Tag: Gemon Green

5 players to watch: Michigan football at Rutgers

Michigan football is trying to fix things after losing again to Wisconsin. Who are the five players to focus on this week against Rutgers?

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When it rains, it pours, as the Wolverines continue to slide down further in the rut they are in this season.

Last week, Michigan lost 49-11 to No. 10 Wisconsin at home and fall to 1-3 on the year, a thing nobody was expecting to see heading into this week’s game against Rutgers.

Michigan comes into the game this week with the same record as its opponent. Rutgers is 1-3 as it is on a losing streak itself, with its last win coming against Michigan State on opening week. Now, three weeks later, both teams can’t seem to get it done no matter who it goes up against.

Michigan surprisingly lost its rivalry game against Michigan State; it couldn’t handle a red hot Indiana team, and the team couldn’t make Wisconsin look like a team that hadn’t played in three weeks. Rutgers, on the other hand, has had some challenges as well. Rutgers also lost to Indiana, then had to take on the Buckeyes and put up a better fight than in years past, then lost to the former worst team in the Big Ten, the Illinois Fighting Illini.

This game is a doozy for both teams as each team wants to finally get back into the win column after being on the other end for the past three weeks. Michigan needs this win more than Rutgers, as losing to the Scarlet Knights would be the biggest loss under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and it would speak louder than any of the previous losses this year. Rutgers has seemed to be improved despite the record, and getting a win over the Wolverines could change the tide for them. What five players should you focus on when the lights turn on and the two schools battle Saturday night?

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Gemon Green explains personal defensive struggles

The Michigan football cornerbacks have received a lot of criticism and Green shares what he needs to do better.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When it comes to the Michigan football defense, the secondary has been the unit that’s drawn the most ire from critics in both the fan base as well as the media. And those struggles have centered most on the cornerback play.

Gone are the starting tandem of LaVert Hill and Ambry Thomas, and while new starters Vincent Gray and Gemon Green have had moments when they’ve made plays, they’ve had an equal amount of struggles as well.

Green received a stellar coverage grade in Big Ten Week 1 according to PFF, but it’s been up-and-down — mostly down — since, whereas Gray struggled early, but has increased his grade over the course of the season. As far as Green is concerned, he says that he’s not getting into a rhythm early enough, and that’s disrupted the defense’s ability to get out to a fast start.

“From my point of view, I kind of start — from me looking in, I kinda start my games slow,” Green said. “I start off slow and get my groove into the end of the game, stuff like that. I do have a lot of stuff to work on. I do have a lot of stuff to work on and I feel like I could be the best player I can be in the future.”

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One of the issues that’s plagued Green early on is penalties — defensive holding and pass interference. We’ve heard from coaches since the start of the season that the players aren’t relying enough on their technique and fundamentals, and Green concurs when it comes to his personal performance thus far.

“Really not focusing on my technique, for real,” Green said. “Going down on the fade ball, I got out of control most of the time. I was kinda out of control trying to connect. I just gotta stay calm and turn around and look for the ball, really.”

Green really hammers home the need for execution, noting that when the players do what the coaches ask, then things go well. He adds that if they do that and things still don’t go well, there could be bigger problems afoot.

But, the way he sees it currently, it’s on the players, not the coaches, as the defense continues to make mistake after mistake. The only way to right the ship is to execute as called upon — something that always seems to be amiss in the past few games.

“Just watching film, just watching cut-ups, when you actually see the cut-up, there’s always a player not doing their assignment right within the defense,” Green said. “This is just looking at the defense, I don’t know about the offense, but this is what I’m seeing from the defense. But there’s always one person not doing their job and they mess up the whole. You have to execute, like I said — you always have to execute. Maybe you did one play — like that one play against Wisconsin, I had to come across the field. I feel like I need to make that play. You have to just execute.”

Michigan football grades from Big Ten Week 3 loss against Indiana

Michigan football stumbled in the 38-21 loss to Indiana yesterday. How did each position grade out in the season-defining loss?

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The 2020 Michigan football team suffered a season-defining 38-21 loss Saturday to Indiana as it lost to the Hoosiers for the first time since 1987. This loss eliminates any hopes and dreams for the Wolverines to hoist a championship trophy, whether in the conference or in front of the country.

The Wolverines offense once again wasn’t able to put up points after failing to put up over 24 points last week. The running game didn’t exist, and the Wolverines needed to sling the ball around to try and spark a comeback. The defense for Michigan was a huge issue as well. It didn’t have an answer for Indiana’s passing attack: The secondary was torched all day.

While this loss doesn’t hurt as badly as the loss last week, considering Michigan State lost to Iowa 49-7 this week, it still isn’t what Michigan needed to show in front of the country. Indiana is a good football team. On paper, Michigan is better, but when it came to it happening on the field, the Hoosiers were the better team yesterday. How did each position do in the loss?

Offense

Quarterback: C+

Starting quarterback, Joe Milton was asked to pull this offense out of the hole they were put in and lead them to another comeback. While he didn’t throw the football as much as he did last week, Milton could still make some good plays, but it could have been a better showing for the young quarterback. Milton finished the game going 18-of-34 for 344 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, along with five carries for negative-9 yards.

Milton had to escape pressure many times and was sacked three times. The first interception Milton threw was a mistake solely on Milton. He seemed to have underthrown a pass, but that wasn’t the issue itself. He didn’t see cornerback Jaylin Williams near the receiver as he intercepted the pass. The second interception he needed to make a play and threw it deep. That one you can’t blame him for entirely.

Milton also didn’t have the help he was looking for during the game. Multiple players dropped passes they should have caught, but they aren’t alone in the mistakes. Milton overthrew a few passes and was just a touch too hard on his throws. Twice his receivers had to dive for the ball, and both came up just short. It was Milton’s worst game as the starting quarterback, and for his worst performance so far, it still wasn’t a bad game overall.

Running Back: D

The rushing attack saw no life against the Hoosiers. Hassan Haskins saw the most carries with six for 19 yards; he was the leading rusher. Chris Evans was next with three carries for five yards. Zach Charbonnet only had one carry for four yards. Now the poor grade for the running backs isn’t all on them. With no holes created by the offensive line, the backs struggled to move the ball forward.

Michigan had to abandon the running game being down by 17 at halftime, so they weren’t given much of a chance in the final two quarters. When the running game fails to live up to expectations for the Wolverines, the offense struggles as a whole.

Wide Receiver: C+

Though the team had 344 yards through the air, one wide receiver had almost half of those yards. Ronnie Bell had six catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. Another wide receiver that had a big day was Cornelius Johnson, who finished with four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Roman Wilson was the final receiver to catch a touchdown on his lone catch for 13 yards.

While some big plays were made by the receivers catching the ball, they also made big plays by dropping the ball. Some of the throws were overthrown or too high for them; that is on Milton. Others were right in the breadbasket, and they couldn’t hold on. They didn’t have issues getting open against Indiana, but they had issues holding onto the football, and when you can’t run the football and struggle to catch it, your offense will continue to fail over and over again.

Tight End: D

Another unit that had issues with drops was tight end. Starter Nick Eubanks had one catch for 22 yards but had a drop as well. Backup Erick All had a drop as well as that would be his only target of the game. The groups blocking didn’t help the running game either, and both of them need to have a better game next week if they are going to try and win.

Offensive line: F

With two starters out of the lineup, no position saw a bigger challenge than the offensive line. Even with two new starters, left tackle Karsen Barnhart and left guard Zak Zinter, the offensive line shouldn’t have performed this poorly. They struggled to keep Milton free from pressure: He was sacked three times and had to escape the pocket to try and keep passing plays alive too many times. The running game suffered the most with the way the offensive line played. If this unit isn’t able to fix its problems, this season could get even worse.

Now onto the defense and special teams…
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3 things to watch for against Indiana

Michigan football is looking to rebound after a horrible loss to Michigan State. What are the three things to watch for against Indiana?

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Coming off a disappointing 27-24 loss to Michigan State, Michigan has to go on the road and take on Indiana as an underdog. Yes, Michigan will be the underdog this week as it travels to Bloomington, Indiana, to take on the undefeated Hoosiers.

While the Wolverines are coming in at 1-1. Indiana is 2-0 with wins over Penn State and Rutgers. Indiana always puts up a good fight when taking on the Wolverines, but now as the favored team, how will the Hoosiers react? Michigan hasn’t come in as an underdog against Indiana in a long time, and not only do the Wolverines need to silence the critics,  but they also have to do it on the road.

There are plenty of things to focus on when Michigan takes on Indiana, but I’ve narrowed it to three:

1. How does the team react after the loss?

Losing games hurts. That isn’t what you train to do and what you tell your players and coaching staff to do; everyone knows that. What’s more important than learning and recovering from the loss? It’s how you react to it. Not only do the Wolverines need to win this game, but they also need to show that the mistakes they made last week have been corrected.

Winning this game by a few points will be great for the team, but it will not feel as great as if it can win by double digits. Michigan’s reaction to a loss to a rival it had no excuse losing to should light a fire underneath it. This team needs to be angry, upset and disappointed in itself. It needs to take that out on the rest of the teams it plays this season.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh needs to prepare his players better than last week, better than last year, better than yesterday. If Harbaugh’s team comes out flat, with nothing seeming to have changed from the loss to Michigan State, then that loss has taken it over. Losing sucks, but letting it dwell and become bigger than just one loss, is what can hurt a team for an entire season.

NEXT: Will the secondary turn it around?

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Michigan football grades from Big Ten Week 2 loss against Michigan State

Michigan football wasn’t able to take down Michigan State in the 27-24 loss yesterday. How did each position grade out in the big loss?

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After starting the season with a big win over Minnesota, Michigan took a big step back as it was upset by Michigan State, 27-24. The loss was an unexpected disaster that could derail the Wolverines’ 2020 season.

The Wolverines offense was shut down against the Spartans defense, a complete 180 after putting up 49 points the previous week. The Wolverines had issues passing and running the football. Neither could move the chains.

Michigan didn’t lose because one unit or one play changed the outcome. Overall, Michigan was outplayed by the Spartans, and it seemed MSU wanted it more than Michigan. The loss puts Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and his team back to the drawing board. It starts by looking back at how each unit performed in the game. How would each position grade out in the loss?

Offense

Quarterback: B

Starting quarterback Joe Milton was asked to do more than what was expected coming into this game. Milton finished 32-of-51 for 300 yards and 12 carries for 59 yards. Despite Milton throwing for 300 yards, the passing attack wasn’t very effective in putting up points and moving the ball down the field against MSU. Milton’s wide receivers weren’t able to get open, and multiple drops didn’t help.

Milton faced a lot of pressure and had to leave the pocket countless times. There was even a moment where Milton stood up in the pocket and took a huge hit while throwing a pass that was completed. Milton made a few risky decisions, and on the final drive, he kept throwing short passes over the middle when the time was important. It wasn’t as good as a performance last week, but Milton still played a sound game overall.

Running Back: C

Michigan’s rushing attack went from being the main source of offense to being a unit that struggled to get the ball rolling. Hassan Haskins was the top running back once again, finishing with eight carries for 56 yards and a touchdown, while he was also 0-of-1 on a halfback pass play that was almost intercepted. He wasn’t the only running back to find the end zone. Freshman Blake Corum scored twice with five carries for 15 yards.

Zach Charbonnet was held to a quiet five carries for three yards, while Chris Evans had three carries for 10 yards. Milton was the leading rusher, and when your quarterback is your leading rushing threat, that isn’t the best thing for your running backs. The group struggled all game to break tackles and find any hole to gain yardage against this defense. It seems as if you can slow or stop the Wolverines ground game, you have a better chance of winning.

Wide Receiver: C

Despite having 300 yards in the air, Michigan only scored on the ground. Multiple wide receivers dropped passes yesterday, and there were issues with separation between the receivers and the MSU defensive backs. Giles Jackson was the top wide receiver with seven catches for 58 yards. Freshman Roman Wilson got involved heavily and finished with five catches for 71 yards.

The top wide receiver last year, Ronnie Bell, had four catches for 46 yards. Cornelius Johnson, who didn’t get involved last week, had five catches for 52 yards. Michigan’s wide receivers couldn’t elevate their level of play when the Wolverines needed it most. When the Wolverines needed a strike downfield, they weren’t able to do so. This offense is dependent on the receivers beating their defenders, and if they are unable to do so, it falls flat on its face.

Tight End: C+

Starting tight end Nick Eubanks made his 2020 debut, but he couldn’t do much through the air with just one catch for five yards. Erick All, who started last week, had three catches for 13 yards. All had an impressive double block in the game where he blocked one player, then moved over and blocked another to help the running back gain yards. Overall the group wasn’t effective through the air, and the blocking was fine but could have been better to help the running game.

Offensive line: D

No offensive unit did worse in the loss than the offensive line. This line went from looking like a top line in the conference to looking like the unit has four new starters across the board. The linemen faced a lot of heavy pressure from Michigan State. While they only allowed one sack again, the pressure Milton faced was different than what he faced last week. Milton had to leave the pocket countless times to keep plays alive and to avoid sacks.

Not only did linemen struggle to help the passing attack, but they also struggled heavily helping the running game move the ball. There were never really holes for the running backs to find. Michigan State stuffed the running lanes and force the running backs to bounce outside, where they wouldn’t find much success either. Starting right tackle Jalen Mayfield left the game early with an injury, so this unit could face even more struggles with its best player possibly missing time.

Now onto the defense and special teams…
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For Michigan’s defense to rebound, its secondary must improve

Michigan football had its secondary get torched against Michigan State in its 27-24 loss. The unit must improve to save its season.

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After the 2019 season ended and when previewing the 2020 roster for Michigan football, the secondary had some questions about it, but it wasn’t considered a weakness in the defense. Safety Daxton Hill would be looked at as a starter alongside Brad Hawkins. Cornerback Ambry Thomas would take over as the top corner, and Vincent Gray would see more playing time as the number two option.

Then COVID-19 struck and changed the plans for multiple players around the country. Michigan lost two players in wide receiver Nico Collins and Thomas. With Thomas opting out, Gray would suddenly need to be the top guy at the position and joining him out be Gemon Green, who has never started a game before as a redshirt sophomore. The secondary looked from a unit that could hold its own to one that needs some help.

In the 27-24 loss to Michigan State, the group’s inexperience and weakness were as bright as diamonds. Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi went 17/32 for 323 yards and three touchdowns. 17 completions for 323 yards is an average of 19 yards per pass. Averaging your opponent to 19 yards per pass is inexcusable. It was understandable that the secondary would have some issues, but the group was getting roasted multiple times throughout the game.

Michigan State made some big plays through the air, which was a big reason for defeating the Wolverines. The wide receivers could get separation, and both starting cornerbacks in Gray and Green couldn’t slow them down. MSU wide receiver Ricky White had a monster game with eight catches for 196 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Jalen Nailor helped out with two catches for 68 yards as his 53-yard catch came in huge to lead MSU down the field and take the 14-7 lead.

While things went wrong at multiple positions for the Wolverines, no position struggled more in the loss was the secondary. There were no big plays from the MSU ground game, the longest run for 28 yards, Michigan forced MSU to throw it at them. MSU did just that and more all game long.

The secondary can’t be this big of liability in future games. The front seven wasn’t helping out much either. With no pressure on Lombardi, it gave him plenty of time to find a receiver, and with enough time, covering receivers becomes even harder. If Lombardi had any pressure on him, then maybe a poor pass or two happens, and turnover is created. If pressure happens then, maybe Lombardi doesn’t connect on one of his deep passes.

While it isn’t the defensive lines responsibility for the secondary to cover, how they do can impact the pass defense. Despite the lack of pressure, the pass coverage has to be better even if the defensive line can’t impact the offense. The defense can’t live and die on the defensive line; each unit needs to hold its own.

Going up against Wisconsin, Indiana, and Penn State now look difficult. Going up against Ohio State with this secondary and the receivers of Ohio State, it could be a trilogy of blowouts between the two schools. Michigan having a weakness in the secondary, is like a shark smelling blood in the water for the Ohio State Buckeyes offense. If Michigan can’t try and figure out the issues, the 2020 version of ‘The Game’ could be worse than the previous two.

Contact/Follow @WolverinesWire/ @BKnappBlogs

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Halftime analysis of Michigan State vs. No. 13 Michigan

Michigan football is down 14-10 against Michigan State at halftime. What are the key takeaways as the Wolverines are losing at halftime?

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From the Little Brown Jug to the Paul Bunyan Trophy, Michigan is looking to keep both of its trophies in Ann Arbor. It was able to secure the Jug last week, but this week the focus is on the in-state rivalry against the Michigan State Spartans. Starting with back-to-back rivalry games is a good way to get the Wolverines’ intensity, but it also brings more pressure on the team. This start isn’t what many were expecting for Michigan, but you should expect the unexpected with it being a rivalry game.

After both teams couldn’t move the ball much on each of its first drives, Michigan State would strike first and take the early 7-0 lead. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi found wide receiver Ricky White with a beautiful 30-yard touchdown pass while being covered well by cornerback Gemon Green. The Spartans were able to move the ball well against the Wolverines defense after a slow start.

The Spartans wouldn’t keep their lead for long, though, as the Wolverines rebounded well with a mix of big running and passing plays. Quarterback Joe Milton took a big hit on a 12-yard pass to wide receiver Giles Jackson which helped keep the drive alive on third down. The drive was topped off by an eight-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Blake Corum. Kicker Quinn Nordin came out, made his 2020 season debut, and tied it up at seven.

After multiple defensive stops, MSU was the next team to put up some points. Lombardi would connect on a 53-yard pass to wide receiver Jalen Nailor to move MSU inside the Wolverine redzone. Michigan could only stop them for so long before Lombardi found running back Connor Heyward for a two-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead, 14-7.

Michigan needed points on its next drive, and while it wasn’t seven, three points are better than none. The running game led the offense down the field as running back Hassan Haskins had three carries for 36 yards on the drive. In the wildcat formation that Haskins usually runs, Haskins gained a yard on the first attempt, but on the second attempt, he attempted a pass that was almost intercepted, and it forced Michigan to kick a field goal. Kicker Quinn Nordin came out and made the 23-yard field goal to make it 14-10 Michigan State.

Positives:

  • Milton continues to impress as he is 13/20 for 150 yards and six carries for 29 yards. Milton took a huge hit and stood up and delivered it with ease. Milton isn’t afraid to take any chances and take a hit if he knows he can move the ball forward. His big body frame will be hard to bring down, so if he can stay upright and still deliver passes, he can keep drives alive. Milton had some minor issues, but overall he started well again.
  • While it is too early to call it, but Michigan could have figured out its kicker position. Nordin made his 2020 season debut after missing the first game due to an undisclosed injury. Nordin looked good on the extra point attempt, and he made the first field goal of the season for the Wolverines. Moody hasn’t attempted anything so far, so it will be interesting to see if Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh sticks with Nordin only or if he gives Moody a chance later in the game.

Negatives

  • After slowing down the Minnesota passing attack last week, Michigan’s secondary struggled early on against MSU. Cornerback Gemon Green was targeted early and often as he was covering the first touchdown. He was called for defensive pass interference on the next series and then was in coverage on an overthrown deep pass. Green wasn’t the lone cornerback having issues, as cornerback Vincent Gray was burnt as well by Nailor to set up the 14-7 lead. Michigan’s secondary took a step back from its strong start last week. While they have only allowed 96 yards through the air, the damage was enough to help move the ball and help put up points.
  • The running game for the Wolverines hasn’t been able to be as efficient and effective as they were last week. Last week they had 256 yards and five touchdowns, and so far, they have 17 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown today against a tougher defense. While it was expected that the running game wouldn’t put up similar numbers, besides the final drive of the half, they have struggled to keep the ball moving forward on the ground. The passing game has been doing fine, but if the ground game can improve, it can help the offense take that next level step to gain the lead and not look back.
Contact/Follow @WolverinesWire/ @BKnappBlogs

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Michigan football grades from Big Ten Week 1 win over No. 21 Minnesota

Michigan football dominated for a majority of the game as they defeated No. 21 Minnesota 49-24. What grade does each position receive?

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With months of anticipation, Michigan football returned Saturday night as it  defeated No. 21 Minnesota on the road 49-24 in a huge Big Ten Week 1 victory.

The Wolverines exceeded expectations. The offense was explosive with seven touchdowns, while the defense slowed the Golden Gophers’ strong offense.

Michigan saw multiple positions make big plays from a vast number of people at those fronts. The depth some of these positions have is ridiculous and gives Michigan more chances to win these big games. Having that depth gives players more rest with not much of a difference in the group’s performance. Check out how each position was graded in the win last night.

Offense

Quarterback: A-

Starting quarterback Joe Milton made his first career start Saturday night. While people were expecting fireworks, they didn’t see much firepower but still got a solid performance from the redshirt sophomore. Milton finished the game going 15 of 22 for 225 yards and a touchdown, along with eight carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. Milton didn’t connect on any deep passes people were hoping to see, but, overall, he performed well in his starting debut.

Milton was sacked on the opening drive, which was the only time he was sacked all game. Milton didn’t face much pressure, and when he did, he avoided it to keep the play alive or escaped and ran for a few yards. Milton had a few overthrown passes, but the accuracy issue many were concerned about didn’t materialize. He had a 68% completion percentage.

Milton looked calm all night and never seemed fazed by what the defense was giving him. He made smart decisions and didn’t get cute with the football. His performance last night was a great sign of the future he has in Ann Arbor.

Running Back: A

The four-headed beast that is the running back corps of Michigan football showed its teeth last night. Zach Charbonnet was the starting running back, and, on the second drive of the game, Charbonnet found the huge hole up the middle and ran for a 70-yard touchdown. Charbonnet finished with four carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. He wasn’t the only running back to score. Hassan Haskins produced 82 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.

The returning Chris Evans found the end zone and finished with five carries for 19 yards and a touchdown, along with a catch for 10 yards. Freshman Blake Corum also got the start and produced five carries for 24 yards along with two catches for 36 yards. Fullback Ben Mason got involved as well. He had the only receiving touchdown on an 8-yard catch.

The running game had 31 carries for 256 yards and five touchdowns. Despite Milton having a strong arm, Michigan will continue to pound the rock and score more touchdowns on the ground than through the air. This four-back depth at the position gives the Wolverines versatility and fresh legs on the field with a player that can make plays for them.

Wide Receiver: B

Another position with a swarm of playmakers is wide receiver. Last year’s leading receiver Ronnie Bell led the team once again with four catches for 74 yards.

The youngsters gained plenty of playing time. Freshman Roman Wilson had two catches for 34 yards and the other freshman A.J. Henning had a catch for 14 yards and a carry for 6 yards. Mike Sainristil had a catch for 11 yards, and Giles Jackson had a catch for 5 yards with one carry for 8 yards.

A few drops from the group hurt, but it didn’t change the outcome of the game. If they can catch more of those passes, they can put up more yardage through the air.

Tight End: C+

Starting tight end Nick Eubanks didn’t play due to an undisclosed reason, so Erick All got the nod, and his performance was fine. He dropped a wide-open catch with nobody in the area that he could have walked into the end zone. The next play after the drop, Milton threw it right at him to underscore his confidence in him.

All finished the game with two catches for 33 yards. Backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker drew a penalty and didn’t catch any passes. The group’s blocking was solid, but the group wasn’t as involved as they might usually be when Eubanks is on the field. Having Eubanks out was a blow to the offense, but Michigan can clearly put up points without him.

Offensive line: A-

The offensive line was the biggest question mark of the offense heading into the 2020 season, and outside of the opening drive, the unit played almost a perfect game. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield was the lone returning starter. Two positions had first-time starters: left guard Chuck Filiaga and center Andrew Vastardis. The other two players had started previously but were new to their roles: left tackle Ryan Hayes and right guard Andrew Stuber.

The offensive line allowed a sack on the opening drive, but got its act together. Filiaga made a huge block to open the hole on that Charbonnet touchdown, which was the group’s turning point. The unit kept Milton upright after the sack, and he seldom faced pressure all game long.

Now onto the defense and special teams…
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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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Gemon Green ‘leader in the clubhouse’ as Michigan football starting CB

Could Michigan football have a surprise starting at Ambry Thomas’ vacant cornerback spot in 2020?

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While it was no surprise that Michigan got Ambry Thomas to agree to come back for his senior year after the bowl game, what was surprising that he opted out and has chosen not to return to the team after the postponement and then reinstatement of the 2020 football season. Thus, with Lavert Hill having departed after exhausting his eligibility, Michigan is looking to break in a bevy of new cornerbacks.

So who’s in contention?

Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown went into even more depth than he did a week ago on Monday when he spoke to Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio program on Learfield IMG College.

“Obviously we wish Ambry nothing but success,” Brown said. “But DJ Turner’s been working really hard, Jalen Perry also working really hard. Gemon Green has really played well. He’s a guy that’s been with us for a period of time. Always had the athletic ability. Conceptually, he’s put it all together. So we feel really good about him.

“Young guys – George Johnson, Andre Seldon really doing well. This Keshaun Harris, who’s a former track guy here, he shows that track speed every day. And we got a young guy from Massachusetts, this Eamonn Dennis, that can flat-out fly. Most of his high school play was on the offensive side. Well, he’s learning to play corner. The one thing that shines is his 4.38 40. We’re trying to get him up to speed, but he’s with the best corners coach in the country, so he’ll be just fine.”

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That said, who will be the starters?

Michigan has often platooned at least one cornerback position — you can recall Jeremy Clark/Channing Stribling in 2015-16 or even working in either Brandon Watson or Vincent Gray in the past two years — but at the moment, two are standing out to Brown: the aforementioned Gray and third-year corner Gemon Green.

However, with camp still ongoing, nothing is written in stone at this juncture.

“We challenge those guys everyday,” Brown said. “Vincent Gray is the unquestionable leader and who’s gonna be the second guy? Well, that’s why we call it practice. One day, one guy looks really good. Another day, another guy looks really good. But I also lean on Gemon Green’s done a good job there. I’d say he’s the leader in the clubhouse right now. That challenge is far from over.”

We won’t know for sure whether or not Green can claim that starting role until Oct. 24, when Michigan heads to Minnesota for the Big Ten season opener.

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