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Thursday, August 8, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

Notebook: Josh Gattis talks offense at the start of fall camp

At Big Ten Media Days last month, 
Maryland coach Mike Locksley 
made headlines in characterizing 
the workload distribution between 
himself and Josh Gattis.
The 
two 
were 
co-offensive 
coordinators at Alabama last year, 
though 
Gattis’ 
responsibilities 
also included the receivers. When 
Locksley got the Maryland job, he 
originally intended to bring Gattis 
with him, per reports at the time, 
but then Jim Harbaugh got involved. 
Gattis instead went to Michigan, 
taking sole responsibility of the 
Wolverines’ offense.
“(Gattis) was very helpful as an 
assistant in our program,” Locksley 
said last month. “He had an 
opportunity to see me call every play 
and put together game plans.”
On Wednesday, speaking to media 
for the first time since Michigan 
opened fall camp last week, Gattis 
confirmed that he wasn’t calling 
plays for the Crimson Tide, as he 

will for the Wolverines. However, 
he took some exception to the latter 
part of Locksley’s comments.
“Mike Locksley can say I watched 
him call every play, but ask him 
where the game plans usually come 
from,” Gattis said. “So I’m fine with 
that. He did call every play, and I’ve 
got a notebook upstairs with all the 
game plans written down in them. 
But I’ve got tremendous respect for 
him, obviously.”
Sniping 
aside, 
Gattis 
faces 
the mammoth task of satiating 
expectation that has only grown 
since the spring. Michigan’s offense 
returns most of its starters, including 
senior quarterback Shea Patterson, 
and with Gattis running the show 
and implementing a spread, it’s 
expected to buoy the Wolverines.
It’s the first time during the Jim 
Harbaugh era that the comfort of 
the fan base rests on the offense. 
Gattis — as well as the experience 
that comes back — is the reason why.
“Shea is playing the lights out right 
now,” Gattis said. “I was a little bit 
worried about him because he spent 

so much time on the golf course this 
summer. But his playmaking, his 
ball placement, his footwork in the 
pocket, I’ve been really pleased. He’s 
playing at a really big-time level, 
so he sets the standard. The other 
players around him can really see it.”
That’s the kind of thing you expect 
to hear about a senior quarterback 
in fall camp — all positive. Given 
that Patterson is coming off the best 
season a Michigan quarterback has 
had this side of Denard Robinson, 
and is now playing in an offense 
tailored to his skill-set, there’s no 
reason to doubt Gattis.
• At running back, the biggest 
question mark going into the year 
for the Wolverines’ offense, Gattis 
said Michigan likes all five of their 
options: Tru Wilson, Christian 
Turner, Zach Charbonnet, Hassan 
Haskins and Ben VanSumeran. 
Realistically, the battle for the 
starting job is between the first 
three, 
with 
Charbonnet, 
the 
freshman, being perhaps the most 
intriguing option.
“Zach’s maturity stood out right 

away to us, as did the way he is 
always in the weight room and the 
coach’s offices,” Gattis said. “He 
missed all of spring ball but still 
hasn’t made any mistakes in fall 
camp.”
• 
Gattis 
highlighted 
Mike 
Sainristil’s 
production 
at 
wide 
receiver, little surprise after the 
freshman 
earned 
rave 
reviews 
throughout spring ball. He also made 
sure to mention Cornelius Johnson 
in the same breath. Johnson, a 
freshman from Connecticut, has the 
kind of physicality to compete in the 
Big Ten already. However, it would 
be a surprise to see him earn real 
playing time given Michigan’s depth 
at receiver.
• Unsurprisingly, Gattis didn’t 
name a starter at right tackle, 
only praising both Jalen Mayfield 
and Andrew Stueber. Given the 
precedent 
set 
by 
Harbaugh, 
Michigan shouldn’t be expected to 
give away who the starter is before 
the Aug. 31 opener against Middle 
Tennessee State.
• Donovan Peoples-Jones has 

been practicing through a groin 
injury, though Gattis didn’t say 
whether the receiver was at 100 
percent. In the spring, Harbaugh 
said the injury could go into the 
season, so take this as a positive 
development.
“He’s been making plays and 
has dnoe a really good job kind 
oof taking it over and learning the 
details and techniquest that we 
learn at that position and applying 
them this camp,” Gattis said. “He 
missed all of that this spring, but he’s 
done a nice job catching up.”
• As for the defense, coordinator 
Don 
Brown 
said 
that 
junior 
cornerback Ambry Thomas hasn’t 
returned to practice, nor did he 
specify a timeline. The nature of 
Thomas’ injury is unclear. 
• Brown also said that senior 
defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour 
is practicing, though still working 
his way through a torn plantar fascia 
suffered last season in a win over 
Maryland. Luiji Vilain, who missed 
two full seasons with knee ailments, 
is practicing as well.

ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor

Depth in front seven allowing room for healthy competition at camp

Losing a majority of starters 
from his top-five defense, Michigan 
defensive coordinator Don Brown 
stood in front of the media five days 
into training camp, reflecting upon 
how last season could have gone 
differently.
“The first 19 minutes of the 
regular season were not very good 
for the Michigan defense,” Brown 
said. “The next 10-game stretch was 
pretty damn good and then we got 19 
minutes left (in the final game), and 
it’s a 7-point game, 8-point game. 
And the last 19 minutes weren’t very 
good. If we would have just squeezed 
out the first 19 and the last 19, which 
is probably the result of the things 
we can control, it might have been a 
historic year.
“That means mentally you gotta 
be tougher, that means from a 
preparation standpoint, we gotta 
be better. That means from my 
standpoint, we have to be better. 
So, you know, that’s really the 
challenge.”
But perhaps an even greater 
challenge for Brown is figuring out a 
combination of 11 guys who can line 
up on the same side of the field and 

replicate what last year’s defense 
did.
And though he didn’t give many 
specific answers as to who the clear-
cut favorites are at each position, his 
answers did often include a plethora 
of contenders, specifically within 
the front seven. They showcased the 
most important thing any defense 
needs in order to be successful all 
season long — depth.
With the departures of Rashan 
Gary and Chase Winovich, the 
trenches lost the most star power 
of any unit on defense. Though 
pass rushers like junior Kwity Paye, 
sophomore Aidan Hutchinson and 
junior Donovan Jeter were already 
expected to step up and follow their 
predecessors’ footsteps, Brown was 
most impressed with the guys right 
behind them.
“Probably the most improved guy 
that I can speak on behalf of is Carlo 
Kemp,” Brown said. “Stronger, way 
faster, confident. Just body language 
and the whole deal, leadership, 
really playing at a high level. Ben 
Mason vastly improved, obviously 
was a former running back but we 
put him into that mix, and we feel 
good about him.”
Brown also mentioned that senior 
Michael Dwumfour is continuing to 

recover from his injury that ended 
his junior year campaign but he has 
practiced already as well, making 
that six guys who are in a position to 
win four starting roles. 
The linebacker squad suffered 
perhaps the greatest loss as middle 
linebacker and defensive anchor 
Devin Bush declared for the NFL 
Draft. And with the SAM being 
one of the weakest positions in last 
year’s defense, Brown has his hands 
full trying to figure out the best 
fits at each spot. But once again, he 
preached the depth in the middle 
unit starting with junior Josh Ross, 
going as far to say that all of his 
contending linebackers are some of 
the best in the nation. 
“It’s not a challenge to coach 
Josh Ross — he’s the brightest 
linebacker I’ve been around in a long 
time,” Brown said. “Ross, Cameron 
McGrone, (Jordan) Glasgow, Devin 
Gil, and Jordan Anthony can play a 
lot of places in this country, let me 
just tell you that… this is probably 
the most depth I’ve had. 
“Let the competition just go. Isn’t 
it a beautiful thing when we have 
five guys who can play all three 
positions? So, if you’re not playing at 
your best, sorry.”
For Brown, this philosophy won’t 

stick to just the linebacker unit, 
though. With the depth he has, it’s 
starting to become a central theme 
of fall camp.
AKUL VIJAYVARGIYA
Summer Managing Sports Editor

ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown is ready for the competition at fall camp.

