Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh met the media this week to talk about the opener with Middle Tennessee State and more. We tackle his comments in News & Views format:
NEWS: Several Michigan defenders have improved to the point that Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Don Brown couldn’t pick just one as having made the biggest strides since last year.
HARBAUGH: “I was mentioning that to Don Brown yesterday, and we really couldn't pinpoint one guy. [Senior tackle] Carlo Kemp stood out to me in being in that category. [Junior end] Kwity Paye and [senior linebacker/defensive end hybrid] Josh Uche.
“Also, the linebackers, [junior] Josh Ross and [redshirt freshman] Cam McGrone. I see him coming on, really ascending, coming on like a freight train. There are multiple.”
VIEWS: Ross literally laughed at us when we suggested many expected the defense to take a step backward this year.
“One of the biggest things is we’ve been around each other three to four years. We know each other, we know how we play," he said. "There’s not going to be a drop-off. We've got great guys … Kwity Paye, [senior cornerback] Lavert Hill, myself.
“We've got guys on the defense where we’re going to come get it, no matter what.”
There won’t be a Devin Bush in the linebacker corps, but there doesn’t have to be. Brown’s defense at Boston College led the nation one year with much less talent because guys were in a similar situation, having spent so much time together they knew each other’s next moves.
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