Michigan football: Analyzing the impact of Ambry Thomas illness

Michigan football’s head coach, Jim Harbaugh, gave the official injury report for Ambry Thomas and it doesn’t look good for the junior defensive back.

One of the leaders of Michigan’s secondary will be out for an undetermined amount of time due to a digestive disease known as colitis. The impacted player is Ambry Thomas who was set to fill a starting role as a corner for the 2019 Michigan football team.

Last night, Jim Harbaugh provided the injury update at Schembechler Hall and he did so with what seemed to be a positive attitude toward the diagnosis despite not knowing when Thomas will return.

“He’s not practicing right now,” Harbaugh said, “he’s not in the 110.”

The 110 meaning the number of players participating in fall camp.

“He was diagnosed with colitis. He’s lost quite a bit of weight. He’s gained that weight back. If there isn’t setbacks, then there will be milestones he’ll be able to achieve,” Harbaugh said. “With’s no timeline on that. Right now, he can be here, he can come to meetings. He can do conditioning with treatment. We’ll find out where he is from a conditioning standpoint and how much football he can do over the next week to ten days.”

In the end, Jim complimented the other corners for their phenomenal efforts.

“Vince Gray is doing a heckuva job,” Harbaugh said. “DJ Turner, Jaylen Kelly-Powell (are) doing really well. Gemon Green is trying to find out how good he is. He’s got a lot of potential, a lot of ability. Developing that belief in himself. Just keep working and not worrying. I truly believe he’s gonna be a fine football player, as well. Jalen Perry’s another guy that’s doing well at the corner position — freshman.”

You can watch last nights injury update here.

There really is a lot of potential on the team and a newcomer who might convert to corner considering the recent news. Freshman Daxton Hill – the crown jewel of the 2019 class – has impressed everyone that has seen him in action and it looks like the practice field is not the only field he will play on this year.

“Helluva athlete,” said safety Josh Metellus. “You can tell he’s super fast. Wants to compete. Competitor, just like everybody else on the team, he loves football. You can tell he just has a passion for the game.”

“He’s kind of a unique guy,” defensive coordinator Don Brown said. “I had a safety that I think he’s going to end up playing like. Guy by the name of James Ihedigbo, who played for me at U-Mass in 2006 and ended up playing 11 years in the NFL. I think he’s that kind of guy.”

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hill get some early snaps at cornerback in a couple of weeks against Middle Tennessee State.

Daxton played safety in high school at Booker T. Washington in Oklahoma. He committed to Michigan as the No. 1 football player from OK, No. 1 safety in the nation, and he ranked nationally at No. 14. Hill is so highly regarded that he holds an all-time ranked of 212.