5/3/2018 football Edit

Michigan Football Spring Review: Linebackers

Andrew Vailliencourt • Maize&BlueReview

Staff

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Michigan junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr. led the team in tackles last season.

If you've missed any of The Wolverine's spring coverage, get caught up on everything at our Spring Ball Headquarters.

Spring ball is over, which means it's time to take a look at how each position group stacks up entering the summer. Today we continue our series and move on to linebacker, where Michigan is loaded with depth.

The Players

• Junior Devin Bush Jr.: Back after leading the team in tackles a year ago, Bush Jr. is in line for another outstanding season. He should lead the team in tackles again and has been working on polishing his game, especially in pass coverage. Every single linebacker on the team could be a starter, so being the best of the bunch is quite the compliment.

• Junior Khaleke Hudson: Hudson isn't far behind Bush at all. He'll be back at viper this fall, where he ended the season on an absolute tear. He had 18.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks — and he could top those numbers this year. He's bulked up even more as well without losing speed.

• Junior Josh Uche: He's been working mostly at SAM, which is typically the fourth linebacker in Michigan's 3-4 defense. He won't be on the field all the time, but he's a ferocious pass rusher and is focused on becoming a three-down guy.

• Fifth-year senior Noah Furbush: The future aerospace engineer also plays SAM and will hold a similar role to last season. He'll rotate in and probably finish close to the 30 tackles he had in 2017. He can also play special teams.

• Sophomore Josh Ross: Among the linebackers, Ross has had the best spring. He has been competing hard for the inside linebacker spot that opens with the departure of Mike McCray and seems to be the leader for the starting job. He's a dynamic athlete and should make Michigan's linebackers the fastest in the Big Ten.

• Redshirt sophomore Devin Gil: Gil has been the No. 2 guy in the race for McCray's spot. He has the ability and will certainly rotate in during the season, but is a step behind Ross at the moment. Don't count him out.

• Redshirt junior Jordan Glasgow: After playing some safety last season, Glasgow is now full-time at viper. He's backing up Hudson and is a more than serviceable backup. He's also one of Michigan's best on special teams, do expect him to continue to see time there as well.

• Redshirt freshman Drew Singleton: Singleton will be a starter at Michigan at some point in his career, it just may have to wait until next year. He's had a great spring, and has asserted himself into the rotation at WILL with Gil and Ross and can also play behind Bush.

• Redshirt freshman Jordan Anthony: Like Singleton, Anthony has enjoyed a good spring. He'll see time on special teams at minimum and will likely be in the linebacker rotation as well behind Bush. There's a shot he plays a little fullback if needed as well.

Quotes On/From The Linebackers

• “This Devin Bush Jr., he’s a special guy now. That’s all I’m going to say. It’s a private story, but this guy stayed with his team and he could’ve easily checked out for three or four days and everybody would’ve understood, but he didn’t. I think we’re talking about a guy whose character is completely off the charts.” — Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown

• “[Junior] Khaleke Hudson was playing at a tremendous level a year ago, and I think he’s a much better cover guy right now, playing at a much faster rate. He should go kiss [strength coordinator] Ben Herbert on the lips, because he’s helped him tremendously." — Don Brown

• “[Sophomore] Josh Ross is going to be a dude. He’s a very good player. [Redshirt freshman] Drew Singleton … very good player. [Fifth-year senior] Noah Furbush, he’s so far up from a year ago, we’re just very excited about where he is.”— Don Brown

• “[Junior] Devin Gil is a dude now. If you said to me who has benefited the most from Ben Herbert, he has. He’s faster, bigger, he’s strong." — Don Brown

• “[Junior] Josh Uche, he’s a package guy, now becoming a linebacker. He played in high school with his hand on the ground, now all of a sudden he’s doing a much better job playing at a much higher level. We expect him to make a big impact on third down … now the question is can he make an impact on first and second down?” — Don Brown

• "[Sophomore] Josh Ross has asserted himself as an inside linebacker who can play both the MIKE and WILL spots. [Junior viper] Khaleke Hudson has been a stud, and [senior safety] Tyree Kinnel is asserting himself as a leader. [Junior] Josh Uche — there's a name for you — is a SAM linebacker who has the speed and pass rush ability to be an every-down player. He's made good strides. Our best defensive player is arguably [junior linebacker] Devin Bush — he's popped from a leadership and physical standpoint. He's fast, fast, fast at inside linebacker, and has already created separation." — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh

• "With Mike McCray moving on to the next level, that leaves one open starting linebacker position for a number of talented young players to compete for. At this stage, sophomore Josh Ross is playing the best of that group and is leading junior Josh Uche in the fight to earn the job. Linebacker may be the deepest position on the team, so expect to see several guys rotate into games, but the linebacker group is an area fans should feel good about." — ITF from April 13th

• “If you’re on the football team at Michigan and contribute, that’s as high as it gets. That’s as big time and significant a football team as there is. To do as well as he did academically at an institution that is terrific like Michigan, means that this is an outstanding person in all regards. He’s not just a good football player, not just a good student, he’s the whole package.” — National Football Foundation President and CEO Steve Hatchell on Noah Furbush, who won a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship

• "I made the comparison of somebody dropping a steak in a tank of piranha. When you see the quarterback drop back, it’s overwhelming. The speed is lightning quick, they’re physical and they’re smart." — Michigan linebackers coach Al Washington

• “[The game] has definitely slowed down for me. I got here and had never played linebacker, I had no idea what I was doing. Coach [Don] Brown took me under his wing and I know everything now, sometimes I see things before it’s even there. Coach Brown has been on me, really tough on me, but that’s just how he is and it’s paid off now.” —Josh Uche