Wolverines reload running game from front to back
On the day he was introduced as the next head football coach at tradition-rich Michigan, Brady Hoke stepped to the podium and told many of the diehard Wolverines faithful exactly what they wanted to hear.
"We're going to run the football," Hoke said, in his unique, direct, no nonsense manner.
There would not be much of the gimmickry, trickery and spread-this, spread-that of former head coach Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines were going to run the ball and let everybody know it.
Hoke's next move was to set about finding the parts and pieces he would need to make that approach a successful one, and the foundation of a very productive offense. That work has continued with his 2013 recruiting class.
Michigan sought to reload and increase the depth of its line, and went out and signed a half dozen offensive linemen, the most the program has added in any one class in eight years. Each one of the six comes in with glitzy credentials.
"We've been trying to build up our line, and we felt like we were short on depth up front on offense so that was an area we needed to address," Hoke said.
When the Wolverines landed a solid commitment from the nation's top running back, Virginia product Derrick Green, the need to load up with offensive linemen became even more pressing.
But Hoke did only grab bodies, he got what many believe is the best collection of offensive linemen in the country.
"We wanted physical guys, guys who can run block and control the line of scrimmage," Hoke said. "We wanted guys who were technically sound at finishing blocks.
"It's all about controlling the point of attack, and having the players who can accomplish that."
The studs of the 2013 offensive line group Michigan procured include guard Patrick Kugler from the Pittsburgh area, tackle David Dawson from Detroit powerhouse Cass Tech and tackle Kyle Bosch from Illinois.
TOP OF THE CLASS
RB Derrick Green (Hermitage High, Richmond, Va.) -- Green was the top-rated back in the nation by most of the major services, so this is a huge get for Michigan. He is a cut 6-foot and 220 pounds with 4.4 speed. Green will show up on campus and be a clear cut threat to win the starting job. He has that speed and power combination teams crave.
CB Jourdan Lewis (Cass Tech, Detroit) -- While his recruiting classmates might get more pop in the press, Lewis is regarded as the best pure athlete in the bunch. He is small for the Big Ten at 165 pounds and 5-10, but his "wow" factor is off the charts. He will be a lock-down corner, and a demon on the return team.
QB Shane Morris (De La Salle High, Warren, Mich.) -- Morris was the first to fax his letter of intent in to the Michigan athletic office, and has repeatedly expressed his passion about playing for the Wolverines. The 6-4, 202-pound Morris has all the tools and comes in as one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the nation.
