There is no shortage of tangible measures by which Michigan football’s offense improved drastically over
the course of the season. It turned the ball over less, scored more points, won more games and did so more
convincingly. That’s the what. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ growth, though, can be seen in the how.
None more so than the usage of Giles Jackson.
Jackson, a receiver who just finished his freshman season, possesses a skillset tailor-made to Gattis’. He’s
5-foot-9, speedy and athletic. Before Gattis found a consistent role for him in the offense, Jackson contributed
as a kick returner, and it’s hard to imagine he won’t return to the role in 2020.
Jackson won’t beat defenders with physicality or technique — at least not right now, a year into his college
football career. He’ll beat them in the open field, by juking guys out of their shoes, or just being faster.
Defenses must account for Jackson everywhere on the field. Once the Wolverines came to realize that,
they started lining him up in different spots and putting him in as much space as they could, stressing
opposing defenses to their breaking point.
Early in a win over Michigan State, the Wolverines lined up in a tight formation and saw the
Spartans show zone coverage pre-snap. Jackson lines up on the boundary, with the field-side
receiver running vertical and occupying the corner. Michigan runs a split-zone look, with
quarterback Shea Patterson faking the handoff and Jackson darting around the edge to take it
instead. Tight end Sean McKeon arcs around the edge defender instead of blocking him, giving
Jackson a convoy to the open field if he can turn the corner past a bigger, slower Kenny Willekes.
Spoiler: He can.
Later in the same game, Michigan runs Jackson on an end around again, but this time from a
spread formation, against man coverage with no window dressing to make it look any different.
Doesn’t matter.
Anytime the Wolverines make it a contest between Jackson and an edge defender, Jackson’s
going to win.
“Every time he touches the ball, I think he’s gonna score,” sophomore linebacker Cam
McGrone said after Michigan’s Citrus Bowl loss against Alabama. “He has that explosive-play
capability, and he makes something happen with the ball every time he touches it.”
By then, the Wolverines had regularly started putting Jackson in the backfield pre-snap, with
only good things to show for it.
Against the Crimson Tide, Jackson finished with a season-high four receptions for 57 yards,
including a 40-yard catch. On that play, Jackson lined up in the backfield and Michigan sent slot
receiver Mike Sainristil in motion, an Alabama defensive back following and indicating man coverage.
That meant a linebacker would be covering Jackson — a mismatch of seismic proportions. Patterson
faked a handoff. Jackson sprinted upfield on a wheel route, giving the linebacker no chance to turn his
hips, easily gaining five full yards of separation. The throw hit Jackson in stride and he kept going after
the catch.
It’s reminiscent of another explosive play Jackson hit two games prior, at Indiana.
Just the same way, Michigan lined up pre-snap with Jackson in the backfield
and saw man coverage. They faked a handoff and the Hoosier
linebacker assigned to cover Jackson took a step forward, making
an already-lopsided matchup that much easier.
Then it was just Jackson, upfield all by himself.
By the time Michigan had a handle on Jackson’s usage
in 2019, it was too late to seriously impact the outcome
of games. Even with that explosive play against
Alabama and a touchdown against Ohio State,
Jackson finished the year with just 19 touches on
offense, for a total of 211 yards. There are areas
of his game — route-running in particular — that
will benefit from an offseason of work.
In 2020, Jackson will be a fulcrum of the
offense, part by design and part by necessity.
After Donovan Peoples-Jones’ departure for
the NFL, Jackson will be in line for more
snaps, along with Cornelius Johnson and Mike
Sainristil. What’s yet unclear is whether the
Wolverines see him long-term as a slot receiver
or an H-back. Based on how they used him
towards the end of this season, it may be the
latter.
“Giles is a real ascending player,” Michigan
coach Jim Harbaugh said after the Citrus Bowl.
“... He’s a true freshman, so I didn’t know exactly
what you’re going to have in a true freshman, but
he has really produced and had a heck of a year.
“... Can’t say enough good things about him.”
Miles Macklin / Daily
Design by Jack Silberman
“...Can’t say enough good things about him.”
Sports
8 — Friday, January 17, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com