Most of the starting spots are beginning to take shape on the defensive side of the football for the Michigan Wolverines, but one position that remains a bit unclear is the safety job opposite senior Josh Metellus.
Tyree Kinnel’s graduation has left some uncertainty there, and will likely force the Maize and Blue to start someone who doesn’t have a plethora of experience.
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Metellus was asked to provide an update on the competition last night.
“Nobody’s spot is locked and loaded, because everyone is competing and every safety on this team has a chance to win the job,” he explained.
“The competition is heavy right now and we don’t have a depth chart yet, so everyone is just trying to be the best they can be.
“[Junior] Brad Hawkins, [junior] J’Marick Woods, [redshirt sophomore] Hunter Reynolds, [freshman] Daxton Hill and [redshirt freshman] Sammy Faustin are the main guys competing for the other spot.
“Players are starting to step up and you can see the maturity in those guys.”
Defensive coordinator Don Brown revealed during the week that Hawkins is currently the top man there, which isn’t surprising when considering he has the most experience of the bunch.
“Brad was originally in my class out of high school as a receiver,” Metellus recalled. “When he first got here, he was new to defense and actually played viper at first.
“He got better and better every day and wound up moving to safety, and excelled there quickly. It felt like a natural switch for him, because playing receiver has helped him read routes and cover guys.”
Despite the departures of Kinnel and cornerbacks David Long and Brandon Watson from last year’s squad, Metellus revealed that this season's secondary is not only tightly connected, but that he has also taken on a leadership role for both the unit and the whole team.
“[Senior cornerback] Lavert [Hill], Woods, Brad and myself have all been here for a long time and have a lot of experience,” he explained.
“We’ve all seen the defense at its best. I view myself as a leader on the team, because a lot of people look up to me. I have a lot of insight on the game and I’ve worked so hard, so I step up to the challenge of people looking up to me.
“I will do whatever I have to do to make sure the team is at its best — guys have a different role on the team every year, and I’m just getting into mine this season.
“The offensive and defensive players worked out together this offseason, so I’ve been trying to be a leader for all of them and not just to the defense.
“I’m taking things slow now, and realizing these are my last practices, last first game, etc.”
A U-M secondary that was dominant throughout all of 2018 was shredded for 396 passing yards in the regular-season finale at Ohio State, undoubtedly giving the returning players in the unit an extra boost of motivation heading into 2019.
“We’ve been using the saying ‘Day by Day’ and ‘Brick by Brick’ this offseason, and you have to fuel the fire somehow,” Metellus said when asked about how last year concluded.
“We were close to being a historic defense last season and now we just have to take that extra step.”
Notes
• Michigan's wide receivers are expected to be one of the best units in the country in 2019, and Metellus was asked how U-M's fairly inexperienced secondary has been holding up against them in practice.
“This is the best group of receivers we’ve had here," the senior said. "Every wideout is good at something, and they always keep us on our toes. The way we compete on the field is making us better every day, and the growth has been obvious.
"[Freshman] Mikey [Sainristil] came here in January but it feels like he’s been here for two years already — he’s a great competitor and has gotten better every day.”
• Metellus was also asked which freshmen on the team have caught his eye so far in camp, and the senior safety singled out two of them.
“[Freshman safety] Quinten Johnson," he revealed. "He’s impressed me and is very fast. [Freshman wideout] Giles Jackson has also been impressive, because he has quick feet and gets in and out of his breaks fast.
"Once he learns all the plays and gets comfortable, he’s going to be a great player here.”
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