One of the fun parts of fall camp for Michigan football is learning who is taking strides that perhaps the average fan doesn’t know much about.
There are always a few who come up, whether they’re freshmen, players who have languished behind others on the depth chart and have had to wait their turns, or they’ve simply turned a corner during the offseason once camp had begun.
For the Wolverines, there are several players who are not household names who very well could be starters or key contributors, and at key positions, this season.
On Thursday, right tackle Andrew Sprague shared a few he’s gone up against one-on-one in pass rush situations. And a third-year player who has been getting some hype this offseason is standing out the most to him.
“I’d say pass rush, Dom Nichols is, in my opinion, the best pass rusher,” Sprague said. “Not too many people talk about him, but he’s gonna be one of the best in the country, in my opinion. I haven’t got to go against John Henry too much yet. He’s been working on the other side a lot, but he seems like he’s a pretty good rusher. Benny Patterson, he’s a dog; he’s strong as hell. Who else? Lugard is doing great. Meadows and Boney, they’re gonna be really good, too.”
Nichols coming on strong is not a surprise for those who have paid close attention, but for those who tune in closer to the season opener, it’s a name that might not be terribly familiar. Patterson hasn’t gotten much mention before this, but as it’s his second year, he may just be turning the corner. Lugard Edokpayi and true freshmen Carter Meadows and Tariq Boney both have been spoken about regularly since Big Ten media days.
Perhaps concerning is that there has been little mention of edge rusher Nate Marshall outside of spring ball, but it could just be oversight.
Sprague shared more of who is surprising thus far in fall camp, noting some players on both sides of the ball who are making a strong impression on him.
“I think on offense, I’d say Channing Goodwin has been doing really good,” Sprague said. “He’s got back from injury, and he’s been — he ended practice the other day on a long touchdown.
“And on defense, there’s a lot of good people on defense. I’d say, I think Jonah — Jonah Lea’ea — I think that’s how you say it. He’s really good; he has a really good get-off, and all the D-tackles, I feel like they don’t get talked about too much, but they’re all doing really well.”
Goodwin was a notable mention, as he was a standout in fall camp last year. It didn’t translate to the games, but perhaps with a year under his belt and starting experience, the hype will last into the season itself this time. Lea’ea was a solid player from Utah who transferred over with the new staff. He’s expected to be in heavy rotation along the defensive line.
Senior cornerback Jyaire Hill had some of his own ideas of who’s standing out on both sides of the ball. He started out with some offensive players who are impressing him before sharing one of his own on defense.
“New guy, 13 (Travis Johnson), Good (Channing Goodwin), and (Salesi Moa),” Hill said. Of his fellow cornerback, Shamari Earls, he said: “He’s moving like a one, for sure. He’s moving like he’s supposed to be starting. I mean, he is gonna start, but since last year, freshman, so he’s really moving like a vet for real, for real.”
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football players making waves in fall camp
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire | USA TODAY Network
