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Heading into last season, Michigan’s cornerbacks were arguably the biggest concern on the entire team — cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich even admitted as much in fall camp.
However, they quickly turned into one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Cornerback tandem Lavert Hill and David Long helped lead a U-M secondary that was statistically the nation’s best, only allowing 150.1 yards per game.
Now a junior, Long said he’s more comfortable than ever before.
“I know how to prepare and what to expect now,” he explained. “I know what it feels like to be out there and am just trying to be as coachable as possible. I’m focusing on a lot of small details to improve my game — learning the difference between a pass breakup and an interception, and recognizing and diagnosing plays quicker.
“All of the corners are self-motivated and want to be the best they can be. As far as competition among us, there’s some in terms of who makes the most plays. We all help each other out though.”
Long expanded a bit on one of the young corners — as well as a young receiver — who have both progressed nicely.
“[Sophomore cornerback] Ambry [Thomas] plays with a chip on his shoulder,” the junior said. “He’s big, fast, confident and is making a lot of plays for us.
“[Sophomore receiver] Donovan [Peoples-Jones] is a lot more comfortable out there as well, and it’s showing in the way he’s playing. He had some bumps in the road as a freshman, but he’s a lot more mature now.
“The energy is just up on both sides of the ball — it’s where it needs to be.”
Long admitted that last season’s 8-5 failure is a big part of why the energy and intensity level is so much higher this time around.
“It’s tough losing five games — or any game in general,” he admitted. “We’re trying to keep a standard here. Since I’ve been around, we’ve been a pretty good program, and we’re trying to keep that going.
“We carried over the way we lost that South Carolina game to winter conditioning, and we’ll carry it into next season — you can see it in the guys’ energy and attitude and the way they go about things.”
The California native confirmed there’s been an increased level of intensity among the quarterbacks as well.
Junior Shea Patterson transferred in from Ole Miss, and has unsurprisingly brought a bit more mobility to the spot.
“All the quarterbacks are playing very well, and as a result it’s helping us get better as cornerbacks,” he explained. “They can get outside the pocket, so we have to be ready for the scramble drill.”
Although Patterson is still new to most of his Wolverine teammates, Long revealed he actually played against him before. The two competed in the annual U.S. Army All-American game in 2015, and also at The Opening in Beaverton, Ore., that same year.
“He made a great throw on me at The Opening,” Long laughed. “He still makes a ton of good, smart throws, and makes it tough for defensive backs to get a hand on the ball. I appreciate it though, because it allows me to get better as a player.”
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