Michigan Football: Who starts at corner alongside Vincent Gray?

Ambry Thomas is not surprisingly moving on from Michigan football to the pros leaving a gaping hole at the other starting cornerback spot.

With the declaration of Ambry Thomas official, Vincent Gray takes the reigns as number one corner on the Michigan football roster.

The options to succeed Thomas are appealing on paper, but unfortunately they all lack one major ingredient in a pass happy conference. Inexperience in the Big Ten is a recipe for disaster unless developed properly to fit the scheme.

Thankfully Mike Zordich has produced a handful of sound talent at the position during his tenure. Now he must do it again, only this time without a real game-like experience for possibly a year.

The current group has been recruited well, so the cupboard is not empty by any means. It will come down to who puts in the work and time to earn the starting role vacated by Thomas.

Having a regular spring regimen would have helped someone solidify the gig.

On the other hand though Thomas would be gearing up for the season as Michigan football’s top man had nothing happened out of the ordinary in the world. However long practice lasts for over the coming future will certainly be intense to see who wins the battle to play.

Scrolling through the depth chart and the first name that pops up is DJ Turner. He’s a sophomore who’s only appeared in four outings on special teams. Turner was being lauded as a youngster to watch out for when he arrived on campus.

Being in the system for a year can definitely strengthen his percentage of getting more reps when the time draws near.

Juniors Sammy Faustin and Gemon Green have played very little on defense in respective blowout victories. It’s hard to imagine them garnering much more than backup status at this point. While Hunter Reynolds has been touted by earning various scout team awards that might get him a peek.

Jalen Perry is another highly regarded sophomore who redshirted in 2019. He was a coveted prospect who should command attention as a potential replacement.  He got mentioned by Don Brown Thursday.

Darion Green-Warren falls into this category too, even though he’s just a true freshman. Both may be forced to split action in winter/spring ball.

The most noticeable name that most Michigan fans may remember is that of Andre Seldon’s. He stood out in Under Armour All-American practices against taller wideouts. He stands at 5’8”, but plays much taller than his height.

Seldon is better suited at nickel just because of his stature, but expect Zordich to line him up on both the inside and outside after showing glimpses that he can fight with almost anybody. Regardless of whoever wins out, better be ready for war.