Tag: Sammy Faustin

Why Michigan hasn’t infused more young talent into secondary

Why we haven’t seen more of the young Michigan football defensive backs as Vincent Gray and Gemon Green have had their struggles.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. —  One of the common things often heard from a fan base when their team is struggling is that the program should insert whatever players that aren’t playing when others are having issues on the field.

That’s certainly been the case for Michigan fans with the secondary. As first-time starters at cornerback Vincent Gray and Gemon Green have had up-and-down performances in the first four games of the season, some fans want the experiment to be over, demanding to see new blood at the position. However, there are various reasons why that won’t likely be the case.

Often times — if not all of the time — the two starters are the best players available. Sometimes, others aren’t ready. In others, there are injuries that have either hindered their development or they’re currently not 100%, which inhibits their ability to see the field at present.

For Michigan, it’s riding with Gray and Green, but as questions about their viability continue to swirl, cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich explained on Wednesday where some of the other candidates — DJ Turner, Sammy Faustin and Andre Seldon — are at this point in the season.

“They’re developing – I think that’s a great way to put it,” Zordich said. “DJ was on the move and then he had an unfortunate – I wouldn’t say an injury, but something that was nagging him that kind of put him behind. Sammy – same thing with Sammy. Moved Sammy over, loved his body type, his speed, his athletic ability – he could definitely do it (but) he had a little setback.

“And Dre — I gotta give a lot of credit to (Andre) Seldon. He’s a smart, tough guy, man. He’s coming along really well.”

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According to PFF, thus far, Turner has seen 11 defensive snaps — all against Wisconsin this past week, Jalen Perry has played 31 (MSU, Wisconsin), and Faustin played 13 on special teams, whereas Seldon and Darrion Green-Warren have yet to see playing time at any position.

That hasn’t been the case as much at safety, where true freshman Makari Paige has played in each of the four games thus far, with 107 snaps now under his belt.

Multiple positional moves in Michigan secondary highlights versatility

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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