Tag: Caden Kolesar

Report: Michigan football defender, special teams star, out for year

No good.

The injuries are mounting up in Ann Arbor.

Linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green has not yet seen the field this season. Tight end Erick All is rumored to be out for a substantial period of time. Quarterback Cade McNamara is out for the time being. And left guard Trevor Keegan just returned to action after missing a few weeks due to a neck injury.

On Saturday in Iowa, special teams ace and backup safety Caden Kolesar went to corral the Hawkeye punt returner. But when there was a change in direction, he stumbled and fell to the ground. After being looked at, he limped off the field and then eventually to the locker room.

According to The Detroit News’ Angelique Chengelis, Kolesar is out for the year.

Michigan’s Caden Kolesar, considered the captain of the Wolverines’ special teams, suffered a season-ending non-contact injury in the game at Iowa last Saturday.

Kolesar tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on punt coverage late in game, several sources told The Detroit News on Tuesday. He is expected to have surgery in the next few weeks once the swelling decreases.

He is a vital piece of the Wolverines’ special teams units that have been successful this year, and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has frequently described him as the captain of the group. In the game against Connecticut, he blocked a punt. He also plays safety.

Last season, Michigan football was relatively fortunate when it came to injuries. Yes, it lost star receiver Ronnie Bell for the year after a Week 1 injury, but other than that, most losses were of the multi-week variety.

Kolesar is frequently referred to by Jim Harbaugh as the best player on special teams, a unit that was the best in the country a year ago.

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Do Michigan football special teams devote more to unit than other programs?

Bet it’ll be No. 1 in the country yet again this year. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s really no debate — last year, Michigan football had the best special teams unit in the country.

The oft-forgotten phase of the three phases of the game, head coach Jim Harbaugh often says that in order to win any game, you have to beat the team in two phases. And last year, Michigan often won all three.

This season, the Wolverines will be retooling the defense while it figures out who will be their starting quarterback. But the special teams unit is one you can always count on. That comes, in large part, due to special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh’s emphasis on outplaying the opponent. Which means out-scheming them. Which means spending more time than other programs working on that element of the game.

“Well, I can’t speak for especially into any other school, but just from what I’ve seen, and what I’ve experienced, Coach Jay (Harbaugh), and the analysts, J.B. Brown and Bradford Banta, they do an amazing job,” special teams stalwart Caden Kolesar said. “Like it’s, it’s crazy. We come in on a Monday or Tuesday of game week, and everything’s just laid out for us. And it’s like —  it’s really complex things but they make it simple. So like everybody can understand it. The schemes and then they also just put an emphasis on it.

“And head coach (Jim) Harbaugh, he also puts an emphasis on it, and that really helps us to be able to spend more time on it. We probably spend more time in special teams meetings than any other program in the country, would be my guess. And in practice, too, so I mean — it’s a third of the game so I think it’s only right that you do.”

“Yeah, I would say nobody focuses on special teams more than we do,” fifth-year kicker and Lou Groza Award-winner Jake Moody said. “Obviously, it’s very important. Games can be decided by special teams, whether you know it or not, whether it’s like a game-winning field goal or a punt getting down at the five rather than being a touchback. So, we don’t really get into the specifics, obviously, talking to other teams and what they do. You can just kind of see it on the field. The results that we have every year. We’re focusing on special teams more than anybody else.”

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If Michigan is outworking other programs on special teams, do they notice? Have the players noticed that when they see a team on the field, they’re aware of it?

It turns out, yes. Moody says that what they see in games often differs from what they’ve seen from those teams on tape — certainly a level of respect for Michigan’s prowess in that area, he says.

“I have a buddy that we’re playing against this season, and he’s a punter. I won’t name any names but yeah — he’s already calling me and, ‘Are you guys rushing me?’ like he’s worried that we’re gonna take his leg off on a punt block,” Moody said. “Other teams obviously notice it, they always have to bring their A-game against us, special teams-wise. So, you can obviously tell that they’re throwing curveballs — they’re doing different stuff than they normally do. I guess that’s kind of a pat on the back to us and just shows that they have to play that much better and do some kind of trickery to try and keep up with us.”

Kolesar praises Jay Harbaugh for his devotion to the forgotten art of special teams. He shares how difficult concepts are made simple through Harbaugh’s tutelage, such as using slideshows of celebrities being ‘in-phase’ or ‘out-of-phase’ when they’re walking with each other. These types of presentations simplify schematic concepts that otherwise may be too difficult for players to understand.

And Kolesar is betting most laymen wouldn’t get it, as it were.

“There’s so many different techniques and it can get so intricate that a normal fan would have no idea how intricate you can get and like the different types of techniques that are out in punt return,” Kolesar said. “And he also helps relate it to us.”

We’ll know more about whether or not the Michigan football special teams unit remains, well, special, in the coming days. The Wolverines open up their season on Saturday when they host Colorado State at noon EDT.

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Michigan safety Caden Kolesar discusses myriad punt return duties

Jim Harbaugh has been adamant that he’s the best playing rusher on special teams.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In Week 1, Caden Kolesar was thrust into the unenviable position of filling in for Ronnie Bell on punt returns after Bell went down with injury. The receiver was putting on a show and thus the safety, Kolesar, had to suddenly come in and replicate his success.

The problem is, Jim Harbaugh wants Kolesar to play another role on the punt return unit, because he feels that he’s the team’s best rusher and gunner on special teams.

At the moment, Michigan is searching for other options so that Kolesar is freed up to play other positions on punt return.

“Yeah, like I said last week, he’s so valuable at the other positions at punt return, we really need somebody else to step up and I think A.J. is really close,” Harbaugh said. “Had a good week of practice last week and (will) have another one this week. But A.J., Andrel Anthony, DJ Turner and Donovan Edwards will be the guys in the mix there. We’re gonna be a better punt return unit if Caden’s rushing or holding up because he’s just so good at those things. Happened to be he was the best guy at catching the ball. That’s a factor this past week, but going forward, we’re gonna be much better if we have him playing the other positions and we get someone else stepping up returning punts.”

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Considering that praise, how does Kolesar approach his non-punt return roles? What makes him so good?

It’s all about preparation and being versatile.

“It’s different every week depending on what the other team’s punt is — if they’re spread, if they’re pro, whatever they do,” Kolesar said. “My role changes every single week. But whatever role they want me on, I’m gonna attack that and do the best I can.”

At the moment, Kolesar is still working as a return man, he says, but there are others who are getting into the act, with A.J. Henning seeming to be the readiest to take on the position.

“Returning the ball, we’ve got four or five different returners that will cycle through catching the ball,” Kolesar said. “We go before practice, during practice, after practice. Just always trying to work on our craft, get each other better.

“I’m still back there getting reps in practice, so we’ll see. The other guys are, you got A.J. Henning, DJ Turner, Donovan Edwards, Andrel Anthony. That’s pretty much (it).”

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Kolesar has done a good job as the team’s return man, but hasn’t quite had the electricity that Bell brought to the position. But against Washington, he did have one scary moment when he muffed the punt.

Still, he didn’t panic, he located the ball and moved it forward without the Huskies getting an opportunity to cause a turnover and a short field.

So, how did it play out in his memory?

“I didn’t get into position quick enough, I should have squared it up,” Kolesar said. “But then, when I realized I muffed it, I just knew I had to get on the ball as quick as possible and just try to get as many yards as I could.”

We’ll see if Michigan continues with Kolesar as the punt returner or if someone else gets an opportunity on Saturday, when the Wolverines host NIU at noon EDT at The Big House.

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Multiple positional moves in Michigan secondary highlights versatility

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh broke down the depth to both safety and corner, noting multiple position switches.

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Michigan’s secondary is in an odd state heading into the 2020 season opener at Minnesota.

While the safety position returns two starters in Daxton Hill and Brad Hawkins, with Lavert Hill graduating and Ambry Thomas opting out, Michigan will be breaking in two new starters at cornerback.

Speaking to Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio program, head coach Jim Harbaugh broke down both positions, starting with the safeties. And with Hill returning, he feels like he has a special player — if not the Wolverines’ best, overall.

“It’s been a high-level, really,” Harbaugh said. “The talent – he might be our most talented player on the team, arguably. Very, very trusted, very good communicator in the backend. Really knows the safety position and also the nickel position. He’s really, really good. Playing both safety and covering in the nickel slot. He’s been really good.

“Brad Hawkins, he is playing his best football since he’s been here, too. He’s a returning starter, so that’s saying something. Doing extremely well. Makari Paige, Hunter Reynolds – those two have been really good.

“Compliment both the Green brothers – German Green playing safety and special teams and Gemon Green is competing for the staring corner position alongside Vince Gray. Been happy with both safeties. Caden Kolesar, also playing safety and special teams. Those are the ones that are right there in the mix at safety and doing a really good job.”

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While that’s a bit of depth at safety, though Harbaugh touched on it, what more does he see at corner?

It’s evident now that third-year in-state defensive back Vincent Gray has secured on position, and while Gemon Green is competing for the other, who else could contend for playing time this season?

Harbaugh notes another player who’s switched positions during fall camp in Sammy Faustin, who’s been drawing rave reviews from defensive coordinator Don Brown the past few months.

“Corners, there’s battles going on,” Harbaugh said. “Vince Gray – who’s starting. Who’s on the other side of Vince? You got Gemon Green — Sammy Faustin has moved from safety to corner. He’s doing a really nice job the last week since he’s been there. Also: I mentioned George Johnson and DJ Turner, Eamonn Dennis, Andre Seldon. All guys that are competing very strongly at the corner position.”

There had been rumblings of Dax Hill moving to corner, but it appears, according to Harbaugh’s Monday night appearance and Don Brown’s the previous Monday, that he’s sticking with safety and nickel back. On Monday, he touched on Faustin’s move as well as George Johnson’s transition from wideout to defensive back. Hunter Reynolds is a former corner who converted to safety last season.

With all that in mind, Harbaugh is enthusiastic about having so many players who can take on multiple roles. With the variable position switches, he says it gives Michigan the best chance to succeed.

“Versatility is always a good thing, no doubt,” Harbaugh said. “The players that are the most talented and give the most effort, the cream rises to the top and I think we’re seeing that. It does allow Coach Zordich and Don Brown the ability to — when a player has versatility to do the best things for our team and get the best matchups, et cetera. I think all those things are a big bonus.”

We’ll get to see just how that versatility pans out in less than two weeks, with Michigan traveling to Minnesota for the Oct. 24 Big Ten season kickoff. The game will be nationally televised in primetime, with ABC putting it in its 7:30 P.M. EDT slot.

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Bob Shoop breaks down Michigan’s safety group heading into spring

The newfound Wolverines safeties coach shares his thoughts on his personnel and what he expects of them.

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Michigan had a pair of defensive departures this offseason, but it replaced them with two capable former defensive coordinators who are now position coaches.

Among them is Bob Shoop, who spent his last 12 years in college football as a defensive overseer, but now he’ll be attuned to the safeties position, as vacated by Chris Partridge, who left to be Ole Miss’ co-defensive coordinator.

While Shoop says that he intends to be a much more active recruiter than he has in the past, as he shared with Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast, he was fortunate that he didn’t hit the trail immediately upon arriving in Ann Arbor. Instead, he got to stay in Schembechler Hall, getting to know his group and the lay of the land, learning exactly what he has at the safety position.

“When I first got here – Coach gave me an opportunity rather to get out on the road recruiting, to get in the office,” Shoop said. “During the day, I got to interact with the GA’s and quality control and I got to watch any projects Coach wanted me to watch – Coach Brown – and I watched all the games. I watched all the coverage cut-ups, along those lines. And then interact with those guys.

“And the thing about watching the game film and the cut-ups and things along those lines is really there’s only three guys that have a significant – three guys that played a lot at safety last year as Josh Metellus obviously is gone. Brad Hawkins is a guy that played a fair amount, brings a tremendous amount of experience. Obviously missed the end of the year against Indiana, Ohio State and Alabama. We need to get him back and healthy, because I think the expectations are he’s gonna be one of the leaders of this unit.

“And in Dax Hill. I knew Dax a little bit when I was at Mississippi State because I had him in the 2019 recruiting class as the top safety in that class. We went back and forth between Alabama and Michigan in the recruiting process. And really to have the opportunity to work with him here, I’m very, very excited about watching his development and taking him to the next level. But the experience he gained last year was really, really valuable. And I thought he did a really solid job in the Ohio State game, the Indiana – where he got an interception – and the Ohio State and Alabama (games) where he got thrown into the trenches against some explosive offenses.”

As Shoop explains, those are the two known commodities, but what about the depth behind them?

He says there’s a lot of expected contributors heading into next season, but he only has a certain amount to work with this spring, as freshmen RJ Moten and Jordan Morant don’t arrive until summer.

Still, he likes what he has and shares who should be impact players once they hit the field.

“The issue, really, as we head into spring is finding some depth there,” Shoop said. “I’ve gotten a chance this spring to work with some of the other guys and there are guys who there’s some expectation for. Sammy Faustin, German Green, Caden Kolesar, Tyler Cochran – those guys played on special teams. We have an early-enrollee in Makari Paige. Just – I’m really, really excited to work with those guys. Quinten Johnson. Guys I don’t know enough about, because I haven’t seen them on the field, but I have seen them work with Herb in the weight room and I have seen them work with Herb in winter program. They seem to have a great work ethic. They have great passion, great toughness. Seem to have a team-first mindset. They encourage one another and they have a great deal of pride as a position unit. So I think there will be a great amount of competition this spring.”

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