Michigan, LaMar Morgan will need more from the corners against USC

Michigan will face an outstanding passing attack when USC comes to town Saturday, U-M secondary coach LaMar Morgan calling quarterback Miller Moss “one of the best in the country.” The Trojans boast outstanding skill position players, too, and will be a challenge for the U-M defensive backs. 

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Texas was the first test, and the Wolverines failed it badly. Sophomore cornerback Jyaire Hill struggled in coverage and has had his growing pains, but even junior Will Johnson gave up some plays against Fresno State and Arkansas State. Morgan’s group will be one of the keys Saturday either way, and it needs to step up starting at corner. 

Hill will be the one most under the microscope Saturday. 

“Always at a corner position, you’ve got to get experience, and he’s getting on the job training,” Morgan said. “He’s been trying to work hard or just trying to get better each and every day in practice. Having a guy like Will who has been a mentor — somebody who just kind of sets the standard for that room here for the last couple of years — being around him more and more just allows him to see how it’s done.

“You see the approach … on a good day or a bad day, how you’re feeling, just trying to be the same guy every day. But I think Jyaire has a lot of talent. There are things that he’s going to continue to get better on each and every week, and I’m excited to see his growth.”

He’s shown great instincts at times, but others he lets the concentration wane and misses an assignment or falls prey to a double move. The USC offense will make him pay if he does Saturday, meaning he could have a shorter leash. 

If that’s the case, expect to see more of Aamir Hall. The Albany transfer has continued to improve and is showing he is up to the task. 

“If I showed you his tips or reminders on Saturday morning that he gives me, he fills out every single thing on there,” Morgan praised. “He leaves no stone unturned. You come from a [smaller] program and you come here, at first, I think it’s just a lot going on. But then once you get settled in the season, I think it gets a lot easier for a guy like that.

“He’s at Michigan [now]. The academics, the football, the schedule … how we do things here? The challenges we have here … you’ve got to be an elite student-athlete here. All those sometimes weigh on transfers, and I think you start seeing them blossom once the season gets going and they get in the routine of football and how we do things.So, I’m excited about Aamir. I’m a big fan of that guy.”

If his trajectory is similar to Josh Wallace’s last year, the Wolverines could be in great shape … and he seems headed that way. We wouldn’t be surprised to see more of him Saturday and going forward.

But the secondary will go as Johnson goes, and we expect the Trojans to go at him Saturday and not shy away like Texas did. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will likely have a different game plan than he did against the Longhorns — he’ll have to — and that probably means more on Johnson’s plate. The junior hasn’t been thrilled with his play so far this year, and he has more to give. 

“I think Will is perfectionist,” Morgan said. “He has a good tone about himself and temperament, and where he’s at … the kid wants to be perfect, right? Every single play. You have to understand … sometimes they can catch the ball, and now as a fan, maybe as a coach, we might see it a little different, whether you knew what the coverage was or not. But all you see is did he catch it or did he not catch it? Sometimes … you’ve just got to keep on reminding him that. I think he knows that he just; he just a perfectionist. He wants zero target, he wants 10 targets, zero, catches three INTS every game.

“Now, can you get that? It’s really tough to do that, right? So, you think about the Texas game, he had no targets. The game before, he did have targets. I just think his mind is understanding different ways you can impact the game, whether it’s your effort, sideline communication, being a leader.”

He’s quiet at times, Morgan noted, but now’s his time to step up. There’s no better time than Saturday when the outstanding USC passing game comes to town. 

We’ll find out then just exactly what this group is made of.