Michigan Football: Wolverines see 2020 LB William Mohan as Viper

Michigan football is putting together a strong recruiting class in 2020 and with the addition of linebacker William Mohan, it could be even better.

The Viper has turned into one of the most important positions for Michigan football and its defense. Khaleke Hudson will hold down the role for the third straight year but after that, it’s anyone’s guess who will take over.

One name that could join the mix, however, is 2020 three-star linebacker William Mohan, who according to Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider ($), is someone the Wolverines view as a perfect fit for the Viper. He’s ranked 406th overall in his class and is the 28th-best athlete.

Michigan football adopted the Viper when Don Brown first came on as defensive coordinator and the first player to be used in that role was Jabrill Peppers, who was a Heisman finalist that year.

Following Peppers departure for the NFL as a first-round draft pick, Hudson took over the role and was an All-Big Ten standout as a sophomore before taking a step back last season production wise.

Hudson had 16.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks that the first season, showing the impact that can be made as a Viper. While he is expected by many, myself included to bounce back this season, another question is who will replace him next year?

Certainly, there are some intriguing candidates on the roster, most notably, Michael Barrett, a redshirt freshman and Anthony Solomon, a true freshman. Barrett came to Michigan football as an athlete and is now at linebacker after moving over to defense from running back.

Solomon is a guy that the Wolverines also believe could be an ideal Viper down the road. Yet, in a post projecting Mohan to commit to Michigan, Webb indicated that UM believes in Mohan, it has found another player to fit in the hybrid role.

"“They think he can come in there and play right away,” Erasmus Hall coach Danny Landberg told The Michigan Insider. “They haven’t seen many guys on film in the country that fit that position as well he does. He just fits it like a glove, they think. He is a relentless, Tasmanian devil type where he is just going to keep coming after you. That’s his game. His game is he is going to chase you like one of those National Geographic wolves chasing a rabbit and not giving up.”"

Webb is not alone in his predictions. Three other recruiting experts from 247 sports have also projected that Mohan will be a Michigan commit, giving the Wolverines all four of his crystal balls.

However, Ohio State is also showing interest in the linebacker from Brooklyn. Mohan has visited Ohio State three times and another thing that could favor the Buckeyes is the fact that three players from Erasmus Hall, Mohan’s school, currently play for the Scarlet and Gray.

At the same time though, with Hudson moving on, the talk about playing early might not be as far fetched as it seems. Obviously, immediate playing time on one of the best defensive teams in the country isn’t guaranteed but the opportunity has to sound exciting and should make for a good recruiting pitch.

Yet, Michigan seems genuinely excited about Mohan’s prospects for the future. His primary recruiter is Anthony Campanile, an expert in the East from his years at BC.

“They’re great coaches,” Mohan said to Webb. “Like, they’re really amazing. They know what they’re doing. I put my trust and everything into them.”

While Ohio State can’t be ruled out, it feels like Michigan football has a good chance to add its fourth linebacker commitment from 2020 in Mohan, a 6-foot-1,196-pound prospect.

Mohan will be visiting Michigan next month on June 21st and at that point, we should have an even stronger indication of where his recruitment is headed.