Young players are moving up Michigan's depth chart

ANN ARBOR – Before Michigan's Week 4 game against USC, defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan said the time had come for true freshman safety Mason Curtis.

His time came Saturday against Illinois. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound former four-star recruit made his first defensive appearance of the season, playing 22 snaps as the Wolverines changed their rotation in the secondary.

Curtis wasn't the only true freshman making his defensive debut on Saturday. Cornerback Jo'Ziah Edmond, the No. 158 overall pick in the country last cycle, played five snaps after Michigan's secondary took an early hit and All-American Will Johnson sparked the game's upset in the first quarter.

“These guys are getting a lot of reps through practice, and I thought it was really good for these guys to try to get their feet wet in a conference game on the road,” Morgan said Wednesday of Curtis and Edmond. “Both played on special teams, but this was the first game these guys played defense and I thought they did a good job. We just have to keep improving them in training.

“They’re both smart kids. Both want to be right. You just have to gain experience. True freshmen, best conference in the world, Saturday night, there's a lot of pressure on these guys to perform and stuff and I thought these guys did a good job. But going forward, these guys are part of the game plan. You get a lot of reps. We drop a lot of players in training and try to outsmart a lot of players in games, but I’m excited for these two guys.”

The Wolverines were coming off a bye week and struggled to defend the pass in the first half of the year. The team is looking to build depth at multiple positions, and head coach Sherrone Moore said both players took advantage of their opportunities during the extra week of preparation.

“These guys are just getting better,” Moore said Monday. “You have a bright future. Jo'Ziah Edmond can be as good as anyone. He has great skills, great skills and great speed. And then, Mason Curtis, you're talking about a (6-5) safety who can run and will beat you. We have these casual practices. It gives younger guys a chance to really develop and get better, and those are opportunities for these guys to make a difference. We always say, ‘Take a step on Monday.’ If you want to do it, do it.”

On offense, true freshman Hogan Hansen had a career-best performance with 15 snaps and four catches for 50 yards. On Saturday, Hansen made his second appearance this season after being injured in the game. After Colston Loveland left the September 14 game against Arkansas State, Hansen made his collegiate debut, catching a 9-yard touchdown pass on his first play.

The 6-foot-1, 236-pound player played just eight offensive snaps over the next three games, but when Marlin Klein left the Illinois game in the first quarter, Hansen's name was called again.

“Hogan goes in there, doesn’t blink, doesn’t flinch,” Moore said on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show Monday night. “Go in there and start making plays. He’s a guy that I think will just keep playing.”

At receiver, Michigan continues to look for solutions to spark its weak passing attack. Amorion Walker, who transferred to Ole Miss after the 2023 season before returning to Michigan after spring training, is a junior but is still getting used to the offensive game. The 6-foot-3 former defensive back is Michigan's tallest wideout and has seen his playing time increase in the last two games. He played just four total snaps in the first five games, but was on the field nine times against Washington and made a chain-moving 22-yard grab.

Walker played 29 snaps against Illinois and caught two passes for 12 yards.

“We didn't have him in spring ball, so he developed back into an offensive player during training camp in the first couple weeks of the season,” Michigan receivers coach Ron Bellamy said Wednesday. “He goes out there and looks good out there.”

At 4-3, Michigan's playoff hopes are likely dashed, but the door is open for young players to gain valuable game experience.

“There are some young guys who continue to get better throughout the year,” Morgan said. “I think it's different when you go to a place like Michigan, just getting a feel for what it's like with academics, school, winning and losing, and just trying to do all those different things to find out. I just think it’s a bit of a process for young people.”

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