Michigan Football: Josh Uche doesn’t need position to make an impact

Josh Uche may not fit just one position for the Michigan football team but no matter where he plays, expect him to make a big impact in 2019.

Last week, following the completion of Michigan football‘s spring practices, I put together a post-spring depth chart.

It’s pretty routine and something that is just nice to do after spring practice. It’s the most that we will see of the Wolverines before fall camp and the “spring game” is one of the longest looks we will get of this Michigan football team before the season opener against Middle Tennesee State Aug. 31.

Anyways, while I was putting it together, one of the most difficult things was to peg Josh Uche into a position. You find yourself asking, is he a linebacker? A defensive lineman? What?

It’s hard because Uche is probably the best edge rusher on the team and led Michigan football a year ago in sacks with seven. He can play defensive end but he has also played a lot of SAM linebacker and that could be where he plays the majority of his snaps in 2019.

Either way, when Michigan football is out on the field on defense, most of the time, Uche will be out there. In fact, he might prove to be Don Brown’s most dangerous weapon.

Uche had seven sacks and eight tackles for loss, as well as 13 tackles in nine games last season. In 2017, he played in just a few games but still managed one sack and one tackle for loss.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pounder is listed by Michigan as a linebacker and that may be where he plays most of his snaps in 2019, but you expect him to be used in the blitz and as an edge rusher quite often.

On early downs, when others teams use heavy sets, defensive ends like Aidan Hutchinson and Kwity Paye, who are heavier to stand up against the run, will probably see those snaps at defensive end. Mike Danna, the graduate transfer could see some work there too.

That means Uche, when he plays on those downs, will be playing linebacker on the edge. He is athletic enough to drop into coverage and blitz, so that should help Brown confuse the offense with some different looks while having a player out there that can blitz, cover and set the edge.

The reality is that Michigan football has a lot of talent both along the defensive line and at linebacker. Hutchinson, Paye, Danna, Carlo Kemp, Donovan Jeter, Michael Dwumfour and others will all battle for snaps at defensive end and defensive tackle. At linebacker, Uche is competing with others like Khaleke Hudson (viper), Josh Ross, Devin Gil, Jordan Anthony, Cameron McGrone and more at linebacker.

Jordan Glasgow, Michael Barrett and incoming freshman Anthony Solomon are three other linebackers that could see snaps at the viper spot behind Hudson. At times, Brown will likely use odd fronts with three down lineman and four linebackers.

Truly, he has the pieces to do whatever he wants, especially with guys like Lavert Hill, Josh Metellus, Daxton Hill and Ambry Thomas on the backend. Michigan has a bunch of skilled defensive backs and with the addition of Hill’s 4.3 speed, the tackling should be better, which should allow Brown to be even more aggressive.

And when Michigan is being aggressive, expect Uche to be front and center. He’s a talented player, capable of playing with his hand in the ground or standing up and when it gets to this time next year and we are talking about which Wolverines will get picked in the NFL draft, don’t be shocked if Uche’s name is one of the first mentioned.

He may not be locked into a position with the Wolverines but he’s still an impact player and that is what will get the attention of the NFL scouts next season.