Tag: josh ross

‘It was heartbreaking’ – Michigan still reeling after having to cancel Ohio State game

The Michigan football team captain further refutes that the Wolverines ‘ducked’ the Buckeyes while sharing how important that game is.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There are still narratives galore that Michigan avoided playing the final regular-season game against Ohio State, but the fact of the matter remains that the team is suffering from COVID-19-related losses, on top of injuries.

But when Michigan had to cancel the contest vs. Maryland, the writing appeared to be on the wall. Still, team captain Josh Ross says that he was preparing to rebound against the Buckeyes before the rug got pulled out from underneath him and the team.

“It was very emotional — kind of abrupt,” Ross said. “We suffered an outbreak and potentially — we thought we could play against Ohio State, and that got shut down, too. It was heartbreaking. Who doesn’t want to play in The Game? Who doesn’t want to play against Ohio State? It’s the biggest game of the year and we were heartbroken from it.”

Many will say that The Game just means more to the Buckeyes, and while they are a bit more fanatical about it, Ross notes that everything his team does in the offseason and in-season is about getting ready for that rivalry.

“My emotions — I knew what was going on, I knew the numbers were increasing,” Ross said. “I knew people were getting COVID. But, at the end of the day, I was just focused on playing that game and focused on having my best game — our defense having the best game.

“It definitely was heartbreaking. Because that’s what you prepare for, because that’s the biggest game of the year. That’s the only game — that’s one of the only games that means a lot to Michigan. It definitely was heartbreaking and it is what it is. Onto the next week.”

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Now, Michigan is preparing to take on an Iowa team that has been surging, having won its last six-straight. But the fact that the maize and blue might be able to take the field on Saturday has resurrected the social media narratives that they could have played against the Buckeyes.

Ross has heard those theories, and though the team is currently a shell of itself, he reiterates: if Michigan could have played Ohio State, it would have.

“I’ve heard — and it’s nonsense,” Ross said. “We would never duck a game like that. It’s the biggest game of the year and it’s the most exciting game of the year. It’s not what we’re about at all. I don’t really pay attention to social media stuff, but that’s nonsense.”

Michigan and Iowa are set to kick off on Friday night at Kinnick Stadium at 7 p.m. EST.

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It’s definitely different: Michigan prepping for Iowa with numerous players out

The Michigan football team is adapting to having multiple players out with Iowa on deck for Saturday.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — We won’t know exactly how decimated the Michigan roster actually is until it takes the field this Saturday in Iowa City, but the team missed two weeks due to rising COVID-19 cases, which has kept a number of players out.

Many have focused on the numbers that Michigan has reported — without differentiation between sports, nine student-athletes tested positive last week, 14 the week before, and seven the week before that — without recognizing that multiple players are also unavailable due to contact tracing. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that 45 players would have been out against Ohio State, had Michigan moved forward with that game.

247Sports’ Zach Shaw posted a picture from the practice field on Sunday while walking home from the basketball game at Crisler Center, and it showed just how thin the team might be at the moment.

While it’s difficult to decipher just how many players are out on the field, it appears that there were only 30-something involved. Again, there’s no telling who will be available for the Iowa game, but all signs point to a shell of the rostered team.

“It’s definitely a different environment,” offensive lineman Andrew Stueber said. “We still have a few guys quarantined because of either positive cases or contact tracing, so it’s definitely a different atmosphere. A lot of young guys are starting to step into new roles which is something that we’ve been prepping them for all year. That’s definitely one of the defining aspects of the season — people can go down at any moment just by contracting it or being in contact with someone. So there’s been a heavy focus that everyone needs to be ready at any moment.

“It’s definitely been a different atmosphere at practice. Definitely smaller numbers. People have stepped into different roles, whether that be scout team or playing offense, defense, or special teams. So it’s been different, but it’s also great to see different guys step into different positions as well.”

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But the Wolverines aren’t looking at it as a ‘woe is me’ type of situation. Team captain Josh Ross says that they’re embracing the opportunity to get younger players work — players who might not otherwise have had the chance.

“We have a lot of guys out, but at the end of the day, with guys out it’s new opportunities,” Ross said. “It’s a blessing — guys stepping up, it’s young guys stepping up and it’s so much opportunity on that field to go and get it. And we’re excited to play and put our talents forth.”

Saturday night, we’ll know exactly how healthy the Wolverines are. But from the looks and sounds of it, Michigan won’t be anywhere close to full strength.

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Michigan football grades from Big Ten Week 6 27-17 loss against Penn State

Michigan football lost 27-17 against Penn State in Ann Arbor. How did each position grade out in the loss to the Nittany Lions?

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Michigan football is back to its losing ways in the 2020 season. Despite it ending its three-game losing streak to Rutgers last week, Michigan couldn’t figure out what to do against Penn State this week, losing 27-17. The Wolverines couldn’t come back down 17-7 at halftime like they were able to last week as the Nittany Lions were too much for them.

Michigan had an injury with its starting quarterback in Cade McNamara early on in the game, which brought in backup Joe Milton for a while before McNamara returned. The return wouldn’t last long, though, as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh pulled him in the fourth quarter due to his injury. The position needed some consistency, and it once again failed to live up to its expectations.

The defense made some stops and slowed down Penn States offense, but even with just two running backs, the Nittany Lions didn’t have trouble putting up points on the Wolverines. While the defense didn’t perform great, it wasn’t as bad as the offense was overall. Check out my grades from the loss to Penn State below.

Offense

Quarterback: C-

McNamara had a rough go at it as the starter. He had a good start with only one bad throw, but he started to perform worse once he got injured. McNamara couldn’t throw the football downfield, and the short throws weren’t moving the chains. He finished going 12-for-25 for 91 yards.

Milton came in for McNamara when he was injured and when McNamara was pulled in the fourth quarter. His performance wasn’t much better, going 1-for-3 for 21 yards. Milton’s two incomplete passes were poor throws and not what the team needed to see with him back in. Neither turned the football over, which is helpful, but it was not a great performance with under 100 yards for each.

Running Back: B

Michigan football has seemed to have thrown the running back committee type of ground game out the window this week. Hassan Haskins is the starting running back, and he won’t give that job up, finishing with 17 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Evans was the next man up with four carries for 35 yards, while Blake Corum had three carries for 27 yards. Zach Charbonnet never saw the field, out with an undisclosed ailment.

Wide Receiver: C-

No wide receiver could find the end zone this week, and there were very few plays from the group. Ronnie Bell once again led the group with four catches for 40 yards. Freshman A.J. Henning made a big catch for 28 yards, finishing with three for 31 yards. Cornelius Johnson had two catches for 15 yards. Mike Sainristil had a game to forget with a drop and a muffed punt.

Tight End: C-

After performing well last week, the tight end group was silent against the Nittany Lions. Erick All had a catch for eight yards, while Nick Eubanks had a catch for six yards. The blocking could’ve been better from the duo, but it wasn’t as bad as it was in weeks past.

Offensive line: C-

While starting left tackle Ryan Hayes was active, he didn’t play. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield and center Andrew Vastardis were still out with injuries. The line did a good job keeping both quarterbacks upright despite facing a strong Penn State front seven, but outside of the big 59-yard run by Haskins, they could only help muster up 115 yards on the ground. Short yardage situations on third and fourth down were challenging for the group to gain as they weren’t able to push the defensive line back when it mattered most in the fourth quarter on the fourth and one run by Milton.

Now onto the defense and special teams…

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Michigan players confident team will ‘bounce back stronger than ever’

After a stunning upset in Big Ten Week 2, the Wolverines are sure they’ll get back in the winning column against the Hoosiers on Saturday.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — At the moment, Michigan football fans are still in meltdown mode after losing at home to rival MSU on Saturday. It was a game that the Wolverines were predicted to win — and win big — with ESPN FPI having a 90-plus percentage in the maize and blue’s favor.

Fans and some, mostly national, media are saying that head coach Jim Harbaugh’s days in Ann Arbor are numbered, with the loss being viewed that unfavorably. Given the expectations for that game in particular, and with it being a rivalry game, it’s a fair question to ask — can Harbaugh get the job done?

But Harbaugh tempered the expectations placed on him back when he was hired, saying he makes no guarantees. Were the expectations for him too high, given what Michigan has been as a program well before he arrived?

“I definitely think that Coach Harbaugh is held to a high standard,” fourth-year linebacker Josh Ross said. “That’s just how Michigan is and that’s just the pedestal that us in the program are put on – and it’s a blessing. That’s how I feel about it.”

But is that fair? Ross demures: “I think it’s not as – I don’t know. No comment on that.”

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While fans are lighting their proverbial torches and sharpening their pitchforks, that doesn’t appear to be the mood in Schembechler Hall.

Fans have the luxury of proclaiming the season over and tuning out. The team cannot do that, however — not if it wants to claim some semblance of success this year. It must galvanize, as there are still seven promised games left in 2020, barring any COVID-related cancellations.

Ross is aware of what was supposed to happen on Saturday, but there’s nothing he can do to change the outcome. Whatever happened is in the past, and now he’s focused on making sure he and his teammates are ready for what comes next.

“We definitely suffered a tough loss, we definitely did,” Ross said. “But at the end of the day, us as players, we all we got. We gotta emphasize that to each other, just communicating and talking – we all we got. We’re just gonna continue pushing forward and bounce back stronger than ever.”

With No. 13 Indiana up next, there are, again, no guarantees.

The Hoosiers are usually the underdog, unranked against a highly-ranked Michigan team. However, this week, Indiana finds itself with the same AP-ranking that the Wolverines had before Big Ten Week 2.

If Michigan wins, then it could be on its way to salvaging the shortened season after unspeakable calamity. Lose and it’s a national punchline, with no one but itself to blame.

“That’s the only thing that’s gonna get the sour taste out of our mouth is to win the next game,” fifth-year tight end Nick Eubanks said. “That’s how everybody’s mindset is right now. Especially during this season, with COVID – anybody can get beat. It’s up to us to being able to fine tune the details and being able to execute.”

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Over and over on Monday, Ross kept saying the team will bounce back. It was a statement of fact, not spoken as a casual opinion or a question of if.

Why is he so confident that the Wolverines can get back on track after the post-Minnesota freight train was so easily derailed on Halloween?

“Because of the type of guys we have on this team, the leaders we have on this team and the go-getters on this team,” Ross said. “We had a tough loss at the end of the day, but we’re gonna bounce back and we’re gonna have a great week and we’re gonna have a great rest of the season. I believe that, totally.”

Whatever Michigan intends to be, however strong or weak its resolve, we’ll know on Saturday. Keep a 32-year winning streak against the undefeated Hoosiers alive and your prize is top-tier Wisconsin. Lose and your legacy is that of a team that’s stuck in the mud, with little leverage to work its way back out onto dry land.

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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‘Gonna be elite!’ Michigan defensive players sound off on ‘explosive’ offense

It’s not just the coaches and Milton’s offensive teammates saying the Michigan football offense is ready to take things to another level.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s been a ton of hype surrounding Michigan football’s offense, a unit that’s been nothing more than above average, at best, since Jim Harbaugh took over in 2015.

Now though, with Joe Milton the presumed starter at quarterback and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis entering his second year with the program, the Wolverines may very well be in a position to join the upper echelon of offenses around the country.

It all starts with Milton, but it hasn’t just been the local media or the offensive players who have been enamored with his skillset. Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has been singing his praises this offseason, as has fellow FOX Sports personality Matt Leinart.

But those who have been trying to beat Milton in fall camp, the remnants of last year’s No. 11 defense nationally, have nothing but emphatic enthusiasm for the third-year QB and the rest of the players around him.

“Explosive,” fourth-year linebacker Josh Ross said of the offense. “Joe’s one of my good friends and to see him thrive and flourish, it’s been amazing. He’s been practicing really, really well and I can’t wait to see him go out there and ball. Our offense is gonna be elite!”

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High praise, but Ross isn’t alone.

Michigan defensive tackle Carlo Kemp had a lot to say about the offense as a whole having so much promise before eventually speaking similarly on Milton.

“This offense – I’m just excited,” Kemp said. “Because no one has really gotten to see all the talent and all the things that they can do. The only people that know are the people here at practice, and the people on the team and the coaches. But just getting to see these guys play, there’s a lot of chemistry on that side of the ball, as well. There’s just so many good players. At running back, there’s tremendous players. At wide receiver, there’s tremendous players. We’ve got a quarterback leading the offense, leading the entire team in a very special way.

“You look at Joe and you’re just excited for Joe because you know everything he’s gone through to get to this point and we watched him grow since his freshman year. I go back to Joe’s freshman year when he was the scout quarterback and how he led the scout team, you knew one day – ‘OK, this guy, here, when it’s his time, it’ll be his time and it’ll be very special.’ And now he’s grown up into his third-year with those guys he used to lead on that scout team and all of them have developed and gotten better, he’s gotten better himself. It’s like – seeing all of that coming into fruition is incredible.

“What we have at quarterback this year is very special – a very special leader, a very special guy and I’m very excited for him.”

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Have goosebumps yet? Well, Milton isn’t the only offensive player who’s ready to make a big impact.

Though the Wolverines are loaded with talent at wide receiver, tight end and running back, there’s one offensive player who can play multiple roles on offense that has Ross particularly salivating after seeing what he can do in practice.

As he puts it, essentially: meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

“I can’t say you guys haven’t seen him much, because he’s been there, but he’s back this year – and that’s Chris Evans,” Ross said. “He’s gonna have a fabulous year. Has been practicing really well and our whole time practicing in these past few months. He’s gonna make a big impact on Saturdays.”

We’ll see just how good this new-look Michigan offense might be on Saturday, when the Wolverines take on Minnesota at TCF Bank Stadium in primetime.

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Jim Harbaugh: Michigan’s defensive identity in 2020 starts up front

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh shares why the DL is the team’s defensive identity and who’s standing out in the linebacking corps

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What’s kept Michigan from being as dominant the past two years defensively as it was the three previous?

The Wolverines are still in the upper echelon of college football in terms of total defense — meaning, yards surrendered per game — but 2018 and 2019 have seen some serious lapses, particularly against Ohio State. Still, the maize and blue have finished no worse than No. 11 in that metric since Jim Harbaugh arrived, but there has to be a reason why it hasn’t been able to keep pace with the Buckeyes, right?

One part of it certainly could be the lack of push up front. In 2016, Michigan had eight sacks against OSU. In 2017, it had three. But in 2018 it had zero and managed just one in 2019.

So to say that the defensive line needs to improve, particularly in that game, it wouldn’t be terribly novel of an idea.

Thankfully, it appears that’s the defense’s strength heading into 2020, as Harbaugh told Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio show that he feels the defensive front is that side of the ball’s identity — starting with the two ends up front.

“I think if you can picture – I know you can picture it, but Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson – two — wow,” Harbaugh said. “Tremendous players and they’re having great camps. I kinda look over at them and I see the identity for our defense in those two. Really talented, great, high-effort kind of players. Carlo Kemp and Chris Hinton – and now Donovan Jeter also is really surging and doing great. Such a natural and good football player. And Jess Speight, total Michigan man. Talk about position switches and a guy who will do anything for the team — In there playing nose.

“Also, Luiji Vilain, looking for him to have a very good year. Taylor Upshaw is surging as a player. Also say Julius Welschof, keep an eye on him. He’s coming into his own. Mike Morris, Mazi Smith, Gabe Newburg – really turning into great football players.

“That group of defensive linemen – a lot of identity coming out of that group.”

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Michigan will need more than the front four in order to get the defense back in the top four, nationally, in 2020.

Behind them are two household names in Josh Ross and Cam McGrone, but there’s a newcomer, in terms of starting, in VIPER Michael Barrett — a former quarterback in high school.

Starting with Barrett, Harbaugh broke down the linebackers, including who could spell the starters as the game wears on. All-in-all, he appears happy with the depth.

“He’s a rock-solid guy,” Harbaugh said. “Tough competitor and experienced player. Feeling very good about the linebacking position with Michael Barrett, Josh Ross and Cam McGrone. And some other players are behind them. Ben VanSumeren is looking for, competing for a starting spot at the SAM backer, along with David Ojabo. Adam Shibley has really surged here the last couple months and is doing a great job at the MIKE position. He’s got versatility to play both MIKE and WILL. Outstanding young player.

“Anthony Solomon is a sophomore, but he’s doing a heckuva good job. The two freshmen to really look at are inside backer Nikhai Hill-Green and Kalel Mullings — both doing really well, especially for only being freshmen. So starters and depth are being developed there at the linebacker position. Jaylen Harrell – make another note, right there with Nikhai Hill-Green and Kalel Mullings standing out as freshmen – Jaylen Harrell is doing that as well.”

We’ll see all of the above in action in mere weeks, with the season opener at Minnesota kicking off on Oct. 24 at 7:30 P.M. EDT. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.

Why Year 2 could be a big deal for Cam McGrone

Michigan football saw linebacker Cam McGrone step up big for the defense last season, how will another year, this time as a starter go?

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In 2019, Michigan was without its biggest piece on defense, linebacker Devin Bush, who declared for the NFL draft and was taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Bush gone, attention moved to linebacker Josh Ross as the next in line as the big, fast, strong linebacker who can make big plays when needed.

Sadly, he had a season-ending injury three games into 2019. In stepped linebacker Cam McGrone. McGrone didn’t play in the first two games and stepped in for Ross after he went down against Wisconsin. That moment, McGrone didn’t look back at his opportunity.

While he didn’t do much in the next game against Rutgers, McGrone made his presence felt against Iowa, finishing with six total tackles, one-and-a-half for loss, and one-and-a-half sacks. That effort boosted McGrone’s confidence and made him more of a playmaker on defense. McGrone finished the season last year with 65 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, two-and-a-half sacks, a forced fumble and a pass deflection.

With McGrone stepping up and stepping up big, it seemed Michigan found its next Bush type of linebacker in McGrone. His speed, strength and ability to put pressure on quarterbacks were similar to Bush. He was able to cover tight ends, go sideline to sideline with a running back, and his hard-hitting tackles made opposing offenses reconsider running near him.

Unlike last year when he started Week 1 as a backup, McGrone will not have to wait for an injury to happen for him to get on the field or start a game. He will start at the MIKE linebacker position, and, with 11 games of experience last year and a full offseason to understand the defensive playbook, McGrone could be in line for an even better season than last years.

With Ross returning from his injury, McGrone has some experienced help alongside him. Michael Barrett will take over the VIPER position from Khaleke Hudson, who graduated and was drafted by the Washington Football Team. Last year ,McGrone had some veteran help, now he’s one of the veterans leading the room heading into the 2020 season.

McGrone has been making defensive coordinator Don Brown very happy so far in the practices held this year, as Brown praised McGrone when talking about him early last week.

“The MIKE backer position is Cam McGrone, and he’s kind of picked up where he left off,” Brown said. “We’re very happy with his play, his performance and he’s really learned the defense. He really knows what we’re doing and knows what everybody else is doing as well.”

Last year as a redshirt freshman, McGrone was thrown into the starter role with the injury to Ross, and he stepped up and owned it. He played in one game in 2018 so his playing time was very little heading into the 2019 season. Now with 12 games and two offseasons under his belt, McGrone can only get better at his job on the field and help lead this defense into rebounding after not making the top-five top defenses last season.

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Michigan linebackers sing the praises of true freshman

Two veteran linebackers said that the Michigan football freshman is standing out.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The way it goes is, if one person mentions that a player is performing, it’s a sign. More than one? It becomes an omen.

Such appears to be the case for Michigan true freshman linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green.

Hill-Green was one of Michigan football’s early-enrollees, having arrived on campus for the semester starting in January. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unlike the classes that came before him, Hill-Green didn’t get the added advantage of spring ball.

But, come June, when the full class reported, he started making a strong impression. And his veteran teammates noticed.

Last week, it was redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross, who had a singular answer when asked what young linebackers are impressing him.

“One of the guys that most impressed me is a freshman and he plays my position – Nikhai Hill-Green,” Ross said. “He’s a great, great guy. Great player. Still learning, but one thing I can say about him is he’s very instinctive. He’s very smart and he’s gonna be a good player for Michigan in the future for sure. He’s a great dude.”

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Then, on Thursday, WolverinesWire asked redshirt sophomore Cam McGrone who’s making an early impact, and the answer was the exact same.

“I think Nikhai Hill-Green – he’s progressed the fastest in terms of the mental aspect of being a linebacker,” McGrone said. “His keys, his reads, his assignments. He’s definitely faster than I was and that really impressed me. And there’s been times when he’s been X-ing me out on the field and sometimes he makes the call before I do – and that really excites me for the future as a linebacker here at Michigan.”

Hearing that he’s faster than McGrone was upon arrival is awfully tantalizing, given that McGrone’s speed and instinct were his biggest selling points.

Could Hill-Green be a player who sees the field early? We won’t know for sure until Michigan takes the field in a little less than a month, with the season opener coming at Minnesota on Oct. 24.

Cam McGrone: ‘I’m scared for everybody else’ that has to face Michigan LBs

The Michigan football third-year MLB shares why he’s doubling down on what Josh Ross said last week.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When it comes to Michigan’s starting linebackers, there appears to be very little modesty. And to some degree, it’s warranted.

Middle linebacker Cam McGrone had something of a coming out party in 2020, but it was supposed to be Josh Ross in that position a year ago. However, Ross was injured, and with McGrone stepping up and notching 65 tackles in just his first year as a starter, now that the two will be on the field at the same time, the sky appears to be the limit for this group.

Ross’ excitement, when speaking to the media last week via Zoom, was palpable. He emphatically stated: ‘My feeling is we’re gonna be the best linebacker group in the country. And (McGrone) feels exactly the same way.’

Turns out, that’s a correct assessment, at least when it comes to McGrone’s view of the situation.

“I totally agree with that statement,” McGrone said. “I feel like we have the best combination of speed and physicality. Our linebacking group is so smart – even our young guys, they’re catching along really fast. Really little mental errors throughout all the practices. Just a combination of all those things, I think that’s what’s making us the best in the country.”

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So that’s something of a double-down, just from two different players. And when McGrone turns on film, it’s easy to understand why he has such a sentiment.

Ross was supposed to be heir apparent to Devin Bush Jr. at MIKE, having cross-trained between the middle and the WILL position. However, when it didn’t work out that way due to his season-ending injury early last year, he already had WILL on lockdown, given that he platooned at the position along with Devin Gil in 2018.

So all the offseason hype from a year ago comparing Ross to Bush, well — now you have two Bush-type players playing next to each other in the linebacking corps. When McGrone looks back by watching previous practices, he sees two players of the same mold.

“It’s been amazing,” McGrone said. “It’s kind of like being out there with myself sometimes. Sometimes I throw on film, we look like the same. We’re moving the same, taking the same steps, same things. It’s really kinda crazy. Just like Mike (Barrett) – my freshman year, second semester, me and Josh are roommates, just talking about playing together, how fun that would be. And now we finally get that chance. I’m just scared for everybody else, honestly – I’m scared.”

The two aforementioned are known commodities, but they’re playing alongside someone who doesn’t have that cache just yet.

Now that Khaleke Hudson is with the Washington Football Team in the NFL, we’ll have a new face at VIPER for the first time in three years. Michael Barrett has been patiently waiting his turn since coming onto campus as a former high school quarterback from powerhouse Valdosta (GA) Lowndes. We’ve seen his prowess on special teams multiple times, but how will that translate to the hybrid safety/linebacker position?

McGrone has no doubts that Barrett will take up the mantle of the position and run away with it.

“He’s more than ready in my opinion,” McGrone said. “Me and Mike are boys – we’ve been talking about this year playing together, getting out there flying around. He’s definitely more than ready, physically and mentally. He’s been there. Last year, he was itching to get in, just waiting his turn. Now it’s finally his turn, so he’s itching to go out.”

We won’t know for certain just how good this linebacking corps might be until one month from now on Oct. 24, when Michigan travels to Minnesota for the renewed season opener.

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