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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Donovan Jeter is accustomed to this. Not just preparing for a football season — though he’s on his fourth fall camp after having been in the program for five years. No, he’s used to hearing how great he’s doing every year.
And just as fans are tired of players not living up to the fall camp hype, so is Jeter for not living up to it.
On Friday, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh praised Jeter, as he and the rest of the coaching staff usually do, saying that he’s looking better than ever.
“There’s a lot of guys like Donovan Jeter — having his best, best months ever, best offseason, all through his best camp. His level of consistency has been outstanding.”
But Jeter isn’t buying it. Not that he isn’t performing well — it appears he is — but he doesn’t want to hear it.
“I’ve been alright. The compliments from coach are always nice but I’ve been getting compliments since 2019,” Jeter said. “The biggest part is now going week in, week out of the season. Because it’s always nice to get a compliment from the head coach — I don’t want to say it doesn’t mean nothing, that comes off wrong. I really just gotta go out on Saturdays in The Big House.”
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Some say that complacency is the enemy of greatness, and Jeter is determined to be great in 2021. This is his last opportunity, lest he uses the 2020 season free year, to make the impact he’s long been rumored to be on the verge of.
But why hasn’t he lived up to the hype? In a few words, he hasn’t been consistent enough.
“I personally think it’s my technique — I’ve been a little bit inconsistent,” Jeter said. “There’s plays where my technique’s been good, my technique’s good, I handle my business. And then there’s plays where my technique isn’t where it should be and I become a very average defensive lineman. Just — the biggest emphasis for me, and I think the whole D-line this year, this offseason is technique, consistently doing it. That’s what separates the elite from good linemen. Everybody can go in there and have one good play, have one bad play. Just keep consistent. I think if we’re all consistent, like myself, the entire D-line is consistent then I think we’ll be real good up front.”
We’ll see if Jeter’s actions speak louder than the words often spoken about him come Sept. 4, when Michigan hosts Western Michigan for the season opener at The Big House.
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