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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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