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Jim Harbaugh doesn’t often like to compare players to each other as he says it diminishes one or the other. But what if he finds a comparison that’s all upside?
Such seems to be the case when it comes to the incoming defensive backs, as Harbaugh sees a group of signees that could come in and be early impact players for Michigan.
At least that’s what he told Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast on Thursday.
“It’s a really, really good, really good athletic group,” Harbaugh said. “You saw Dax Hill come in and make a big impact as a freshman. There’s gonna be all four really with the license and ability to make the same kind of impact in our secondary. Very excited about that.”
Getting more specific — though he didn’t speak about safety Makari Paige from West Bloomfield (MI) — Harbaugh broke down what he likes about some of the incoming players, starting with Michigan’s first commit in the 2020 class.
Andre Seldon
“Andre is a tough competitor,” Harbaugh said. “Watched him over at camps, watched him over at Belleville. Watched him run track and lead his team. Those are the kinds of guys you want playing in your secondary.”
Jordan morant and R.J. Moten
“Jordan Morant – he’s a Dax Hill-type of safety. He’s got that kind of special ability,” Harbaugh noted, before moving on to Moten. “R.J. Moten’s another one. Big, strong athlete that – he’s even got the ability to be a corner. But he’s also got the strength and physicality to be a safety and cover people. It’s a really dynamic group.”
Eamonn dennis
The next player he touched on is one we project to wide receiver, but Harbaugh also says could play on the defensive side of the ball.
“Eamonn Dennis has the ability to be both a defensive player or an offensive player,” Harbaugh said. “Could be a corner or could be a receiver. Kind of like a Mike Sainristil – another really good Mike Sainristil.”
“Pretty simple – Eamonn Dennis is a really good receiver and he’s a really good defensive back. If you think Mike Sainristil, if you watched Eamonn’s tape, you’re gonna think of Mike Sainristil. That’s who I thought of when I first watched Eamonn Dennis play football. He could be a corner, he could be a slot receiver. He could be a return person.”
William Mohan
The final player he mentioned isn’t a defensive back, per se, in that he’s projected to VIPER, which is technically a linebacker position.
But Harbaugh raved about how versatile Brooklyn (NY) Erasmus Hall’s William Mohan is, and why he could be a guy you see all over the field once his time comes.
“The other person to mention is William Mohan, who is the type of athlete where he could be a corner, he could be a safety, he could be an outside linebacker,” Harbaugh said. “Sounds a lot like a VIPER, I know as I say it. He’s another youngster who is so versatile, so good and athletic. Really another youngster on this group that was recruited by everybody. He’s really gonna be fun to watch. The way he runs and hits, it’s special. It really pops off the screen.”
“Wiliam is a long, really athletic player that could cover,” Harbaugh later continued. “His ability to blitz off the edge is special. Track down ball carriers. He loves to hit. Take a look at some of his highlights of special teams or defense. He’s a very, very physical. Can get ‘em down and can also make a lot of big hits. We’ll see exactly what position when it says athlete, but that’s just really saying this guy has the ability to play corner, safety, VIPER, and that’s a good thing.”