INSIDE THE FORT (ITF): Intel On Michigan Offseason Football, Hoops & More
This edition of Inside The Fort features plenty of Michigan Wolverines football, basketball and recruiting intel.
We provide some insight — including from one star defender — on several of Michigan football's new assistant coaches, and discuss the impact some of the new faces are having on the recruiting trail. We also provide some intel on new Michigan defensive tackle Jordan Whittley, who is on campus after transferring from Oregon State this offseason.
On the basketball front, we give an update on freshman center Hunter Dickinson and incoming guard transfer DeVante' Jones — who will both attend the G League Elite Camp this weekend and have their names in the NBA Draft — discuss some top recruiting targets and more.
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As some have pointed out on the board, Jim Harbaugh’s young staff additions really made an impact this spring. Running backs coach Mike Hart, safeties coach Ron Bellamy, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald … it’s a no-nonsense group that really relates to the players and has their attention.
Sophomore safety Daxton Hill has gone out of his way to sing Bellamy’s praises — that’s important given how the safeties coaches have come and gone since he’s been here — and Bellamy has made it clear to them what the expectations are.
“One of things I told Coach Harbaugh is I think you struck gold with this staff, because everyone believes in him and everyone believes in Michigan,” he said. “We’re working our tails off diligently to make sure that last Saturday in November, that game is going to determine who is going to be in the conference championship game.”
That’s led to the now infamous “no red in the building” policy, something designed to plant a seed about Ohio State the way the Buckeyes have with their “no blue” edict in their facilities.
And for all the chuckles it’s garnered on social media, remember this — that’s something former head coach Brady Hoke (2011-14) did, as well, and while he only won once against the Bucks, his teams were right there in two of three others and could easily have won a couple more.
He made it clear how much that game mattered, and there’s no doubt it made a difference.
It’s also personal to Bellamy and Hart, the latter of which went 0-4 against the Buckeyes. Hart wants to be in Ann Arbor for the long haul, and he understands the importance of beating the rival.
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