Michigan offensive coordinator Tim Drevno spoke with the Orange Bowl media Tuesday. Here are some highlights, his comments and our take:
News: The challenge for Michigan’s offensive line begins Dec. 31, when fifth-year seniors Erik Magnuson, Kyle Kalis and Ben Braden are no longer available, and younger players need to begin stepping up.
Drevno: “That started weeks ago. We understand three guys are graduating. Every day is a challenge. It’s not easy to play on the offensive line. It’s a formed habit.
“I love the challenge. I love to rebuild. I love to put a new line out there. I embrace it.
“Every day is an opportunity to get better. They understand it. You don’t have to say much to them. They understand that three guys are graduating. It’s time for them to step up — next man up.”
Views: Michigan is developing some players who will echo what freshman linebacker Devin Bush Jr. said regarding the departures from his position. They’ll take it as a personal affront that the offseason chatter for some will involve what’s going out the door, rather than what’s filling the gap.
Drevno grinned broadly when asked whom he’ll have to arm wrestle to keep rookie lineman Michael Onwenu, who has played both ways this year, on the offensive side of the football. That’s some mountainous raw material with a little experience — “He’s a big, earth-moving guy,” Drevno said — and he’s not the only one who has seen the field.
Plus, Drevno started three true freshmen one year at USC, not so long ago. He’ll put three pizzas on the table, invite in eight or 10 big eaters, and tell them not to share.
News: Redshirt junior fullback Khalid Hill is returning to the lineup in 2017, ready to maintain Michigan’s high level of success under Jim Harbaugh.
Drevno: “Khalid Hill has unbelievable initial quickness. You see him take that ball and on those dives, he’s got great initial quickness. He’s very athletic, very light on his feet.
“He’s got a natural ability to carry the ball. Those first two steps really help propel him into the end zone.”
Views: Fullbacks can be fun, in Harbaugh’s world. Hill scored a touchdown for every 3.9 yards gained this season, Michigan’s point-blank weapon with 10 plane-breakers.
People forget he also caught 14 passes for 105 yards and another pair of touchdowns. Harbaugh will always be developing battering rams to front his tailbacks, but having one with Hill’s skills and experience is another building block beyond Friday night.
News: Kalis entertained the Orange Bowl media on Tuesday regarding his pro wrestling aspirations, and Drevno played along.
Drevno: “I’d like to go to his first event, if that’s possible. Maybe I can be the ring manager. I can escort him out.”
Asked about a possible character, Drevno didn’t hesitate: “The Tasmanian Devil.”
Views: Drevno himself will work his way beyond Michigan at some point, and it won’t be as Kalis’ corner man. Banter like that just scratches the surface on the relationships he develops with his players, who have consistently credited him with some major moves forward among the veterans.
When Kalis was finishing up his session with the media, Drevno crept up close behind the phalanx of cameras and digital recorders, peering in as if he was just another ink-stained wretch. Kalis spotted him and burst out laughing — a lighter moment on the business trip.
Drevno will get his shot as a head coach at some point. Michigan linemen will tell you, the longer he sticks around Ann Arbor, the better U-M lines will become.
News: Freshman running back Kareem Walker, who is redshirting this fall, garnered several mentions among those looking good in bowl practices.
Drevno: “Kareem is really hitting the hole well, using his vision. He’s getting north and south, making some nice cuts out there. He’s getting a good feel. It’s exciting to see Kareem do that.
“I always knew Kareem had it in there. It’s just a process. Everybody has different processes when they come to college. Things move fast. It just takes time to settle in.
“He’s going to produce at a high level here at Michigan — he’s got the chance to do that. He’s gotten bigger — our strength program has done well with him. It’s exciting to see what his future holds.”
Views: That he has a shot at a Michigan future is already a win. Harbaugh took him out of play early, noting that the frosh had to focus on academics and doing all of what it takes to be a Michigan football player.
Walker responded to that and appears ready to join a fight for carries next year that could go four backs deep once again, or more. He’s always carried the physical tools. If the maturity catches up — and Harbaugh will demand it — this could be one of the Wolverines’ better turn-around tales.
News: Walker wasn’t the only rookie offensive player who caught Drevno’s eye in the weeks leading up to the Orange Bowl.
Drevno: “Michael Onwenu is coming along really well. Tight end wise, Sean McKeon has done some good things. The younger receivers keep getting better.
“Eddie McDoom — I know he’s been playing, but he’s a guy for the future where you’re like, 'Wow.' Kekoa Crawford … you see a lot of them throughout practice, where you say, ‘He’s getting better,’ and it’s exciting for the program. It’s neat.”
Views: This is as good a freshman class as Michigan has brought in for almost two decades. It might be the most confident (borderline cocky) as well.
The latter isn’t a bad thing, if properly played out. The freshmen don’t think they’ve arrived, but they aren’t about to wallow with others in a post-Orange Bowl morass of self-pity about the departed.
They think next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, are going to be something special. They’ve got a coach who believes the same way and works to that end – that makes for a strong combination.
News: Harbaugh just has a way, according to those close to him.
Drevno: “When you walk in every day, you want to be the best at your craft. We’re going to find the best way to coach these guys, to be successful, and he thinks outside the box. He’s non-traditional, he’s creative, and he’s very, very intelligent.
“As a coach, you’re like, 'Hey, how can we do it better?' He doesn’t micromanage, but you don’t want to let him down. We’ve all had supervisors or bosses that you don’t want to let this guy down, because he’s given you such a great opportunity.
“He creates a competitive culture of, if you want to be the best then we’d better be the best. You’re going to study other teams and what we want to do offensively, and you’re going to be a man of character.
“You’re going to leave the building, and your car is going to go from point A to point B. It’s not going to stop anywhere. And you’re going to go from point B back to point A.
“Those are the guys who you want coaching your program — guys who are going to be great leaders of men. He presents that. He does a great job of hiring guys and gets a good feel of those types of guys who help us build a great program.”
Views: The record says 20-5 in two years, with four of the losses by a touchdown or less. That’s after a 5-7 mark in Brady Hoke's final campaign, and six of seven years in the wilderness.
This team needs an Orange Bowl win for a feel-good cap on a near-miss season. But it knows where it’s headed.
