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Just like how players get better — as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh often says — from game one to game two, you usually can anticipate a big rise from year one to year two.
While some come to college football and are quick contributors, making an early impact in their freshman campaigns, generally, given that they have a better idea of what to expect — as well as undergoing a full winter conditioning program — second-year players tend to make a big jump.
With a player on the roster such as Michigan receiver and kick returner Giles Jackson, that prospect of him being even more dangerous is tantalizing.
Particularly looking at special teams, where Jay Harbaugh takes over as the sole coordinator of the unit with Chris Partridge’s departure, he inherits (granted, he already worked on teams) a dynamic returner in Jackson, who had multiple breakout performances as 2019 wore on.
Speaking to Jon Jansen this week on the In the Trenches podcast, Harbaugh discussed Jackson’s impact and how he intends to utilize him in the return game.
“Yeah, super exciting,” Harbaugh said. “You watch Giles, and he has an electric nature with what he can do with the ball in his hands. And it’s the kind of thing that really excites you, but there’s also the responsibility as coaches and as the other ten guys on the field now, we got something special, we gotta let him do his thing. We’ve gotta put him in a position to shine. And guys like that can take over a game in college football. Really, your focus as a coaching staff has to be: how do we let him be at his best and not get in his way, you know?”
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Still, he’s cognizant that Jackson has God-given abilities, and doesn’t want to change much — if anything of what he’s doing.
The intent going into 2020 isn’t to particularly make him better in the traditional sense. It’s more of finding ways to let his talents shine through so that his instincts take over.
“Like I said: he is who he is,” Harbaugh said. “He’s worked hard and he’s got some God-given gifts and abilities. That’s part of that responsibility – is like, you put him in a position to succeed, but you also can’t force it. You can’t try to tell him, ‘Okay, this is how you’re going to make 10 guys miss and outrun everybody,’ you know? He’s got that natural ability, so for us, figuring out what he does best, what he’s most comfortable with, getting really good at, ‘Okay Giles, what do you like and where do you go from there?’”