Michigan’s offensive line made great improvement Saturday, albeit against a lesser opponent. Line coach Ed Warinner said during his meeting with the media some of the young guys who played well against Western Michigan could see more action Saturday against SMU.
That includes tackles Jaylen Mayfield and James Hudson, who both played well in the fourth quarter of the win over the Broncos. The true freshman Mayfield spends about 25 percent of his time with the first string every practice, the coach disclosed, while Hudson, a redshirt freshman, receives even more time with the starters.
“Over the summer they’ve come a long way,” Warinner said. “I wasn’t sure with Jalen how the summer would affect him, going through summer bridge, but he’s really come on and works every day with the twos and gets some work with the ones every day. His progress is great.
“James Hudson played well in the game when he was in. He’s made a lot of progress, too. His transition from defensive line to offensive line has been good for him, and I like where he’s headed. I like the trajectory he’s on. I feel like we’re starting to develop some depth there that could roll into more and more playing time as they deserve it.”
But that improvement has to show in practice, too … that’s where it’s earned, Warinner added. Head coach Jim Harbaugh insinuated Monday Hudson still had some work to do in that area, and Warinner also said Wednesday he was pleased with the improvement the veterans had shown.
There’s no question, however, that the redshirt freshman Hudson is all-in about becoming a great offensive tackle, according to the longtime offensive line coach. That might not have been the case in the spring.
“His growth over the summer and then this fall has been tremendous,” Warinner said. “He’s fully invested now as an offensive lineman. In the spring he was putting a toe in the water to see what he thought. He gave us a good effort, showed some talent, but at times it was frustrating for him because it was just so new. To go against our defensive ends every day, it’s challenging. He’s way beyond that. He’s gained confidence in himself and his ability to do the job, knowing what to do when he’s out there.
“Jogging out there to play against Notre Dame in the opening game and you’ve never played a snap in a college game at tackle in that environment, that’s a bit overwhelming for anybody. He didn’t really play in that game, but the last game he did and when he did, he didn’t look like he was overwhelmed emotionally or mentally. He looked very comfortable, like he knew what he was supposed to do and did it well.”
Mayfield is also ahead of schedule physically and mentally for a true freshman, Warinner added. He wouldn't hesitate to put either of them in the game if he felt they were the best option, and they’re doing their part to improve and give him something to think about.
In short, the starting veterans, redshirt junior Jon Runyan Jr. at left tackle and fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty on the right, need to continue play well to keep their jobs.
“Your job is yours for the start of that game,” Warinner said. “If you aren’t playing well in that game and somebody else is close, we’ll make a move in the game. If after the game we realize you underperformed and somebody else is passing you up or even, we’ll move on. It’s not like that’s the starting five for the season. It’s based on performance in games and practice, who is the most consistent. Anything could happen moving forward.
“But the next guys in at a lot of positions are young. We’ll just bring them along at the right pace. If you put a young guy in there before he’s ready, you could ruin him, really set him back. If you bring him along at a pace he can handle, then you’ve got something for a long time.”
Expect Hudson to see more time Saturday against SMU given how he played in the WMU game.
“We need to give him a bigger sample size this week if we can and get him in there,” Warinner said. “The more he earns that right in practice … I base [playing time] on how you practice. Okay, you played good against Western, but if he practices poorly this week, he probably won't play. If he practices well this week, he will probably play more.
“His practice yesterday was good.”
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