Michigan football: 4 key things to watch for against Iowa
By Jacob Shames
McGrone and Hill
Saturday’s contest may have been the beginning of a youth movement for the Wolverines’ defense. This has a good chance to continue against Iowa, which would heighten Michigan’s ceiling considerably.
The crown jewel of the Wolverines’ class of 2019, five-star safety Daxton Hill, has been buried on the depth chart for much of the year. However, the Oklahoma native showed last Saturday why he has the potential to shoot up quickly, with four tackles — including a big hit on special teams as a gunner — in his first extended game action of the season. Cornerback LaVert Hill noted that the game appears to be slowing down for Hill, which might portend big things for Michigan’s secondary.
Freshman linebacker Cam McGrone slotted in for the injured Josh Ross in the middle against Rutgers. While McGrone registered only one tackle, that severely understates his impact. McGrone built on a solid performance as a sub in Madison, flying all over the field and laying a big hit on quarterback Artur Sitkowski. There’s a reason Jim Harbaugh singled him out on Monday as one of the Wolverines’ players of the game.
The saw coming into the season was that Devin Bush was irreplaceable to Michigan’s defense, but against the Scarlet Knights, McGrone did something no one else has been able to do — evoke the 2019 first-rounder with his play.