From an unexpected contributor on offense to a highly touted true freshman making serious strides in the secondary, here are the biggest surprises for Michigan Football this spring:
Spring practices, including the annual spring game, are typically more about development and evaluation than hard conclusions. Still, they often offer a glimpse of what’s to come, and a few unexpected names have stolen some of the spotlight and are reshaping their outlook for this fall.
Here are three of the biggest surprises for Michigan during spring ball this year:
Jalen Hoffman
If you watched the spring game and didn’t know Jalen Hoffman’s name beforehand, you certainly do now. The redshirt junior H-back/tight end, who had played just three offensive snaps last season was the clear breakout star of the afternoon.
Hoffman caught all seven of his targets for 148 yards — including the only passing touchdown of the game, an 88-yard trick play on the final play of the game.
“You saw Hoffman,” running back Jordan Marshall said after the game. “You put him out there, and he balled out … that’s how you find out if you’re a dog — and that’s a dog.”
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore didn’t hesitate when naming his spring game MVP.
“Probably Jalen Hoffman,” Moore said. “He’s a super athletic kid with really great ball skills and hands… He’s a guy we definitely look forward to watching in the season.”
While he remains behind Max Bredeson on the depth chart, Hoffman’s spring performance has made a strong case for an expanded role on offense.
Dominic Nichols
Another player making noise this spring is edge rusher Dominic Nichols. Although he’s behind veterans Derrick Moore and TJ Guy on the depth chart, Nichols has taken major strides in spring camp, and his performance in the spring game backed that up.
Nichols beat true freshman tackle Andrew Babalola and was able to record a sack, showing off the motor and pass-rushing potential that coaches have raved about. More importantly, Nichols has been working to round out his game.
“His biggest thing is getting strong enough, physical enough, mature enough, confident enough to play the run game like how he plays the pass game,” defensive line coach Lou Esposito said this spring. “He’s starting to do that, which has been really good.”
Nichols should be viewed as a key rotational piece this fall.
Shamari Earls
Few true freshmen make immediate noise at cornerback, but Shamari Earls is defying expectations. The 6-foot-2 Virginia native has caught the attention of coaches and practice observers alike, making plays in scrimmage situations with his length, speed and instincts.
“He’s a long, 6-2 corner, can move, very skilled,” said wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy. “Those types of body types give receivers problems.”
Defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan echoed that sentiment, saying, “(Earls) is asking all the right questions, trying to get better each and every day.”
Earls isn’t expected to start right away, but his physical tools, combined with a rapid learning curve, suggest he may be tough to keep off the field.