It’s taken roughly five weeks of spring practice for first-year Michigan secondary coach Michael Zordich to evaluate the makeup of his defensive backs.
So far, he likes what he sees, but there is also plenty of room—and he means plenty of room—for improvement before the spring game on April 4.
However, that doesn’t mean a few things haven’t fallen into place.
“I just said, ‘you know what’—basically as a defensive staff, we said ‘you know what, let’s a start anew,’” Zordich said Thursday. “This depth chart [from 2014] means absolutely nothing. Throw you guys out there, and how you play and how you practice, that’s where you’re going to be.
“That happened earlier in spring ball and, you know, the roster moved a little bit, the depth chart moved. And it’s now kind of settled.”
For now, Zordich identifies Jourdan Lewis, Channing Stribling and Blake Countess as the Wolverines’ top cornerbacks. It’s nice to have three readily available, starter-quality players with which to work, he said, but he’d like to have at least two or three more.
“The more, the merrier…” said Zordich.
This Saturday's spring game will provide more insight as to who will do what for the Wolverines this fall, particularly among the defensive backs. Once again, the secondary has the potential to be a strength of the defense. That's the focus, says Zordich, not the fact that it didn't live up to expectations this past season.
Finding a Base for the Big Three
With Lewis, Stribling and Countess leading the way, Zordich now finds himself on the hunt for depth. But he has a solid base on which to build.
In 2014, Lewis led the Wolverines with two interceptions—meaning that he accounted for both of his position group’s picks. The 5’10”, 176-pound junior doesn’t exactly overwhelm the opposition, but he certainly has the makings of a lockdown defender.
He’s a keeper. Along with Countess, Lewis is Michigan’s best press-coverage corner.
Countess had his moments this past season, both good and bad. One way or another, he has to find a happy medium between the low of Rutgers and the high against…well, the OK to good against everyone else.
Countess, who was on preseason watch lists this past fall, had a rougher go than anticipated in 2014—meaning the 5’10”, 185-pound fifth-year senior must either perform this spring or risk being leapfrogged by an underclassman.
That said, Stribling is among several others who could immediately contribute to Zordich’s group of corners. The 6’2,” 178-pound junior doesn’t have reels of footage, but he’s appeared in 23 games during his time at Michigan. Size-wise, he’s ideal, says Zordich, who is looking for athletes who possess a mixture of Stribling, Lewis and Countess.
“I think we’ve definitely need to develop some more guys,” he said. “We’ve got three for sure: Jourdan, Channing and Blake. We can count on them now, but they still got a long way to go. But we’ve got to bring a couple of the younger guys along.”
Primarily a safety, incoming freshman Tyree Kinnel could challenge for a corner spot. So could incoming freshman athlete Keith Washington. Like Stribling, Wayne Lyons, a 6’3”, 190-pound senior transfer from Stanford, has ideal size and could factor into the equation as well.
During a recent meeting, Zordich has told players about the new arrivals—and to be ready.
“They know their backs are up against the wall,” he said. “We’ve got to see how they handle it.”
He didn't specify, but Zordich said Terry Richardson, a redshirt sophomore, has been out with an injury. Richardson was expected to compete for a prominent role.
Winds of Change
Since taking the reins of Michigan football, head coach Jim Harbaugh has implemented considerable change at a head-spinning pace. He has manned every post with an array of specialists, experts and mentors—and the massive wave of Harbaugh influence comes at the right time.
“I think it’s good. I think it’s what the university needs. I think it’s what the kids need,” Zordich said. “You know, you might be tired of hearing me say ‘starting anew, clean slate’ and all that stuff, but that’s the approach we have to take.
“I mean, we are a new staff and we are expected to do things well, and he is certainly expected to do things well. And that’s what we’re here to do. So, we’re starting anew. I like his aggressiveness, and I think that’s why he got the staff he has—the kind of guys that he has. We’re all the same kind of guys.”
Harbaugh convinced former Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin to come to Ann Arbor. He snagged Michigan legend Tyrone Wheatley to coach the running backs. He kept Greg Mattison on board, moving him from DC to D-line.
Then there’s Tim Drevno, formerly of USC, as the offensive coordinator. Jedd Fisch, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is the passing game coordinator. John Baxter, formerly of USC, is in charge of special teams. Greg Jackson, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, joins as a secondary coach, where he’ll run alongside Zordich. They played together in the NFL and are quite familiar with one another.
But Harbaugh’s also made specialized, very Harbaugh-ish hires, such as senior offensive analyst T.J. Weist. Noted for his work with wideouts, Weist has more than 19 years of experience grooming will-be pros. From 1990-1993, he coached Wolverines receivers—there is a connection.
Kevin Tolbert directs strength and conditioning. He has a six-year working relationship with Harbaugh and coached under Lloyd Carr from 2001-2007 in a similar role.
Not listed on MGoBlue, former Paramus Catholic (New Jersey) coach Chris Partridge has been signed as a recruiting coordinator. He’s the “in” to the Paladins pipeline, which includes 5-star defensive tackle Rashan Gary, one of the gems of the 2016 class.
Also not officially listed but similar in importance is Jim Minick, a Marine colonel who directs football operations.
Specialized in every discipline—Harbaugh’s staff truly has experts at every station, including the next guy…
Not the Coach’s Son
The nepotism bit has run its course. If not already done, it’s time to forget that Jay Harbaugh is the son of Jim Harbaugh—it’s time to view him as tight ends and special teams assistant coach Jay Harbaugh.
At age 25, Harbaugh’s been around enough NFL personnel, collegiate coaches, agents, scouts and others involved with football to span a couple of lifetimes. Don’t let his age detract from his pedigree—he’s done film work for the Baltimore Ravens, who won Super Bowl XLVII, and he’s worked under Mike Riley at Oregon State.
Jim Harbaugh could have hired anyone to coach tight ends. He didn’t just fill a spot; he chose a guy who nitpicks the fine details and shares the same view of Michigan. Buy into Jay Harbaugh.
On the rise since Jim Harbaugh's introduction on Dec. 30, the value of the coaching staff continues to soar. On Thursday, Zordich contributed to the rise in stock value—he clearly has a firm grasp on the situation, so it’s probably best to let his process run its course.
He’s not promising anything to anyone, just a straightforward look at his personnel.
Also on Thursday, Jay Harbaugh said he was a coach, not a friend, not a buddy or confidant. Just a coach.
Buy into the no-frills commentary from both parties.
Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, press release or other media availability. Note: Players are referenced by fall 2015 eligibility.
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