Michigan Football: Coach’s Corner — Five Forgotten Wolverines — Circa 2013
Posted at 5:00am — 7/31/2013
Michigan Football: Coach’s Corner — Five Forgotten Wolverines — Circa 2013
For the last few years, GBMWolverine has presented five forgotten, underutilized, buried on depth charts, or placed in arrears by injury, Wolverines that may rise from the ashes and contribute heavily in the new season. These players, by definition, have not yet reached expectations.
At this time in program history, the increased talent level is making the opportunity to rise up the elevator tougher.
The last few years have seen some on the preseason list rise and many started the rise and later fell to injury. Just two years ago Jeremy Gallon was on the list. Now, he has the chance to shine with magnitude.
October 1, 2011; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Marcus Jones (15) is tackled by Michigan Wolverines safety Josh Furman (14) on a kickoff return in the second quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsJosh Furman is first to be discussed. Josh came to Michigan with a reputation of possessing speed and athleticism. He continues to work at it and now appears healthy. Secondaries in big programs need 6-8 capable players to take the field, not four. There must be depth and having rotations and situational packages pushes the number closer to eight rather than six. Furman can certainly help Team 134 not only with strong special team play, but also with solid relief at safety.
Second is Chris Bryant, a talented lineman who has yet to hit a roll. He has been hurt and 2013 is important to Chris. The talent level is improving and the competition is getting stiff on the offensive line. So many people (speaking of knowledgeable football observers) really like Chris Bryant for many reasons. Program staff and followers would be very happy to se him succeed.
The third player is Delonte Hollowell. He has played but has not ascended to a starting backfield position. He should contribute on special teams and it would be nice to see Delonte crack into some type of meaningful rotational play. As with all of these players, the talent level keeps getting better and the chance to crack the lineup gains difficulty.
The fourth player is Jordan Paskorz. He is now a red-shirt junior and has been moved to tight end. With the youth at tight end any extra depth and experience is a big bonus for Team 134. Jordan is clearly a team player who will help in a collection of little ways. Sometimes guys like Jordan make one play that lasts long in the memory, say for example Frank Clark’s interception at the Sugar Bowl.
April 14, 2012; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke talks to defensive tackle Richard Ash (54) during the Michigan spring game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsThe last player is Richard Ash, who has had, like Bryant, plenty of adversity. Richard has hung in, dug deep, and is in a position to provide bulk and relief to the inside line defenders. Like Bryant, plenty of folks are routing for Richard to be healthy and continue his improvement. It has been a joy to see the Pahokee athletes succeed at Michigan. Vincent Smith and Richard Ash have certainly done well.
Think about this conclusion: it was much harder to find “forgotten Wolverines” on the roster this year. The conclusion is that is a good thing. Coaches never forget about players they see daily, but fans forget when week after week they rarely see players play after play. Forgotten, again, in this case is defined as guys who were expected to play more but as yet have not, for many reasons.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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