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Michigan football’s identity for nearly a decade under former coach Jim Harbaugh was that of a physical team.
As it turns out, he hasn’t replaced his successor, Sherrone Moore, who coordinated the offense that embodied that mentality last season and has carried the mantra of “crushing” for years.
While the offensive line leads that charge, perhaps the only user on the roster who would transfer to at guard is tight end/fullback Max Bredeson. The senior spoke Monday and smiled as he described the spring practice mentality.
“Electricity is incredible,” he said Bredeson. La personality of the ruin is a genuine thing and I love doing it and (that’s) what this whole team revolves around.
It’s not that the Wolverines weren’t physical last season, but with so much intensity and fun across the board, the Wolverines have chosen to value fitness over contact.
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Michigan has its valuable quarterback J. J. McCarthy at all costs, and he put bubble wrap on Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards as they recovered from their injuries.
This year, UM is replacing at least 18 players who made it into the NFL mix and, in its quest to fill the gaps left by the team in the program’s history, has implemented a new educational period.
“Michigan is iron for polishing iron. We have the classic ‘Beat Ohio Drill,’ which is a staple of Michigan football,” Bredeson said. (Now we have) the “Quest to Atlanta” exercise, same thing. Just physical drills, one-on-one, you’re as opposed to the guys that might be the guys you play with during the season.
“He’s helping everybody get better, that’s why I’d say he’s more physical than ever. “
The “Beat Ohio” drill has a run-only practice component, where the team plays nine-on-seven and is only allowed to call running plays between tackles. Former offensive lineman Trevor Keegan said it was one of the peak physical parts of the practice and that players were “breaking through the smelly salts” before preparing for it.
The “Quest to Atlanta” training, next year’s national championship, builds on that.
“Basically, it’s 11-11 to beat Ohio,” Bredeson said. “Four tries, just offense opposed to defense. Downhill flavor games. Games won. “
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Though he hasn’t been around in years to see exactly what those drills look like, Northwestern’s Josh Priebe has been part of a Big Ten offensive line for four years and knows the physical game.
The guard spoke to the media for the first time since joining the Wolverines in January and noted some of the differences in the systems since leaving Evanston, Illinois, among the main ones he talked about physically.
“I think just the overall intensity,” Priebe said. Definitely with the workouts. They’re longer, more punches, more physical contact. It’s one of the things that I know will make me better as a player.
“The fact that I can already communicate it will make gaming a lot easier. “
Priebe said it comes from the nature of the show’s talents for starters. Priebe has perhaps the most difficult educational project in the United States; Working primarily as a left guard, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound player will have to line up against what is perhaps the most productive defensive combination in the country.
“First of all, going up against guys like Mason Graham and KG,” he laughed. “There’s no way that won’t make you better. “
For Priebe, the reputation of Michigan’s strength and conditioning program is one of the reasons he became interested in Ann Arbor. Moore said staff is open with Priebe about Harbaugh’s prestige and that Moore could be a very likely successor and keep much of the design in place.
UM can also point to a history of recent successful offensive line transfers, such as Virginia’s Olusegun Oluwatimi (now with the Seattle Seahawks) and NFL draft clients Drake Nugent and LaDarius Henderson.
“That’s definitely a factor,” he said. The boys had an additional fifth year in which. . . They looked to take their game to the next point and each and every guy pulled it off and they’ve been incredibly successful here. “
Priebe, a Northwestern team captain named to the third-team All-Big Ten last season, played 36 games with 29 starts along the inside offensive line in his four seasons at Evanston, is the favorite to anchor the left side of the line along with Myles. Hinton.
The two are already taking advantage of their chemistry and agreed to pass fishing later this spring, which is probably at least in part what the Edwardsburg local means when he said he felt right at home with his move.
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“One of the things you worry about in a move is how the guys will understand me or settle for me,” he said. “But everyone welcomed me with open arms. There was no tension or discomfort. I’ve only been here for about 3 months, but I feel like I’ve been here a year.
“A lot of people talk about the culture here, but until you know it, you don’t know how wonderful it is. “
It’s guys like Bredeson who have instilled that culture as team players and know that ability alone to win. The motivation began after 2020, a season in which the show hit rock bottom, exploded after a 2021 CFP semifinal loss to Georgia and reached a crescendo. after losing to TCU in the 2022 CFP semifinals as the favorite to land.
What’s the motivation now?
“Now it’s more about creating a people that you have to live up to,” he said. “The reports you’ve had, I’ll never have those wins and I’ll do my best to get back to the same point. All you need to do is “I feel that feeling again. I mean, you come here to win and that’s all you need to do. “
Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress. com. Follow him on @realtonygarcia.
This article made the impression in Detroit Free Press: Here’s Michigan football’s new exercise to establish a ‘smash’ mentality