Ambry Thomas leaning towards senior year return

The standout cornerback looks likely to return for his senior year.

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WINTER GARDEN, FL — For Michigan cornerback, returning for his final season as a Wolverine doesn’t even seem to be a question.

As the talented former four-star prepares to face Alabama and its talented group of wide receivers in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, Thomas is keen to prove himself against the best of the best. He’s not really thinking much about 2020 with such a big contest coming up, but that said, as he notes, his future hasn’t really been in question.

“I’m out here right now practicing with the team,” Thomas said. “I’m back – put it right there, I’m back. I’m with my guys, lead the team to a good year next year.”

“It was never no decision. I didn’t say nothing out there. You can just assume I’m coming back.”

But, of course, he left himself a little bit of wiggle room, noting that he’ll make a formal decision once the 2019 season has closed for good.

“Nah, I’m not thinking about that right now,” Thomas said. “If I did come to a decision, it would be after this game, honestly. Great group of receivers, why not, you feel me?

“I’m here right now, that’s all that matters.”

Why wait to formally announce it, then? Well, because of what Alabama presents.

With a serious group of wideouts, headlined by Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs — neither of whom are the leading receiver for the Crimson Tide, that distinction goes to DeVonta Smith — Bama could have two-to-three NFL first-round draft picks, with the aforementioned being surefire early selections.

Thus, shut down his man, Thomas could earn some money in this game. That could be enough to swing the tide entirely into the other direction. Therefore, he’ll make his decision after the Citrus Bowl.

“After this game, for sure,” Thomas said. “We gonna see how the game go! You got first-rounder, first-rounder and first-rounder and I do my thang, then why not?!”

Regardless, Thomas will have one more game this season to play, as the Wolverines take on Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

5 Players who benefit from playing Alabama

Michigan football takes on Alabama in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. Which players will benefit the most from playing the Crimson Tide?

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For some players around this time of the year, bowl games are an unnecessary risk. If you are a lock of a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, why play in a postseason game that isn’t the conference championship or the College Football Playoffs?

That tune is one many college football fans, players, and coaches now have to deal with it as the past few seasons more and more players have been sitting out in these games to rest up and prepare their future.

Last year Michigan saw a few of their own players sit out of the bowl game to keep themselves healthy for their NFL workouts. This year that doesn’t seem to be a thing as nobody is sitting out unless they are injured, and playing in these games has some beneficial gain for the players just like sitting out does.

It’s another game of tape scouts can look at, and depending on the opponent, the individual’s performance could be looked at differently. Out of all of the teams in college football you could go up against to prove your worth to the NFL, Alabama is the top of the line opponent to go up against in possibly the last game of your career.

While Alabama isn’t playing for a National Championship this year, they are still an impressive 10-2 team that won’t be a pushover and will be a tough challenge for the Wolverines. These five players are either graduating or undecided on their future in 2020, and against Alabama, they have the most to gain out of any of the Wolverines on the team.

1. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

One of the two wide receivers still undecided on their future with Michigan, Donovan Peoples-Jones has a huge benefit of playing against Alabama. The Crimson Tide will be a huge challenge for him, and while Alabama doesn’t have a dominant defense like years past, playing well against Alabama no matter what is still something to talk about.

So far in his career, Peoples-Jones has 102 catches for 1,293 yards with 14 touchdowns, along with 88 punt returns for 745 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers aren’t as impressive as Alabama’s wide receivers, but if Peoples-Jones can play well against Alabama, he could be deterred to enter the NFL draft. He’s been projected as a second-third round pick, and a good game could boost him to a late first-second round pick.

A bad game against Alabama could hurt his stock, and have Peoples-Jones decide to return to Michigan in 2020. Peoples-Jones could even have a great game and still decide to come back to Ann Arbor. Either way, this game will be watched by multiple NFL scouts and have an impact on his future.

Next, a player that could possibly declare after the bowl game…

Schemmy Awards: Rookie of the Year

Three first-year players earned awards for the job they did on the field in their first year in Ann Arbor.

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Michigan football had a lot of true freshmen make big impacts on the football field in 2019.

Whether it be on offense, defense or special teams, first-year players came in and looked like wily vets throughout, whether it was right out of the gates or as the season progressed.

Therefore, at the annual Schemmy Awards, formerly the Michigan football bust, it was no surprise which first-year players were destined to come home with the hardware, a 10-inch replica of the Bo Schembechler statue.

The winners of the Rookie of the Year Award, given to the best true freshmen in each phase, were RB Zach Charbonnet on offense, S Daxton Hill on defense and KR Giles Jackson on special teams.

Charbonnet was a co-starter with redshirt freshman running back Hassan Haskins, but lead the team with 136 carries and 642 yards and 11 touchdowns. He set a team record for most rushing touchdowns by a true freshman in Ann Arbor.

Hill was a former five-star who came on strong later in the season, showcasing his top-end speed once he got the opportunity to be an impact defensive player midway through the season in the Rutgers game. He started the last two games with starting safety Brad Hawkins out with a foot injury. He finished the regular season with 28 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Jackson started right out the gates at kick returner, taking the mantle from incumbent KR Ambry Thomas. His biggest highlight was in the opening kickoff on the road at Maryland, where he took the first play of the game the entire distance to put Michigan up for good in that game.

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Schemmy Awards: Defensive Skill Player of the Year

A local Detroit standout took home the award given to the top defensive back in the 2019 regular season.

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Big things were expected of Ambry Thomas when he committed to Michigan out of Detroit (MI) King.

One of his rival coaches at the high school level, Belleville (MI) head coach Jermain Crowell — who coached both Jourdan Lewis and Lavert Hill — said that Thomas would be the best of the bunch. And he seems to be on track towards that.

In 2019, it wasn’t known whether or not Thomas would get much playing time, as he spent the entirety of the preseason out with a bout of colitis. However, he didn’t just suit up for the maize and blue in the season opener, he was one of the standouts in the game.

Thus, when at the annual Schemmy Awards, former the Michigan football bust, the award was given to the top defensive skill player, presented to the top player in the defensive backfield, Thomas was the obvious choice.

Thomas is co-leader on the team with 3 interceptions on the year.

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Michigan football grades from Week 12 win over Michigan State

Michigan Football defeated Michigan State 44-10 on Saturday, how did each position grade out in the dominating rivalry win?

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Michigan had an extra week to prepare for Michigan State, as they had a bye week last week. The extra week of preparation seemed to be a big help for the Wolverines as they ended up dominating the Spartans, winning 44-10.

The offense exploded with points as quarterback Shea Patterson had his best game ever at Michigan, the defense kept the MSU offense in check, and special teams got involved in the game as well. Check out how each position graded out in the team’s big rivalry win.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: A

Patterson played lights out against his rival, in a game where he started out going 3/8 and already getting sacked once, it looked like it would be a long day for Patterson. Well, it was a long day, a long day of dominance as Patterson finished the game going 24/33 for 384 yards and four touchdowns as he had his best game as a Wolverine. He would throw for over 300 yards for the first time at Michigan, and he even broke a record that Tom Brady had against MSU.

Patterson used his legs when he needed too but he couldn’t make anything of it as he was sacked three times to knock his rushing yards into the negatives. The way he was throwing the football though was impressive as he made some quick, deep, and tough throws. Along with the throws, he made some good reads to set up those throws as he looked comfortable with multiple RPO plays.

The offense finally seems to be intact and what offensive coordinator Josh Gattis dreamt of and it started with Patterson. This offense was supposed to help him greatly and fit his style of play. It started out rough, but now it’s starting to come together at the right time.

Running Back: C+

While passing the ball worked really well against MSU, running wasn’t as effective but it still did some damage. Hassan Haskins was the only running back to find the endzone as he finished with six carries for 13 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Zach Charbonnet had the best day of any running back, finishing with seven carries for 30 yards. Tru Wilson had the most carries with 10, but for 26 yards.

Wide Receiver: A+

There hasn’t been a better game for the wide receivers than yesterday as six different wide receivers caught a pass, and if you include the other positions the number increases to nine. Ronnie Bell was the star receiver, finishing with nine catches for 150 yards, a career-best for him. While he wasn’t able to get into the endzone, three other wide receivers were able too.

Donovan Peoples-Jones finished with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Nico Collins had three carries for 45 yards and a touchdown, while freshman Cornelius Johnson had one catch for 39 yards and a touchdown. Tarik Black had a nice 27-yard catch, while freshman Mike Sainristil had two good catches for 21 yards.

Tight End: B

Starting tight end Sean McKeon was a big help in the receiving game for Patterson has he had two big catches for 46 yards, while Nick Eubanks had one catch for five yards and a touchdown. The tight ends weren’t used often in the passing game but when they were they were effective. Their blocking was helpful as well.

Offensive Line: A-

Despite Patterson getting sacked three times and the rushing attack only putting up 83 total yards, the offensive line did a good job in giving Patterson time to throw the football. They also did a good job of blocking on some of the jet sweeps and wide runs/screen passes. They helped the offense do what they were able to do.

Now onto the defense and special teams…

Michigan’s native-sons ball out against rival Spartans

On Saturday against the Spartans, Michigan got its best performances of the day from the players native to the state.

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The ‘Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy’ may not have the historical significance of ‘The Game’ at the end of November, but Michigan’s in-state rivalry provides something the matchup with Ohio State does not.

On Saturday, the Wolverines fielded 44 players native to the state of Michigan, while the Spartans fielded an additional 48. Many of these players have competed with or against one another throughout their years playing football.

Saturday in Ann Arbor, the Michigan natives sporting maize and blue out-performed their brothers donning green and white, and many of the biggest plays of the game came from those Wolverines who grew up watching and living this rivalry.

It started with Michigan State’s first possession. After forcing a punt, the Spartans crossed midfield and faced a third-and-3 from the Wolverines’ 38-yard line. Michigan’s Michael Danna, from Detroit, sacked Spartan quarterback Brian Lewerke, ending the scoring threat.

Danna would finish the game with six tackles, including the sack and tackle for loss.

Michigan carried a 17-7 lead into halftime, but with the Spartans receiving the second-half kick, the outcome was still very much in doubt. That began to turn when Detroit-native Ambry Thomas picked off Lewerke to set the Wolverines up with great field position.

Michigan capitalized four plays later when Donovan Peoples-Jones – another Detroit native – scored from 18 yards out to extend the lead to 24-7.

“He’s got the ability to elude and also out-run people,” said head coach Jim Harbaugh. “Good to see him getting the ball and making those type of plays, and finishing in the endzone.”

Thomas would finish with six tackles and a tackle for loss to go along with his interception. Peoples-Jones had four catches for 48 yards.

Asked what it was like seeing players from Detroit making plays in this game, Peoples-Jones smiled.

“It means a lot. I can’t even describe it in words,” he said. “It’s a big game, big-time opportunities out there and we came out and…didn’t make the most out of our opportunities but made plays when they needed to be made.”

Later in the third quarter – after Michigan State closed to within 14 points – Wolverine kicker Quinn Nordin, from Rockford, connected on a 49-yard field goal attempt to extend Michigan’s lead back to three possessions, 27-10.

“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Quinn,” Harbaugh said. “He comes in, hits a 49-yarder from the right hash. He told me when I was recruiting him that someday he was going to kick a 49-yarder from the right hash to beat Michigan State. So, that was kind of a cool moment. After he kicked that one, I walked out there and reminded him of that. It was a big kick at that point in the game.”

The Detroit natives weren’t done, and next it was Lavert Hill’s turn. He intercepted Lewerke early in the fourth quarter, setting up a drive that would end with Nordin connecting on his third field goal of the game to make it 37-10.

“That was a big moment for us,” said defensive captain Khaleke Hudson. “Just being able to get the ball back for our offense and give us a chance to put even more points on the board.”

In addition to the interception, Hill broke up another pass attempt and made a tackle.

“It was great,” Josh Metellus said. “Ambry got the pick first, and he’s from Detroit and the Michigan [State] rivalry is really big to him. It’s also big to Vert, and when Vert got his pick, you could just feel the intensity. You could feel it through him, and the vibe that he had just went throughout the whole stadium. From the field, to the fans, to the top row – whatever you want to call it. You could just that this team knew what we did today.”

Rivalry games are the lifeblood of college football. Wins in these games can breathe life into a program, while simultaneously sucking it out of the program on the other side.

On Saturday, in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines who grew up calling this state home led the way against their hated rivals from East Lansing.

“We just came out here and played a physical game,” Peoples-Jones said. “It was obviously a rivalry game, the tension was up a little bit, and everybody wants to make a play. Everybody wants to make a play for the team. I feel that’s what everybody, individually, wanted to do for our team.”

Michigan on ‘high alert’ for MSU’s ‘Super Bowl’

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Let the back-and-forth begin. It’s hate week in Ann Arbor, with in-state rival Michigan State coming to town on Saturday. The Spartans come in reeling, while the Wolverines are flying high, with the former having just melted down, …

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Let the back-and-forth begin.

It’s hate week in Ann Arbor, with in-state rival Michigan State coming to town on Saturday. The Spartans come in reeling, while the Wolverines are flying high, with the former having just melted down, having surrendered 27 points in the fourth quarter to Illinois to fall to 4-5 on the season, while the latter is just now putting it all together at 7-2.

But, that doesn’t mean that the Wolverines are expecting to cruise to an easy victory.

It is a rivalry, after all, and as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh says, there’s no letting up, regardless if it seems that the two teams are moving in different directions.

“On high alert for everything,” Harbaugh said. “Specifically, yeah — we understand that Coach Dantonio is a master motivator. There could be trick plays. Special teams, punt fakes, field goal fakes. Everything needs to be alerted and prepared and ready for.”

But coaches coach in games, and players play in them. So getting the players’ perspective is key.

For the local Michigan products, this game means a little bit more, because they grew up playing with and against a lot of the players on the other side of the ball. Such is true for former Detroit (MI) King standout Ambry Thomas, who played alongside MSU LB Tyriq Thompson and against WR Cody White while in high school.

While there’s chirping back and forth the week of the game, Thomas says he understands what this game means, especially for the reeling Spartans.

“You can’t let them get a heads up,” Thomas said. “You’ve gotta step on their throat and stay there all game. We know they’re going to treat this game like their Super Bowl. We’ve gotta be prepared and just attack them, like they’re gonna try to attack us.”

Of course, talk and the action borne thereof fuels this rivalry.

Last year, it started with the pregame stunt by MSU, as they were late doing their traditional field walk, meaning Michigan was already on the field warming up. The Wolverines refused to vacate, so the Spartans walked through, refusing to unlink for some — like Devin Bush — while others like Khaleke Hudson didn’t make physical contact. After that incident, Bush famously tore up the Spartans logo with his cleats, and after the game, then-defensive end Chase Winovich spoke on FOX about MSU being ‘little brother,’ harkening back to the words spoken by Mike Hart after the 2007 contest.

Those words continue to be spoken in regards to the rivalry, including on Monday, in terms of how both teams treat it.

“Right now, it’s the most important game on our schedule,” Thomas said. “It’s about who’s the big brother, who’s the little sister in this state. That’s what it’s really about. We plan to give it our all, just like they plan to give us their all.

“You come to Michigan to play in this game right here and that team down there in Ohio. But you come to Michigan to play in these two games and these are must wins for us.”

The Spartans may be reeling, especially on the offensive side of the ball, but that’s not the team that the Wolverines see.

Perhaps it’s an added respect given, knowing that the two teams can prove it on the field this Saturday. But MSU’s offense has been nothing short of erratic, with the Spartans gaining 526 yards in the loss to Illinois, but struggling to get much of anything going against the Wisconsins, Penn States and Ohio States of the world.

Still, Thomas sees an offense that could be tough to stop, should everything come together.

“I see a team with a lot of talent, honestly – they just haven’t figured it out yet,” Thomas said. “They have a lot of talent. We know we just have to show up, ball out, do what we do.”

Michigan hosts MSU at The Big House with kickoff set for noon EST on FOX.

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