ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Taking over for Mike Sainristil, Michigan football’s standout nickelback the past two seasons, is easier said than done, but there are multiple players up for the challenge.
Though Ja’Den McBurrows had some time on task last year (particularly when Sainristil split out wide with star corner Will Johnson injured) the offseason has pointed to another player likely vying for that starting role: junior safety Zeke Berry.
Berry was impressive in the spring game but also showed prowess in Week 1 last year as a starting safety filling in for an injured Makari Paige. But he really flashed this offseason and has had many assuming that No. 10 will be called when the Wolverines take the field against Fresno State in Week 1 of the new season.
His defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, also feels like Berry is in the running to start, but he’s not so fast to write that in pen. As Martindale sees it, fall camp will go much further than spring ball did to determining Sainristil’s replacement, and certainly the battle will open up to more than just Berry and McBurrows.
“I think that Zeke, come out of the spring was slotted with the first group but I think it’s fluid,” Martindale said. “As Sherrone always says with the depth chart, we’ll see as we go, as we progress. (McBurrows) and you get some other guys that we’ll look at there and we’re just a long way away from talking about any of those things of exactly where it’s at.”
One of the best ways to determine who will win the job is to understand what the people making the decisions are looking for.
Martindale isn’t just looking for leadership, but execution. The way he sees it, a nickel has to be able to work with the other position groups, but just as importantly, he has to finish plays.
“Well, I look, first of all, at someone who can communicate because when you’re the nickel, you do a lot of communicating with the safeties, the corners, the linebackers,” Martindale said. “Someone that knows the system. But the No. 1 trait is how well do you tackle? The coverages and everything else we’ll work through, with what they do and who you have there.
“And, I think an example, like when I was at Baltimore when Marlon Humphrey was coming to play nickel — and I’ll tell you right now, I think he was the best nickel in football, because he could tackle and he communicate. So it all depends on who comes out on top from training camp, so it’s still is a competition, which they all are.”
Berry was injured on the opening kickoff of Week 2 last year, so McBurrows (with 11 games played) has a much bigger sample size. Looking at last year’s PFF grades, the two weren’t particularly far apart when it came to tackling. McBurrows had an 83.9 grade while Berry rated 80.5. However, when it comes to coverage, McBurrows outshined Berry with a grade of 73.9 compared to 62.3. But players tend to ebb and flow, and Berry showed a lot of instinctual play in the spring game this past April.
Regardless, Michigan isn’t likely to name a starter before the season opener, so we’ll have to wait and see who will be working as the slot defensive back on August 31.