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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There has been much ado about Michigan football and a supposed ‘culture change’ within the locker room, but what does that really mean? Was the team really that dispirited in 2020?
Apparent lack of effort, along with execution, seemed apparent last season, but while college football punditry, as well as fans, have little optimism in regards to the Wolverines in 2021, if morale was an issue, then it appears to be resolved.
“I’ll be honest with you. I’m an honest person. But yeah – it’s definitely a different feeling,” sophomore running back Blake Corum said. “Every time we step into this facility, the energy, the vibe you get from everyone, the coaching staff, the culture’s changing. It’s a different vibe. Sometimes you don’t even want to leave the facility because the vibe’s so good.”
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But the idea of increased energy and enthusiasm isn’t the only thing that’s creating a different dynamic in Schembechler Hall.
Some of the changes have come from the influx of new coaches, with new faces joining the program in some cases, while others shifted and moved around. For instance, Sherrrone Moore was the tight ends coach but is now coaching the offensive line.
Fourth-year left tackle Ryan Hayes says that the way he works with the O-line unit has been inspirational, and he’s managed to get more for the current players as a result.
“Coach Moore has been great,” Hayes said. “He just brings, I think, the biggest thing is confidence as a unit. He brings us together, he makes us play well. He gets on us when we need it, but he does it in the right way where we respond to it and respect it. He makes us play a lot harder.”
On the other side of the ball, in conjunction with the increased energy and morale boost, there’s a holistic shift in the scheme of the defense with Mike Macdonald taking over from Don Brown. According to second-year linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, the new scheme is designed to disrupt offenses, and that every play is designed to create a loss for the other side of the line of scrimmage.
“I would just say there’s less busts,” Hill-Green said. “If everyone does their job, everything should run smoothly. It’s set up to create negative plays and chaos for the offenses. It’s set up to get negative plays if everyone does their job.”
We’ll see if the enthusiasm and schematic changes have the desired results come Sept. 4 when Michigan hosts Western Michigan at The Big House for the 2021 season opener.
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