Nikhai Hill-Green – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Two unheralded Michigan football defenders standing out to senior leader

According to Michigan football senior captain Josh Ross, two unheralded Wolverines are making an impact during spring ball.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Every year in college football, for nearly every team, there will be those players who come seemingly out of nowhere, unknown to the average fan and unheralded, making a big impact once the season rolls around. Those reps and the reputation are built more in the offseason, as said up-and-comers establish to the coaching staff that they’re worthy of playing time.

For Michigan football, on the defensive side of the football in particular, there’s certainly an area of opportunity, with a number of players moving onto the NFL, and a lot of starting jobs not exactly safe, whether it be due to play in 2020 or the new coaching staff coming in and reevaluating the various roles on that side of the ball.

One player, assuredly, will be a starter in 2021, in middle linebacker Josh Ross, who was voted a team captain a year ago. When it comes to defensive players who have caught his eye this spring, two stand out in particular.

“A couple names come to my mind,” Ross said. “One: DJ Turner. He’s been playing really, really well and having a great spring ball. And the other is Nikhai Hill-Green. He’s gotten so much better. He’s in my position group and he’s been playing really, really well and doing a lot of good things. It’s been a pleasure to see him get better and grow and learn.

“Also, just as far as a lot of our young players: just getting better and learning. We are learning a new scheme and we are learning new things. But the privilege of being able to learn and grow and build off of certain mistakes and mishaps from last year has just been a blessing to see. I’m looking forward to next year.”

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So, what about those two has been so impressive in his eyes?

While both Turner and Hill-Green are his unheralded standouts through a month of spring practice, it appears that Hill-Green is leaving a lasting impression on the fifth-year linebacker.

“The way they’re playing and performing,” Ross said. “Specifically with Nikhai, the way he approaches every single day. He’s such a hard worker and he’s so willing to learn and wants to learn and wants to get better and wants to improve and wants to get an edge. And that’s been a pleasure to be around guys like that and see that in such a young guy every single day. Definitely, with him, he’s gonna be a good player.”

Don’t just take it from Ross, though.

Michigan sophomore running back Blake Corum came to Ann Arbor in 2020 along with Hill-Green, as the two committed to the Wolverines out of Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy. When it was noted that Ross was singing Hill-Green’s praises, it came of no surprise to Corum, who notes that the second-year linebacker’s work ethic has always been unparalleled, even when the two suited up for the Chesapeake Bay high school powerhouse.

“Nikhai – he’s a worker and he’s always been a worker,” Corum said. “Every day that he comes into this facility, he puts in the extra work, whether it be in the classroom or on the field or in the weight room. He’s gotten bigger and his IQ for the game is really good. What I see Nikhai doing on the other side of the ball right now is really phenomenal. He’s definitely gonna, I feel like, be an impact player.”

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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.

Early playing time likely, Don Brown shares potential instant impact Michigan freshmen

With the likelihood that Michigan will have several play early, the Wolverines defensive coordinator breaks down the likely contributors.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One of the big questions every year before the season begins is who of the first-year players will of the instant impact variety? Given the oddness of 2020 — the postponed start, a nine-game Big Ten schedule, and COVID-19 still being out there — we might be seeing some younger players on the field sooner-than-not.

On the defensive side of the ball, Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown says that he anticipates playing some younger players earlier, because you never know who will be needed should a player or handful of players test positive, thus meaning a 21-day period where those affected must sit out.

“Yes, I think we will (play younger players earlier),” Brown said. “Obviously, keeping your fingers crossed with this COVID issue as well, you just don’t know what’s gonna happen on a week-to-week basis in terms of your roster. So you’ve gotta be prepared. The one thing that Coach Harbaugh has stressed to all of us coaches is, ‘Coach everybody! Make sure everybody gets coached!’ And that has all got taken to heart. And we are coaching the first-day freshman and the senior that’s never got on the field, because you just don’t know who’s gonna end up playing for you on Saturday afternoon. So that’s been an important battle cry.

“If you ask me what’s been the biggest difference having this extended period: we’ve been able to teach the defense to every human being that’s in the unit. If you don’t know the defense, it’s your fault, because they’ve all had opportunity to practice, they’ve all had opportunity to run with upper-level units, and we’re making sure everybody gets coached.”

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During his 40-plus minute media availability, Brown named several true freshmen who have stood out to him thus far. He mentioned William Mohan at VIPER, Jaylen Harrell at SAM linebacker, Nikhai Hill-Green at WILL linebacker and Eamonn Dennis at cornerback as potential contributors at one point or another.

But he also singled out an in-state early-enrollee who is all-but-ensured to see the field this season in some capacity.

“I’ll give you a name that I’m kind of excited about,” Brown said. “This Makari Paige is playing at a high level. And he’s a young man that we feel he can jump in there and help us at early stages, for sure. And you can never predict that until you’re out there on the practice field and guys are kinda going through the paces. He’s a safety all the way, tremendous length. I’m gonna be conservative and say he’s 6-foot-2 – I think he’s taller than that. He really plays well over the slot. But we have a number of guys playing pretty well over the slots, and the good thing is we have good, young receivers, so we’re getting challenged every day. It’s nice to be able to get a good look at our guys in terms of competitive situations.”

Beyond that, who else has been impressing Brown since arriving on campus?

He went deeper into some of the names that were already discussed as well as a few others who very well could see early playing time in 2020.

“It’s so hard when you start saying ‘this freshman’ and ‘that freshman’ and then you forget a guy,” Brown said. “I think the guys that have really stood out, starting with the linebacker position: Kalel Mullings – he’s 6-foot-2.5, he’s 241-pounds and he’s 17-years old playing the MIKE linebacker position. He can run now. Nikhai Hill-Green plays the WILL next door to him. They were both just in my office. They love football, they love being around it. I just see the sky’s the limit for those guys. Cornell Wheeler from West Bloom is another guy. Has lost some time but is back now. And obviously, we need to see more out of Cornell, but I think he’s got real ability as well. R.J. Moten at safety is gonna be a real good player. I’m not sure he’s in the right position exactly yet – we’re trying to figure that out. There’s really a lot of good players. Seldon is a good player – we’re playing him at nickel, but he missed a little bit of time as well.

“Those guys are good players, you know? Kris Jenkins is a defensive lineman from Good Counsel. His dad played in the NFL for a very long time. He’s got tremendous upside as well. We’re happy with him. I’m whipping around in my head here – I know I’m gonna miss some significant guys on you.

“But we’re very happy with that freshman class overall. High character. Really good football players and guys that can really help us.”

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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.

Newer linebackers making an impression on Michigan football senior Josh Ross

One true freshman and one player who made a position switch have caught the Michigan football senior’s eye.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The middle of Michigan’s defense is nearly unrecognizable from a few years ago — or even last year.

While Cam McGrone returns at middle linebacker, he didn’t play in 2018. Similarly, Josh Ross, who started at the position at the outset of 2019, missed the majority of the year with an injury, thus redshirting after having split time at WILL with Devin Gil in 2018.

Now, Gil is gone — having transferred to USF — as is the three-year starter at VIPER in Khaleke Hudson. It’ll be up to Ross to get, not only back into form, but to take a step forward as a full-time starter, along with new VIPER Michael Barrett, who’s been waiting in the wings for some time.

We know who will be the first out of the gates, but what about some of the others who could come in? We anticipate that second-year LB Anthony Solomon could see the field early, as a player who burned his redshirt in 2019, mostly on special teams. Michigan also brought in some impressive recruits, like Kalel Mullings and Osman Savage. But when asked who’s been impressing him most of the players who have yet to see the field, Ross named Savage’s teammate at Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy as the one who’s caught his eye.

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Hill-Green enrolled early, but with COVID-19 canceling spring ball the week before it was set to begin, he’s yet to put on the pads. But there’s another new face who’s worn the pads and has been known for his penchant for hitting.

Albeit on the offensive side.

Ben VanSumeren, the former fullback out of Essexville (MI) Garber, has been known in Ann Arbor as something of a workout warrior, an absolute specimen when it comes to his off-the-field persona.

Likened often to teammate Ben Mason, as Michigan has shifted away (mostly) from fullback on offense, VanSumeren got some play at tailback before making a full-minded switch back to linebacker, where he used to also play at the high school-level.

Ross is enthusiastic about his prowess on that side of the field, noting how instinctive he is at getting to the ball, along with the strength that comes from essentially living in the weight room.

“He’s acclimated very well,” Ross said. “Ben Van is one of those guys – another guy – hardworking guy. Big weight room guy. That guy is so strong – you wouldn’t even understand how strong that dude is. The speed he brings, the intensity he brings, the hard work on the field – just running to the ball, always around the ball, just getting there, never stops. He’s gonna have our defense moving at a positive direction this year for sure. He’s a great player.”

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Don Brown confident about Michigan 2020 linebacker depth

Before spring ball was canceled, Don Brown broke down where the Wolverines stand at LB with Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast.

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Beyond the entire defense, Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown works specifically with the linebacker corps, a position group near to his heart, as what the LBs do makes his defense run.

Yes, the pass rush is arguably the most important aspect to Brown’s defense, as his packages are all about getting pressure, but without stellar linebacker play, his scheme wouldn’t work quite the same.

Michigan is retooling on that front, with starters Khaleke Hudson and Jordan Glasgow graduating. Devin Gil announced on Tuesday that he’s transferring for his fifth-year, so some new players will have to step up. However, given that Josh Ross is returning from injury, and Cam McGrone cemented himself in his stead last season at middle linebacker, it gives Brown’s unit some options.

Like, moving Ross back to WILL linebacker and keeping McGrone in the middle. But he’s excited about the prospects of the position group as a whole, as Brown told Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast this week.

“I do feel good,” Brown said. “Josh Ross is a worker. Even when he was down, whatever he could do mentally to work on his craft, he was doing. Obviously, if you get the rust on, it’s hard to get it back off after you’ve missed eight weeks. But he’s had a tremendous winter. He’s a tremendous leader for our guys. And, putting him next to Cam McGrone, I think that will be a strength of our program for sure.

“The nice thing is McGrone is kinda settled in at the MIKE position. Josh is one of those unique guys that can play MIKE or play WILL. He’s stout, strong, so he can play like an inside linebacker, he is mobile. Uses his strengths to his benefit in both run and pass. We feel really good about him.

“Nikhai Hill-Green is a young guy, but he’s here. So he’ll get coached every day. He’s a bright, bright guy. So he’ll benefit from those two guys (McGrone and Ross) as inside linebackers and utilizing them as role models.”

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With McGrone in particular, he’s come a long way since he arrived in Ann Arbor two years ago. But even more so, he’s gotten better and better since he started.

Brown notes how he’s improved as of late, and added another that should tantalize Michigan fans about his potential budding likeness to Devin Bush Jr.

“The biggest thing with Cam was the development of confidence in the utilization of his hands,” Brown said. “And you say, ‘Why is that important?’ Your ability to get off blocks and to strike people, strike the 300-pound offensive linemen is a big deal, it’s a big part of it. In high school, a lot of those guys are able to run through gaps or utilize their athleticism – which he does, to his benefit. But now he’s coupled that with playing with strength. He’s 233-pounds and ran a 4.4 40 the other day, so he’s an exciting guy.”

Beyond the known quantities, Michigan has to replace Khaleke Hudson at the VIPER position and Josh Uche at the SAM position with players who haven’t seen much game action in those roles.

Brown has a couple candidates in mind in those two spots, including a freshman early-enrollee who just got to campus in January.

“Michael Barrett and William Mohan – we call him ‘Apache’ – we feel really good about those two guys, along with Anthony Solomon – just gonna let them battle it out,” Brown said. “The nice thing with Michael, he can play SAM, he can play VIPER. He ran a 4.51 this winter. He’s in great shape. He’ll obviously get first dibs. But the nice thing is we have guys behind him that can give them jobs in different packages — that can help develop confidence as they’re going through the learning curve of the VIPER position.”

Signed: Nikhai Hill-Green

Everything you need to know about new Wolverines signee Nikhai Hill-Green.

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	Stars	Overall	Position	State
247Sports	4	305	#26 OLB	#10
Rivals	3	–	#23 ILB	#20
ESPN	4	–	#30 ILB	#11
247Sports Composite	3	380	#27 OLB	#16

Vitals

Hometown	Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy
Projected Position	Linebacker
Height	6-foot-1
Weight	230-pounds

Recruitment

Like his teammate and fellow linebacker Osman Savage at St. Frances Academy, there wasn’t much to hear about when it came to Hill-Green and his recruitment. However, he chose Michigan as his future school unexpectedly on May 23.

He had offers from schools such as Wisconsin and Nebraska among his 32 reported opportunities. Hill-Green visited Michigan for the Ohio State game this year.

Readiness Level

Seems like a likely redshirt player in year one, with an opportunity to be a year 2-3 contributor, though he could burn his redshirt on special teams.

Early Enrollee?

Yes

Notes (via MGoBlue.com)

Prep
• Attended St. Frances Academy (2020), coached by Biff Poggi and Hank Russell
• Helped lead St. Frances to an 11-1 season in 2019 and the No. 3 rank in HighSchoolFootballAmerica.com’s national rankings and the No. 5 ranking in the USA Today Super 25
• Part of a defense that shut out six opponents in 2019

Honors and Rankings
• A three-star prospect by 247Sports Composite rankings, the No. 380 player in the country, No. 27 outside linebacker and No. 16 player in Maryland
• Rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports, the No. 305 player nationally, No. 26 outside linebacker and Maryland’s 10th-best prospect
• ESPN four-star prospect ranked as the No. 30 player at his position and No. 11 player in Maryland
• Rivals.com three-star prospect listed No. 23 at his position and No. 20 in his home state
• PrepStar Magazine Top 350 All-American; rated as the 14th-best recruit in Maryland, the nation’s 29th overall outside linebacker prospect and the 344th-rated recruit in the country
• Finalist for the 2019 High School Butkus Award

Personal
• Nikhai Seiyere Hill-Green was born December 30, 2000

Film

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