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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Much of the lamentation about the future of the Michigan defense relies heavily on the notion that the secondary will not be able to hold up its end of the bargain. However, with potentially four returning starters and stalwarts at safety, that would mean that the cornerbacks did not improve year-over-year.
But we’ve seen improvement, even if it was in the last few games of 2020.
Of the duo of Vincent Gray and Gemon Green, Green posted a defensive best — across all positions — in the unexpected season finale against Penn State last year, garnering PFF’s grade of 85.7 defensively and a coverage grade of 88.4. As the secondary continues its revamped schematic install through fall camp, Green says that the breadth of the position group is feeling more in-line with what’s expected of the Wolverines defensive backfield.
“The confidence is pretty good,” Green said. “Everybody’s pushing each other so – you got DJ and Vince pushing me. They pushing each other, trying to get the other starting spot.”
Commenting on our press conference recap on YouTube, Green clarified that he hasn’t won the starting role just yet, noting: “I ain’t won the starting spot either we all still competing everyday.” However, he had been mentioned by Jim Harbaugh as entering fall camp as a solidified starter, with the other position being up for grabs.
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The good news is, regardless, the cornerbacks’ skillsets won’t be tested to the extreme they were a year ago.
Don Brown’s scheme meant that the corners were thrown to the wolves, left on an island with little-to-no help, stuck in man coverage. That’s fine for veterans, but with two new starters a year ago, it meant a little more than a rocky start. New defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald ensures that it won’t just be man coverage, but there will also be zone and pattern matching — indicating a more sophisticated, NFL-style defense.
Green is enthusiastic about the changes, indicating that the predictability of the defensive backfield certainly played a part in the unit’s demise a year ago.
“I love it, because everybody ain’t just knowing I’m playing man, so they ain’t just fittin’ to throw shots,” Green said. “I can play off a little bit – I can play a lot of defense. There’s gonna be a lot of different stuff.”
Overall, Green notes his own emergence in the Penn State game, and feels like he’s even turned a corner beyond that. With the season just over a week away, with the game slowing down for him and a new scheme to match, he’s not ready to show his cards until the Sept. 4 opener against Western Michigan.
“It’s a lot different from last year, so you’ll just have to wait and see until Saturday. Two weeks!”
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