Chicago — Among the first orders of business not long after Kyle Whittingham took the job as Michigan head coach was measuring the strength of the team he had just inherited.
That was done through bench press and squats testing. When Doug Elisaia, Michigan’s new director of football sports performance who came to Michigan with Whittingham from Utah, got the numbers, he was frank in the assessment with Whittingham.
“He says, ‘Coach, you’re not going to like this’,” Whittingham said Thursday during the final day of Big Ten Media Days.
Whittingham, during his breakout session with reporters, took questions about all aspects of the program and its personnel. He spoke about quarterback Bryce Underwood and the return of safety Rod Moore, the expectations for the team in Year 1 under his guidance and the running back duo of Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter. Of all the things he has encountered since first arriving after 21 seasons as Utah head coach, the strength issue among the team stood out as the “most glaring” and “eye-opening” problem to address.
“Because we had all these real tall, long, good-looking athletes, but the sheer strength just wasn’t there,” Whittingham said.
He was floored by the numbers, and Elisaia immediately went to work.
“They paled in comparison to the place we came from,” Whittingham said. “We were a strong football team back in Utah, and all the credit for that goes to Doug Elisaia. “The players bought into what Doug was selling. As soon as they start seeing the strength gains and their body weight go up and lean body mass, as soon as the players know that you can help them be a better player, as soon as they know that what you’re preaching is going to work, and if they follow it, then they’re going to be better, that was something that really started to self-perpetuate.”
Whittingham did not know specifically which player made the greatest strength gains, but everyone was pleased with the results of testing done last week.
“I’m going to tell you 97% of our players,” Whittingham said, “at least all hit personal bests when we tested.”
Backup QB heading into camp
When Michigan begins practice Wednesday, freshman Tommy Carr will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Underwood, the starter.
That’s not surprising, considering the outcome of spring practice and his performance in the game, but now Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi enters the chat. He has made 28 starts and thrown for 6,938 yards and 38 touchdowns with 29 interceptions.
“Tommy Carr is the No. 2 right now, without a doubt, going into fall camp,” Whittingham said. “Now, Fowler-Nicolosi is a guy that’s going to get some reps. We’ve got to find out what he’s all about. Chase Herbstreit did some good things in spring, but Tommy outplayed him in spring. That’s just how it went down.
“Then we got (freshman Brady) Smigiel (coming off a torn ACL last October), so we will see where his health is. He did take a few, like seven-on-seven reps and that type of thing in spring, but nothing having him move around and avoid a rush. So right now, if we lined up and played, Tommy Carr is the No. 2 quarterback.”
Wolverines have plenty to prove
Running back Jordan Marshall, in his third season with the Wolverines, said the team has plenty to prove this season. The Wolverines went 9-3 last season and failed to make the playoff.
“(That is) not the standard at Michigan,” Marshall said Thursday. “It’s to win a national championship, beat all your rivals, and win the Big Ten, and we haven’t accomplished that. And I think we have the opportunity to do something great this year.
“A lot of people might say, ‘Oh, you guys are young. Oh, you guys are still figuring stuff out.’ We don’t have time at Michigan. You don’t have that with the fan base. You don’t have that with a coaching staff. It’s now or never, and that’s how you attack the season. It’s right now, and why not Michigan? Remember people saying that all the time to me — why not Michigan? And that’s what I truly believe, that we have a really good team, really good staff, so why can’t we do it?”
Meaningful November games
Whittingham was asked to clarify his podium comment about having this team playing meaningful games in November. Does that mean having to make the playoff?
“It’s Year 1. We’ve got some work to do in the depth department in a few positions,” he said. “I think in Year 2, we’ll be about where we need to be across the board. I don’t want to paint the picture that the cupboard was left bare because it wasn’t. A lot of good players in our program, but we’re just gonna have to see how everyone adapts to the new schemes, the new culture, and if we continue to get some good traction, and we’re playing for championships and in the hunt in November, then I think that goes hand in hand with being playoff team or potential playoff team.”
Intensity, not hatred in OSU approach
Whittingham is not of the opinion you have to hate your rival to be competitive. He has a good rapport with OSU coach Ryan Day and Whittingham remains close friends with former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who was head coach at Utah when Whittingham was on staff.
“I just think that a rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor of it,” Whittingham said. “I don’t think there’s any place for that, personally. I think Ryan Day is a good person, and to sit here and say, ‘I hate Ryan Day,’ I’d be making crap up because that’s not true.”
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan notes: Strength gains please staff after ‘glaring’ concerns
Reporting by Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
