ITF EXTRA: The latest on Michigan safety Daxton Hill's status
It seems clear now that Michigan safety Daxton Hill didn’t make the trip to Florida. Asked today whether Hill made it south, quarterback Cade McNamara and center Andrew Vastardis both deferred.
“It’s not our job to comment on other players, so we’ll let Coach [Jim] Harbaugh answer that question,” McNamara said.
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“That’s a question for Coach Harbaugh — not for us,” Vastardis added.
Hill, of course, is one of the Wolverines’ best players, critical in coverage, the blitz game and overall. Michigan freshman Rod Moore would likely see more time in his absence, but he doesn’t have Hill’s speed or coverage ability.
Hill would likely be key in trying to slow Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, as well. Bowers enters the game with a team-best 47 catches for 791 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he’ll be the best tight end Michigan will have faced this year.
Simply put, Hill would be missed. He’s the Wolverines’ most versatile player in the secondary. Michigan secondary coach Steve Clinkscale insisted he might even be able to play cornerback at the next level.
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“I think he’s definitely got the athleticism to do it,” the Michigan assistant said in September. “I think he wants to be used in every type of way. The way we recruit, we recruit a lot of corner-type bodies, guys who can work as a safety. All the man [coverage] we do and the mesh concepts we do is getting those guys so they can run a little bit better.
“The safeties we have here have done a really good job of adjusting, and they’re athletic, they’re fast … they’re big. I’m impressed with the guys as far as wanting to get better, to watch film.”
That starts with the Michigan sophomore safety.
“He’s very athletic — he’s long, and he’s smart, got great instincts,” Clinkscale said. “He’s a very instinctual guy, and he feels it. When you correct him, he’s like, ‘Yeah, I saw it,’ or, ‘I was working to it.’ He can anticipate what they’re going to do.
“I think playing a lot of man has helped him become a nickel corner in the slot. “He plays some zone and now we can see more of his instincts when we mix up the different coverages and ask him to do different things. I think his football IQ is high. He’s kind of a quiet guy, so you’re not sure if he knows it, [but] he knows it. He’s sharp with it. He goes out and executes, doesn’t ask for a lot of attention.”
But he’s got it now, whether he wants it or not.
For the latest we’ve picked up on the Michigan safety’s status, click here: What we’ve heard about Michigan safety Daxton Hill
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