8A — Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
What’s the role of the tight end in
Gattis’ “speed in space” offense
In 2017, Sherrone Moore
— then an assistant coach at
Central Michigan — helped
facilitate an offensive overhaul.
The
Chippewas’
hiring
of
Chris Ostrowsky as offensive
coordinator
prompted
a
schematic
shift,
from
a
traditional pro-style offense to
a spread.
Moore, who coached the tight
ends as part of his duties, had to
make the requisite adjustments.
Sound familiar?
Two years later, the hiring
of Josh Gattis as Michigan’s
offensive coordinator has put
Moore in a similar position.
Talk of Gattis’ “speed in space”
mantra has enveloped much of
the spring oxygen, implicitly
and explicitly promising more.
Faster tempo. More big plays.
More opportunities for skill guys.
Production against the best.
Maybe, oh maybe, some big wins.
So,
how
does
the
tight
end — a hallmark position in
Michigan’s pro-style offenses
under Harbaugh — fit into that
equation? That’s the question
Gattis and Moore are tasked
with answering, ahead of a
summer filled with intrigue and
uncertainty aplenty regarding
the offense as a whole. Moore
believes his experience making
a similar transition at Central
Michigan in 2017 can help
instruct his parallel task in 2019.
“When I was at Central we
went from a pro offense to a
true spread offense,” Moore
said. “So I’ve been through
the adjustments and making
the kinks of having to coach
this position and having to go
from, you’re always doing one
thing to switching up and doing
different things.”
That
year,
the Chippewas
went
from
the
84th-best
offense in the
country to the
64th. They won
eight games for
the first time
in eight years.
And, pertinent
to Moore, their
tight end Tyler
Conklin posted 504 yards and
five
touchdowns,
parlaying
that season into a fifth-round
NFL Draft selection. (An aside:
Central Michigan’s quarterback
that season? Shane Morris).
That past experience is only
part of the equation informing
Moore’s task of transitioning
the tight end group to Gattis’
“pro spread” offense. Moore
said Tuesday that he spent the
offseason studying Alabama’s
offense. Regular collaboration
with Gattis also has been
integral toward smoothing out
kinks thus far.
“He didn’t really come in and
say, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this,’
” Moore recalled. “He said ‘this
is not my offense, this is our
offense.’ ”
That ultimate product, as with
any scheme, will be beholden
to its personnel. Visions of
Alabama
All-American
tight
end Irv Smith Jr. shredding
defenses as a mismatch tight
end out wide are inevitably
restricted by the fact that junior
Nick Eubanks, for all his merits,
is not there yet. Perception that
junior Sean McKeon can slot
into the Conklin role ignores
the reality that
McKeon doesn’t
have
Conklin’s
versatility.
Still,
despite
losing
Zach
Gentry
to
the
draft,
the
Wolverines
have the depth
and
talent
to
meld the group
into a strength.
Eubanks,
who has just
10
career catches, has the athletic
potential to thrive in a more
spread
out
scheme.
Moore
singled out McKeon as an
improved
receiver,
noting
he “hasn’t dropped a pass in
practice.” Early-enrollee Eric
All has turned heads in the early
going, highlighting Saturday’s
open practice with a 30-yard
catch along the sideline after
beating the corner.
“It’s all about your personnel
and what you can do with the
guys you have,” Moore said. “So
it’s been really helpful that I
know the guys — from a physical
standpoint what they can do
on the field. And then from a
personal
standpoint,
getting
to know them a little more,
since I’ve been here a year, it’s
helped.”
Coaches and players have
already noted some growing
pains
within
the
scheme
change.
The
tight
ends,
Eubanks said, are no different.
“Knowing
all
the
assignments (has been the
biggest
adjustment),
as
in
lining up outside and inside
and knowing all the concepts
on offense,” Eubanks said. “It’s
been a big lesson for me to do
that, and I’m taking advantage
of that right now.”
In terms of specifics, his
answer implies the tight ends
will play a more versatile role.
Eubanks, for example, could
more frequently line up out
wide. Presumably, the spread
scheme will de-emphasize the
two-tight end sets that heavily
populated prior offenses.
Still,
until
real
game-
settings arive, it will all remain
speculation.
Through all the anticipation,
uncertainty
and
semblance
of
collaboration,
Eubanks
distilled the platonic ideal of
Michigan’s offense — and, by
proxy, the role of the tight end
— down to two short sentences
last week.
“Coaches
are
giving
an
opportunity for the playmakers
to make plays,” he said.
“That’s
what
(Gattis)
is
emphasizing on offense.”
MAX MARCOVITCH
Managing Sports Editor
Brazdeikis, Poole and Matthews
to hire agents, enter NBA Draft
Ignas
Brazdeikis
will
attempt
to
become
John
Beilein’s first ever one-and-
done.
The freshman forward told
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on
Tuesday afternoon that he
will hire an agent and enter
the NBA Draft. And he’ll be
followed by Jordan Poole and
Charles Matthews. All three
intend to sign with agents, per
a release from the program.
“Charles, Jordan and Iggy
have all decided to take the next
steps in pursuing their dreams
of playing in the NBA,” said
Michigan coach John Beilein,
per the release. “The new
process is a unique experience
and one that my staff and I will
assist in every way we can. We
want each of them to utilize
this opportunity to get more
feedback so they can make
the best decision possible for
themselves and their families.
All three are remarkable young
men with amazing futures in
front on them.”
After Michigan’s loss in the
Sweet Sixteen to Texas Tech,
Matthews was widely expected
to declare for the draft and stay
in it. Those inside the program
openly acknowledged that it
would be his last year in Ann
Arbor, and Matthews was even
honored on senior night despite
having a year of eligibility left.
“Many people have known
about
my
desire
to
play
professionally, and my family
and I are blessed to begin that
process again,” Matthews said,
per the release.
Brazdeikis and Poole, on the
other hand, were both expected
to at least test the waters. Based
on ESPN’s report, it seems that
Brazdeikis is gone for good.
“My intent is to be drafted
this year as high as I can be,”
Brazdeikis told ESPN.
The
freshman
was
Michigan’s
leading
scorer
and Big Ten Freshman of the
Year. Per ESPN, he will be
represented by YouFirst Sports.
As of publication, Brazdeikis
has not responded to a text
from The Daily.
The Wolverines have had
players good enough to leave
after one year during the
Beilein era, namely Trey Burke,
but none have. At least until
now.
After
Michigan
lost
to
Texas
Tech
in
the
Sweet
Sixteen, Brazdeikis and Poole
were mum about a potential
decision, but this will come as
no surprise.
It’s less clear whether Poole
will stay in the draft than the
other two. Thanks to new rules
changes, players can now hire
agents and still withdraw from
the draft if they so decide.
“Being able to play in the
NBA has always been my dream
since I was young,” Poole said
in the release. “I am confident
that with my faith in God
and hard work that I, and my
family, are prepared to look at
all options and make the right
decision for the next step of my
playing career.”
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
TIght ends coach Sherrone Moore went through a transition to a spread offense during his time at Central Michigan.
ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Charles Matthews, Ignas Brazdeikis and Jordan Poole, who all entered the draft, were Michigan’s top three scorers.
McKeon, others stepping up
After completing a drill in
practice earlier this spring, senior
linebacker Khaleke Hudson went
up to Sherrone Moore with one
thought to share.
“Man, (Sean McKeon)’s gotten
so much better,” Hudson told
Moore.
Just six months ago, the senior
tight end hit a low as he let a 25-yard
pass against Northwestern slip
through his hands, continuing his
early-season troubles and giving
the Wildcats — already up 10-0 —
possession at midfield. When the
Wolverines got the ball back, Nick
Eubanks lined up as their second
tight end, behind Zach Gentry.
Over the rest of the season,
McKeon
managed
just
eight
receptions for 60 yards, falling well
short of the expectations he set for
himself after a 31-reception, 301-
yard sophomore season in 2017.
Gentry, meanwhile, finished his
final season third on the team with
541 yards.
On Jan. 2, though, Gentry
declared for the NFL Draft,
opening the door for competition to
fill his void, though the tight ends’
role could decrease in Michigan’s
spread offense under new offensive
coordinator Josh Gattis. Whatever
the role, McKeon has taken full
advantage.
“Sean as a blocker’s been really
good as he’s always been,” Moore
said. “But his receiving ability
(has improved), catching the ball
in traffic, making the competitive
catches. … It’s a credit to him and
what he’s done this offseason. He
hasn’t had any drops, he’s gonna
catch the ball, he’s gonna make
the competitive catches. I’m really
proud of him as a receiver.”
McKeon’s impact has been felt
far beyond the tight ends room
this offseason. Tuesday afternoon,
redshirt senior left tackle Jon
Runyan Jr. was asked which of the
tight ends has been most impressive
in Gentry’s absence.
His response came without
hesitation:
“Definitely
Sean
McKeon.
“He’s
kinda
just
like
the
stalwart of the tight ends, just does
everything right.”
Amid the deepest receiving
group Jim Harbaugh has had at
Michigan, McKeon’s ability to
follow through on such praise
will be critical in Shea Patterson’s
ability to follow through on his
senior-year expectations.
“If you want to try to stop Sean,
then you’re gonna have to deal
with Donovan,” Moore said. “If
you stop Donovan, you’re gonna
have to deal with Nico. Then you’re
gonna have to deal with Nick, then
you’re gonna have to deal with
all the other guys that we’ve got.
So Sean’s really taken the part of
trying to be that security blanket
for (Patterson).”
The competition to replace
Gentry’s targets, though, goes past
McKeon and further into that
talented receiving group.
Eubanks, always a downfield
threat with a career average of
21.8 yards per reception, has seen
limited playing time over his first
three years thanks to limited
blocking skills. That has become a
focus for Moore this offseason.
“Eubanks is really coming into
his own as a blocker,” Runyan said.
“And that’s really something that
we need with him and Sean in our
tight end sets and that’s gonna be
really beneficial down the road.”
Redshirt freshman Mustapha
Muhammad, a four-star recruit
in 2017, has shown Moore flashes
akin to his high school film after
not being able to practice much
a year ago. Luke Schoonmaker, a
three-star in the same class, was
also mentioned by Moore when
asked about the Wolverines’ young
tight ends.
But no matter to whom that
question was posed, Erick All’s
name was the prevailing response.
All, a four-star early enrollee
from Fairfield, Ohio, possesses
many of the pass-catching skills
that Michigan lost in Gentry,
regularly
practicing
with
the
Wolverines’ wide receivers. When
freshman
quarterback
Cade
McNamara
wooed
Michigan
Stadium with a perfect deep ball at
Saturday’s open practice, it was All
on the receiving end.
And Tuesday afternoon, when
asked about the tight ends’ role
in a crowded receiving corps,
Moore tossed out a comparison to
freshman receiver Mike Sainstrill,
the star of spring ball.
“The
young
guys,
young
receivers, people talked about
Mikey (Sainstrill), people talked
about (sophomore) Ronnie Bell,”
Moore said. “But especially Mikey
and Erick (All), those guys have
really stepped up for being kids
fresh out of high school.”
Of course, all of this is just talk
shrouded in the reputation that
is Michigan’s signature offseason
optimism, and the extent to which
the public has seen Shea Patterson
without Gentry came in a handful of
7-on-7 drills on Saturday.
But with five months until
kickoff, it sure beats the alternative.
EVAN AARON/Daily
Junior tight end Sean McKeon will be counted on to help replace Zach Gentry.
THEO MACKIE
Daily Sports Writer
He said ‘This is
not my offense,
this is our
offense.’