UMGOBLUE.COM Michigan Wolverine Football & Basketball
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Incoming freshman Jabrill Peppers will make a major impact this season, but it might not be on defense. As Michigan fights to claw back into Big Ten title contention, Peppers’ talents my take him in the footsteps of the Wolverine he most hopes to emulate—Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson.
Quarterback Devin Gardner is Michigan’s best hope for a berth in the Big Ten championship game. It’s been ten years since the Wolverines won the Big Ten, and the pressure is mounting on Brady Hoke to lead his “Michigan Men” back to national prominence.
Last season’s disappointing 7-6 record forced Brady Hoke to make big offseason changes to get Michigan back on track. Gone is offensive coordinator Al Borges, replaced with great fanfare by Doug Nussmeier, formerly of Alabama. He also shuffled the responsibilities of his defensive coaches in hopes of solidifying a defense that surrendered late leads to Penn State and Iowa besides giving up over a hundred combined points to Indiana (63) and Ohio State (42).
The hype surrounding 5-star recruit Jabrill Peppers began building the moment he announced his Michigan commitment. Interest fueled by a steady stream of YouTube video highlights, his Twitter presence and personal blog Breezy’s World, via USA Today, has reached a fever pitch just as he prepares to join his new teammates in Ann Arbor.
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Now, Hoke finds himself at a crossroads, trying to rally the Wolverines after his own 7-6 third season and retooling his offense to better compete in the Big Ten.
He struck some gold in his first recruiting class but also missed—nine of the 20 commitments are no longer with the program.
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