaker who came up with 90
tackles, 7.5 sacks, 28.5 tackles for loss and
four forced fumbles. Panter is good, but he's
not that good. Then again, last year's corps was
trying to find an answer for losing David
Harris.
Strength: Speed. This
is a fast all-around group with good size. It
might not be as fast as last year's trio, but
the speed didn't always do the run defense much
good. The backups have as much speed, if not
more, than the projected starters; that's not
necessarily a negative.
Weakness:
A sure-thing all-star on the outside. Ezeh
will be a great one to revolve the linebacking
corps around, but Panter, Evans, Mouton and
Herron, with all their upside and potential,
have to prove they can be more than just
ordinary.
Outlook: This should
be a good group, but it might not be anything
special. However, if the front four is as good
as expected, the linebackers will get plenty of
room to roam free and clear and they should put
up some big numbers. Considering the secondary
should be good, this will be the biggest
defensive question mark going into the season.
Rating: 7
Defensive Backs
Projected Starters: The big question going
into last year was whether or not 6-1, 188-pound
senior Morgan Trent could replace Leon Hall and be a number one
corner. Question answered as the former wide
receiver got toasted way too often two years
ago, and then last season he made 41 tackles and
two interceptions with eight broken up passes as
he turned into a better coverman. He's still not
Hall, but he's good enough to erase most top
receivers.
Also back on the other side is Donovan Warren,
who went from being a superstar prospect to
start in 11 games making 52 tackles with an
interception and eight broken up passes as a
true freshman. The 6-0, 180-pound sophomore is a
speedster who has no problems staying with any
receiver, and he's a proven tackler who isn't
afraid to get his nose dirty.
About to blossom into a superstar is Stevie
Brown, a 6-0, 209-pound big hitter who made
28 tackles and an interception as a reserve for
most of the year, and a starter against
Appalachian State. One of the team's fastest
players, he showed this spring that he's ready
to make the jump from good to big-time now that
he'll get more work.
5-9, 206-pound senior Brandon Harrison
would be the slam-dunk starter at strong safety,
but he has a shoulder problem. He made 42
tackles with an interception and 6.5 tackles for
loss as a top reserve, and now he needs to find
a steady spot. He needs to step in for Jamar
Adams, the team's leading tackler, at strong
safety, but he could also play corner if needed.
Projected Top Reserves: If it's not
going to be Harrison at strong safety, it'll be
6-2, 206-pound senior Charles Stewart
after making 14 tackles last season. Versatile
enough to play either safety or corner, he's a
more natural option at safety where he has the
size to be an intimidating presence and a sure
tackler.
The defense is getting an upgrade from the
recruiting class with two phenomenal prospect,
Boubacar Cissoko and Brandon Smith.
The 5-9, 175-pound Cissoko has linebacker
strength and 4.4 speed with the potential to
play just about anywhere in the secondary. He's
a top corner prospect who should have few
problems stepping in and being a backup from day
one.
The 6-3, 210-pound Smith was the team's best
recruit this year, and he's going to be an
all-star sooner than later. A do-it-all-player
in high school seeing time as a quarterback and
a wide receiver to go along with his duties on
defense, he's a great athlete with a nose for
the ball and big hitting ability. He might need
a little more seasoning than Cissoko when it
comes to playing right away, but he should be in
the mix this year.
Watch Out For ... Brown. Yeah, he had a
great spring in 2006 and he didn't turn into the
star he was supposed to become. This year he
appears ready to be the next great Michigan
defensive back, and it'll be a major
disappointment if he isn't one of the team's top
tacklers.
Strength: Corners.
It's not like the Wolverines faced too many
big-time passing games, but the corners came
through big-time. After the early debacles
against Appalachian State and Oregon, Michigan
allowed just five touchdown passes over the
final ten regular season games.
Weakness:
Proven depth. The true freshmen might have a
world of talent, but they're still true
freshmen. There's not a lot to count on,
especially at corner, if injuries strike.
Outlook: This was supposed to be a
problem last season and it turned out to be the
strength of the defense. The starting foursome
from the nation's eighth best pass defense
should be excellent once again, and they could
be even stronger if the front four provides more
of a pass rush. The new starting safeties should
step in without skipping a beat, while the
corners will be among the best in the Big Ten.
Rating: 8.5
Special Teams
Projected Starters: Senior Jason Gingell
was originally supposed to be the
placekicker, but he only hit three of nine field
goal attempts and quickly got replaced by senior
K.C. Lopata, who nailed 11 of 12
attempts. While Lopata doesn't have a big leg,
he's automatic from 45 yards and in. Sophomore
Bryan Wright has the biggest leg among
the three and will handle the kickoffs and extra
long field goals.
6-5, 235-pound junior Zoltan Mesko has
been a decent punter over the last few years,
but he hasn't been anything spectacular
averaging 41.1 yards per kick while putting 22
inside the 20. He's great at hanging the ball up
in the air, but he puts too many kicks in the
end zone with eight touchbacks.
Will Brandon Minor be too valuable as a runner to
see time on kickoff returns? The Wolverines have to be far
better after averaging just 18.5 yards per try, and Minor was
part of the problem averaging just 19.8 yards per try.
Brandon Harrison and Carlos Brown will also be in the
mix. CB Donovan Warren will handle punt returns, but he
only averaged 4.6 yards per try. Greg Harrison will also
get some chances after averaging eight yards per return.
Watch Out For ... Lopata to be the man. Gingell is
too average and struggled too much to see any time. There won't
be a rotation.
Strength: Mesko. He's a steady, decent punter who
won't get Michigan beat. He'll average over 40 yards per kick,
pin plenty of offenses deep, and he'll be on the All-Big Ten
lists.
Weakness: Kickoff coverage. A big issue over the last few years,
Michigan allowed 22 yards per return in 2006 and allowed 22.6
per try last season. The return game needs a big boost after
being completely mediocre.
Outlook: The new coaching staff will put a bigger
emphasis on the special teams that were generally fine, but
nothing to get excited about. Michigan isn't good enough to have
average special teams, but with so much focus and work going
into other areas, this could get neglected as fall practices go
on.
Rating: 6.5