Two Michigan football safeties to watch: 'They both have made really big jumps'
Michigan Wolverines football is a bit banged up in the secondary, particularly at safety. Junior Rod Moore and senior Makari Paige are both questionable for Saturday’s season-opener with East Carolina.
As a result, sophomores Keon Sabb and Zeke Berry will likely receive extended playing time, after redshirting last season. Graduate Quinten Johnson is also expected to potentially start and play a big role.
Berry was the talk of the spring, but Sabb really broke out during fall camp, with TheWolverine.com receiving word of his strong possibility to start the season-opener over the weekend, sparking his inclusion in our list of three redshirt freshmen who will surprise this season.
“Keon Sabb has gone straight to the top,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said on the ‘Inside Michigan Football’ radio show Monday. “Amazing player who has really come into his own. He did last year on special teams, but we didn’t play him enough. We didn’t play him enough, in my opinion, at safety. He’s gotten a ton of reps — starter-quality player, no question.”
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Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter also had praise for Sabb and Berry when appearing on the same radio show.
“A couple of the young safeties, Keon Sabb and Zeke Berry, are guys that are going to get some run,” Minter said. “I’m excited about their progress. Basically took a freshman year, played and got a little taste of it in some of the earlier games. Continued to learn, continued to get better in the spring. They both have made really big jumps, even since spring, which is exciting — kind of what you expect from younger players.”
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Sabb, a 6-1, 208-pounder has been lauded for his versatility on the back end, with the ability to guard slot receivers and tight ends just as well. Berry, meanwhile, is fast and physical, and he put that on display in April’s spring game, when he had an interception and a pass breakup. His lone tackle of last season came on a play on the perimeter in which he was shot out of a cannon and made the play behind the line of scrimmage.
The rise of Sabb and Berry is no surprise to one of Michigan’s assistant coaches who recruited them the hardest — wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy, who mentored the safeties when they were prospects and signed with the Maize and Blue. While both had quiet freshman seasons, Bellamy knew they’d be ready for the big time at some point soon.
“They’ve had great camps,” the Michigan assistant said. “Obviously, coming from that side of the ball and coaching the safeties and having recruited both of those guys, those guys are what you thought they were when you recruited them. Just tough football players, super smart. Recruiting great kids from great programs — both those kids came from great programs.
“Sometimes, it’s just a matter of, ‘When I get my opportunity, what am I doing to seize that moment?’ Those guys have had great camps.”
It seems that opportunity is coming sooner rather than later.
“Just excited to see what they are able to do now in front of 100,000 people,” Minter said.
