Michigan Football: 5 things you need to know about Washington
By Alex Hinton
Washington has an elite secondary
The Huskies have sent several defensive backs to the NFL in recent years including Byron Murphy, Sidney Jones, Budda Baker, and Elijah Molden. Next in line for the Huskies are corners Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon. McDuffie is already projected as a first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
Against Montana, Washington secondary was again looking like it would be elite in 2021. The Huskies held Grizzles quarterback Cam Humphrey to 12 of 23 for 105 yards, just 4.6 yards per attempt.
The Huskies also record five pass breakups, including a pivotal one in the redzone leading to a field goal. Washington knows its secondary is the strength of its defense and tries to get as many defensive backs on the field with its 2-4-5 scheme. The Huskies keep opponents guessing by mixing up its coverages.
Washington having a top notch secondary is particularly significant in light of the news that leading receiver Ronnie Bell will be out for the season with a knee injury. Michigan football still has talent at wide receiver, but it is largely inexperienced.
The Wolverines will not be able to replace Bell’s leadership, but the only way the young receivers will gain experience is by playing.
A.J. Henning, Roman Wilson, Daylen Baldwin, and Mike Sainristil will be tasked with replacing Bell. Michigan’s wide receivers will face a tough test in its first game without Bell.