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Michigan Wolverines Football: Tight Ends Leaving 'Meat On The Bone'

Michigan’s offense — the run game, in particular — has been outstanding through two weeks, but there’s still much to glean. The tight ends have played a role in opening holes up front, but they can be better, assistant Jay Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh, joining former Michigan All-American Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan radio show Monday night, admitted his group has more to give.

“It’s been a great first couple weeks, but if you were in our meetings, you’d see and hear while there are a lot of good things, there’s more meat on the bone … ways we can improve and get more out of some of these plays we’re running,” he said.

He credited line coach Sherrone Moore for bringing in a great group and teaching them well before he moved position groups, and a bunch of kids who have a ‘phenomenal approach Sunday through Friday.’

“They make it really easy, know all the plays we can run, know the adjustments. There’s not much you can throw at them that’s new,” he said. “When you reach that point … you can really then go back to just the fundamentals, focus on having a phenomenal get-off on the snap, a great first step and pad level.

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Michigan Wolverines football tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh is looking for more from his position group
Michigan Wolverines football tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh is looking for more from his position group (AP Images)
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“If you’re not really comfortable scheme wise, those are first things to go. Comfort level with the offense … is taking them, apply the fundamentals and having success with them.”

Tight ends have only caught three passes for 23 yards so far this year, all by sophomore Erick All. The Wolverines only threw for 43 total in a 31-10 win over Washington, but they’ll likely have to do much more to win games in the Big Ten.

All has had some success as a blocker, and Harbaugh predicted the catches would come.

“Erick is an unbelievably hard worker. He will do anything under the sun that will make him better,” he said. “For him as a young player, he’s a guy who naturally plays fast. He plays every bit as fast as he’s timed, maybe even faster. It’s an amazing gift. There are a lot guys who can’t do that.

“For him to be the great player he’s going to be, it’s going to be a process of learning to mentally play at a regular pace and not get ahead of himself. If you’re thinking about the move before the catch or one step ahead when you just really need to be in the moment, looking at the football, catching the football and tucking it and running … when you get out of the present, that’s where you’ll have issues executing something you’ve done since you were a kid — catching the ball.

“He’s done a lot better job of that, worked really hard at that day in, day out in practice. It’s really paid off.”

There’s hope we’ll find out for certain in games when we get to Big Ten play. The Wolverines need someone to step up and stretch the field in junior receiver Ronnie Bell’s absence (knee, out for the season), and he’d be one option.

Luke Schoonmaker, meanwhile, has taken advantage of the offseason for a bigger role, as well.

“He was always behind guys that were really good,” Harbaugh continued. “I think everyone knew this guy was going to be a really good player. He’s got it all from a physical standpoint. He looks like a can run, block … he can bend his ankles and knees. He put in the work over time and is really in a great place right now where he’s extraordinarily, unusually well rounded.

“There are not a lot of guys out there that can do the variety of jobs he can do. He gives us the ability to pretty much run all our stuff inline or off the ball. It’s just a pleasure to watch him have success because he’s put so much into it. He really kind of waited his turn. … stuck it out, continued to grind, get better. Now he’s in a great place.”

Veteran Joel Honigford, meanwhile, is also providing help in the run game. He’s still working into his new, lighter frame after dominating as an extra blocking lineman last year, but he’s getting better.

“He totally changed his body, completely mastered the play book,” Harbaugh said. “Now he’s playing with a lighter, quicker body, but he has the technique because he trained for years as a lineman, has an understanding of the run game. All the guys get it, but his is a little bit deeper because he really has been inside and understands how the calls work … understands fronts even better than the other guys.”

He can catch the ball, too, Harbaugh said, and has improved dramatically in that area since spring.

In that respect, all the tight ends are still waiting their turn. And while head coach Jim Harbaugh praised the group for their help in opening holes, the film shows plenty of room for improvement in the blocking department, too.

There’s still one more game to shore it up — Saturday against Northern Illinois — and the hope that they’ll be clicking heading into the Big Ten opener with Rutgers next week.

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