Behind new head coach Jim Harbaugh, Jabrill Peppers might be the second-biggest name for Michigan football.
And according to Harbaugh, there's a chance Wolverines fans will get to hear the name even more this fall.
On Tuesday, Harbaugh told a group of reporters in Ann Arbor "there's a possibility" Peppers, the redshirt freshman phenom at defensive back, could line up on offense this season.
"If you have the capability athletically of doing that and you have the desire to do that, then we'll explore it," Harbaugh said, according to Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com.
At first glance, Peppers playing offense for Michigan is a great idea.
He was the former No. 1 athlete and No. 3 overall player in the class of 2014 thanks to his work at defensive back, running back, receiver, return man and even quarterback for Paramus Catholic in New Jersey.
Although he's cemented himself as a top safety for Harbaugh, some of Peppers' best highlight tape comes from what he was able to do with the ball in his hands.
That explosive athleticism has Harbaugh talking Peppers up as a potential three-way player.
"It's rare that someone does offense, defense and special teams," Harbaugh said. "It's exciting when someone's capable of doing that, it means they have some real gifts athletically and they're really smart and sharp enough to understand three different systems."
According to Baumgardner, Peppers was a candidate for offensive work under former head coach Brady Hoke last season, but season-ending injuries cost him his true freshman campaign.
And those injuries are the main reasons for concern among Michigan fans.
After medically redshirting last season, Peppers' health will always be a worry for anyone involved with Michigan football.
He has the potential to be a program-changing player if he stays healthy. So is the extra workload of playing on offense worth the risk?
Absolutely.
Michigan is coming off its worst offensive season since a disastrous 3-9 campaign in 2008. When compared to the defense, the offense looks like it could use more of Peppers' help.
Of the returning running backs and wide receivers in Ann Arbor this season, only one had more than 500 yards of offense—junior De'Veon Smith, who recorded 519 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 2014. That's a weak output, but it led the team.
Whether Michigan decides to run Peppers out of the backfield or split him out wide, the offense will have a weapon that has loads of big-play potential. He has the agility to make defenders miss and the speed to soar past everyone for touchdowns.
"I was told that they would most likely utilize Peppers in end-around type situations and as a potential receiver in the slot," Steve Lorenz of Wolverine247 wrote Tuesday. "He is capable of beating defenders deep and over the top. If he's on the field, they will look to get him the ball."
From the sound of Harbaugh's comments Tuesday, the biggest potential concern with Peppers playing on offense is not the overload on his body—but his brain.
"Jabrill's never struck me as someone who has ever (had) his head spin (on the field)," Harbaugh said. "He's not one of those type of youngsters. He has a very tight grip of his mind, he's very sharp and very focused. Nor have I seen him unconfident. He's very confident in his abilities."
After going through spring practice at full speed without any injury issues, Peppers' body looks to be ready to go for the fall. Playing the young star on offense is definitely a risk, but so is making him an every-down safety.
The reward of helping a Michigan attack with no established playmakers far outweighs any potential concerns for Peppers. He doesn't have to constantly be on offense in order to create big-time plays in the passing or running game this fall.
Judging by what Michigan's offense put out last season, just a few of those moments per game from Peppers would already be a tremendous improvement.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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