ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football went from being one of the more healthy teams in college football to suddenly being without multiple key players.
Of course, Rod Moore has to this point been out for the season as he rehabs his spring ACL tear, but we’ve seen several players miss time in the past few weeks. Though Josaiah Stewart and Will Johnson had missed the Minnesota game in Week 5, both returned at Washington in Week 6. But Myles Hinton, Derrick Moore, and Dominick Giudice were all out that game.
As far as that trio is concerned, head coach Sherrone Moore feels like they could be back for this week’s road trip to Illinois.
“It looks like they’re trending all in the right direction,” Moore said. So feel good about them. I think they’ll all practice today. I feel like we’re in a good place with them all.”
Hinton, he surmises, would reprise his role as the starting left tackle, but Giudice may have a battle on his hands with Greg Crippen performing admirably in Seattle. Likewise, Moore says that with Jeff Persi’s performance, they may also take a look at what they can do at right tackle with Evan Link having been inconsistent to this point.
“If Myles is back then Myles will be the starter at left tackle, and then we’ll see at right tackle,” Moore said. “I thought Crip did a really good job. I think he did a really good job controlling the line of scrimmage with the calls — especially in that environment — being pretty calm. But he’s been a guy that’s that’s traveled to different places, seen it, so it looks like he’ll cement himself there and continue to work there, but we’ll see what happens with Dom.
“And Persi gave some great experience being an older guy, so it gives us a challenge at the other spot to see what he can do.”
As far as other injuries are concerned, Moore says that Rod Moore is progressing but he can’t give a timeline on his return as of yet.
“Still progressing. Can’t really speak on the exact timeline, on the date, but he’s still progressing in a good way,” Moore said. “We’ll see.”
As far as cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows, who had been working at nickel alongside Zeke Berry, he says his injury does appear to be of a long-term variety.
“It looks like it,” Moore said. “We’ll keep working with the doctors.”