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Thursday, June 18, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS
Jackson fronts dynamic special teams
When considering Giles Jackson’s
game-breaking speed, a few plays
come to mind.
Sure, there’s the reverse handoff
he took 22 yards for a touchdown
against Ohio State. Or the 40-yard
reception off a wheel route against
Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. But
when examining Jackson’s full body
of work as a freshman last fall, one
image stands out most.
On a sunny November afternoon
in College Park, against Maryland,
Jackson only needed one juke to take
the opening kickoff to the house. As
he trotted across the goal line for
a 97-yard touchdown, 11 Terrapins
helplessly lagged behind him.
Jackson’s tone-setting touchdown
against Maryland paved the way for
a 38-7 win while simultaneously
showcasing his value in the grand
scheme of things. Beyond his
increased offensive responsibilities
as the season progressed, the 5-foot-
9 speedster averaged nearly 26 yards
across 24 returns as Michigan’s
primary option last season en route
to an All-Big Ten honorable mention
selection.
“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.”
What, exactly, did Michigan have
in Jackson? Last fall, he became just
the second player in program history
to score a touchdown by rushing,
receiving and kick returning in the
same season. And he did it at 17 years
old.
Heading into his sophomore
season, Jackson is set to spearhead
arguably the deepest group of special
teams returners the Wolverines
have carried in the Harbaugh
era. And as special of a freshman
season as Jackson might’ve had, the
Wolverines’ running backs coach
and
special
teams
coordinator
Jay Harbaugh still sees untapped
potential in Jackson’s return game.
“(Jackson) is crazy fast, super
talented,” Jay said in a teleconference
Friday. “He even left some yards out
there last year that I think this year
he’s gonna be able to take advantage
of as he continues to improve the
way he understands our system,
seeing the blocking scheme develop.
Expecting a huge year from him.”
Behind
Jackson,
Harbaugh
identified presumed VIPER Mike
Barrett, receivers Ronnie Bell and
Mike Sainristil, running back Blake
Corum
and
cornerback
Andre
Seldon as others who could see
action as kick returners. Barrett, in
particular, has proven himself as a
blocker in the role of off-returner,
while safety Daxton Hill and
running back Chris Evans have also
seen time as returners.
“(Jackson) has a great group of
guys who are going to be able to
compete with him, make him better
and be back there with him,” Jay
said. “… We feel great about the
quality of guys back there, which is
really necessary because as soon as
a returner becomes a big-play threat,
that’s when you see that guy doesn’t
get the ball that much anymore, so it’s
important to have someone else back
there that is a legit big-play threat.”
As for returning punts, Michigan
will be forced to adjust to life without
Donovan Peoples-Jones, who left for
the NFL during the winter following
his junior campaign. In his three
seasons returning punts, he racked
up 743 yards across 89 attempts and
scored a pair of touchdowns.
With Peoples-Jones now gone,
the Wolverines could hand the keys
to Bell, who returned eight punts last
season. Michigan could also turn to
Jackson or Barrett, while Harbaugh
also touted the “electric” potential
of incoming freshman receivers
Roman Wilson and AJ Henning.
“I’m
confident
(Wilson
and
Henning) will at least be able to
compete and push those guys,”
Jay said. “If they can get to the
point where they can catch it with
confidence at some point during the
year, they could be legit dudes as
well.”
Regardless of which direction the
Wolverines go, there’s no shortage
of viable options within the group.
And in the event multiple candidates
prove themselves, it wouldn’t be
surprising to see a plateau system.
But for now, it seems pretty like
one option stands above the rest.
“We love Giles back there,” Jay
said. “I think everybody does.”
MILES MACKLIN/Daily
Sophomore receiver Giles Jackson is preparing for a season with more responsibility on special teams and offense.
DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan opens up for
some athletes to return
Michigan will join the schools
that have allowed some athletes
back on campus for voluntary
workouts this week, the school
announced in a press release
Monday.
Football, men’s basketball and
women’s basketball athletes will be
allowed on campus for voluntary
strength
and
conditioning
workouts,
returning
in
four
phases. That includes a 14-day
pre-report risk assessment, a six-
day resocialization period back to
campus and daily risk assessments.
All athletes will be tested
for COVID-19 and antibodies.
There will also be team physicals,
concussion testing, sleep surveys,
fitness testing, mobility screening,
body
composition,
nutrition
evaluations and regular medical
testing.
Athletes in other fall sports
will return to campus after the
successful
reintroduction
of
football, men’s basketball and
women’s
basketball,
per
the
release.
“We are pleased to start the
process of welcoming student-
athletes back to our campus
through a medical and public
health-informed
protocol
and
plan,” athletic director Warde
Manuel said in the release. “We
continue to take the utmost care
to ensure that all student-athletes
and staff return to a safe and
healthy environment.
“Our protocols and plans have
been developed by medical experts
from across U-M’s campus, who
have collaborated with officials at
the local, state and national levels.
I appreciate the contributions and
comprehensive efforts across so
many groups and in coordination
with the Big Ten conference and
peers across the NCAA.”
Athletes
and
coaches
will
be screened daily before being
allowed
into
facilities,
where
high-risk areas will be sanitized
daily. Those who test positive for
COVID-19 will enter a quarantine.
“I am so grateful we are able to
make our way back to Ann Arbor
after all these months,” men’s
basketball coach Juwan Howard
said in a release. “It has been a very
unusual time to say the least. What
has been so impressive is to watch,
read and have zoom calls to better
understand all the efforts and new
procedures being made — so many
talented and caring doctors and
administrators — to ensure we
are safe. Make no mistake about
it, the COVID-19 pandemic is so
much bigger than basketball and
we do not take that lightly. We
have challenges ahead, but we
know taking this first step is key to
returning to a normal routine.”
Though the University has not
yet announced plans to reopen
for students in the fall, allowing
some athletes back could be a
natural first step towards that
end. University President Mark
Schlissel has said that if students
are not on campus, there will be no
sports.
Now, with some athletes back,
everyone else will wait.
ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor
ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
Football along with men’s and women’s basketball will return to campus.