Steve Clinkscale high on freshmen DBs: 'They're special'
Michigan made it a point to address defensive back talent in the 2023 recruiting class and it hasn't taken long for the group to make some noise within the room during the early stages of the season.
While their impact might not be immediate as the Wolverines have more experienced players on the depth chart needing to see the field, defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale is high on the likes of Cameron Calhoun, Jyaire Hill and DJ Waller among others and is hopeful for the long-term projection of the group.
"I think that whole freshmen class, including Cameron Calhoun, I think those guys have a lot of talent," Clinkscale said. "I think DJ Waller is very focused. I think his focus is kind of rubbing off on the other guys and now they're locked in a lot more and you see them in there when I give them a chance to play, they're trying to concentrate on their job, execute so that we can trust them. I told them, if we can trust you guys on the field, we're going to play you because the guys you just mentioned, all of them, they're special now."
Clinkscale doesn't have to remind his players in the room just how good the freshmen can be, as the rest of the room has seen the growth in a few short weeks.
With the competition always at the highest level, the older guys in the room have been tasked with a mentorship role in hopes the standard becomes even higher in Ann Arbor.
"My players know, hey, these four guys, they're just as talented if not more talented than you guys in this room," Clinkscale said. "When you guys leave, these guys might set the bar even higher. It's your legacy to teach them so they continue to make it grow. You guys, your legacy is to teach the young guys coming in to be humble and learn from these older players just like you're going to ask the next group in two or three years.
"We'll keep elevating as a secondary and as a defensive unit. That's my job to bridge that gap and make sure that there's no separation but those young guys can keep growing. They're very talented, they're smart young men, they work hard and they've bought into the culture. I like being around them. It's been really fun coaching them."
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