Michigan Football: Wolverines secondary offers explosiveness too

Michigan football corner Ambry Thomas was talking about playing offense recently in an interview and he’s not the only defensive back looking at it.

The most common theme of the new offensive system put in place by Josh Gattis, the offensive coordinator for Michigan football has to do with speed in space.

The concept is simple. It’s about getting the football to your best athletes in space and allowing them to do what they do best: make plays.

Obviously, it sounds easy but things are sometimes a little more complicated than that. So far this spring, however, the speed in space transition seems to be going well for Michigan football. The quarterbacks seem to be adjusting well along with the pass catchers.

The shift to a more up-tempo and wide-open offensive system has also helped the defense too, which struggled mightily last November against Ohio State and in the Peach Bowl against Florida.

But when it comes to guys with speed, there may be no one on the roster faster than defensive backs Ambry Thomas and Daxton Hill. Of course, Hill won’t be part of the roster until the fall, yet Thomas is running with the No. 1’s on defense at corner.

“I am the fastest guy (on this team),” Thomas said to Wolverines Wire. “Not many guys faster than me in the NCAA. Just keeping it real.”

After being the fourth guy on the depth chart last year, Thomas, who notched an interception, is right there as the top corner this spring along with redshirt freshman Vincent Gray.

One of his best attributes is his speed, which he flashed in a kickoff return for a touchdown in the opening game last season against Notre Dame. That play and his pure speed could open the door for Thomas on offense. He got some chances last season but with Gattis in charge, more opportunities could be on the way.

“We say slick stuff to each other – you feel me!” Thomas said to Wolverines Wire on his interactions with Gattis. “We say slick stuff. Just to keep the thought in his head. But yeah, it does.”

Last season, Thomas got a few carries and caught a couple of passes, but things should be completely different on offense for Michigan football in 2019 and if injuries linger to Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones, more skill guys may be needed.

Along those same lines, another defensive back to watch is Hill, the Wolverines top overall recruit, who told MLive previously that Michigan coaches wanted him to play offense too.

While the prospect of Thomas and Hill using their speed to create big plays on offense is exciting, the best news for Michigan fans might be the explosive ability in a secondary that needs it.