Jim Harbaugh identifies top offensive tackle in camp, more
The Big Ten took its roadshow to Ann Arbor this week and came away impressed by the Wolverines on both sides of the ball. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said senior running back Blake Corum looks bigger and faster than he did after his knee injury suffered last year, while the Big Ten Network analysts said receiver Roman Wilson was one of the most impressive receivers to date.
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Harbaugh, though, spent much of his time talking about the line play. Guards Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter impressed, as always, while one offensive tackle has separated from the pack in his quest to win a starting job.
“We return four really good players in Keegan, Zinter — those two are tremendous — and Trente Jones and Karsen Barnhart,” Harbaugh said. “Barnhart’s probably having the best camp of any of the tackles, and then three really great transfers — Drake Nugent, Myles Hinton, and LaDarius Henderson. Those three guys add … now you’re looking at seven starters.
“Then, guys like Greg Crippen, Jeff Persi would have been at starter level. Reece Atteberry. Gio El-Hadi. It goes on and on. There is a tremendous amount of talent on the offensive line.”
But they had their hands full on Monday with the defensive line Monday, just like they did in Saturday’s scrimmage per our spotters. In short yardage situations and goal line drills Saturday, the defensive line got the better of it. Harbaugh wasn’t alone in seeing it.
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“You saw it today, right?” Harbaugh asked the analysts. “You were there for the short yardage goal line scrimmage. You saw it … a defensive line that there was a run wall there, and they were going against the guys we just talked about as offensive linemen, potential All-Americans. Kris Jenkins, Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, and that right there … who was winning those battles? To me, it looked like the defensive line most of the time got the better of it.”
Harbaugh also liked what he saw from some other defenders.
“Our edge guys were [also] really good today. Derrick Moore, Braiden McGregor, and you keep going on,” Harbaugh continued. “You’ve got a great group of edge players, and our linebackers … Junior Colson. The run wall from my eye, it looked like the defense won today’s battle. You don’t want one side dominating, but I think they got the better of it. Jaylen Harrell, I thought he had a heck of a good day today. You like to see that competition. The waters are hot when our two lines go against each other.”
Complementing them — Michigan sophomore tight end Colston Loveland, who earned former Michigan tight end Jake Butt’s respect and admiration. Now a Big Ten analyst, Butt raved about Loveland and his “magnet hands,” and Harbaugh agreed.
“He’s had a great camp,” Harbaugh said. “He has had these contested catches all camp long that have been really impressive.”
Michigan opens the season Sept. 3 with a home game against ECU.
