Michael Barrett Emerges As Potential Starter At Viper

The Wolverines will see a couple newer faces at Viper this coming season.

Over the course of Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown’s tenure in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines have used the viper position to blend speed and tackling ability at the linebacker level. Last year, both Khaleke Hudson and Jordan Glasgow saw time at viper, but U-M will need to replace their production heading into the 2020 campaign. 

In their absence, Brown will look to players such as Michael Barrett to make a step forward and capitalize on the open role, and so far the speedy linebacker has drawn positive reports. 

“I’ve seen enough out of Michael Barrett to be excited,” Brown said on Thursday. “Runs a 4.51 – that’s fast at 220-pounds. So, that’s a good place to start. He’s had a tremendous role model in Khaleke Hudson that showed him the way. He’s worked extremely hard and has a very close relationship with Cam McGrone in particular and Josh Ross. That chemistry, that camaraderie that you search for that allows some groups to be exceptional I think is there. So, that’s the place we’ll start.”

Part of what made Barrett such an enticing prospect coming out of high school is his combination of athleticism and tackling ability. Barrett is a quick, explosive athlete who is experienced enough in coverage to hang with receivers in the slot while bringing a nose for the football in rush defense. This versatile package could be a good fit at Viper, and Brown is optimistic about his impact this fall. 

Apart from Barrett, Michigan has the option to test out William Mohan, an incoming freshman who was listed as a three-star prospect and the No. 23 athlete in the country for the 2020 recruiting class. Mohan features similar elements to his game, though he is notably green in his first year of college football. Still, if Mohan can contribute right away, it would help shore up Michigan’s depth at the second level. 

“I think he’ll be a very good player,” Brown said. “We call him ‘Apache.’ But he’s a true freshman, has that type of ability. Obviously, we have a number of guys at the safety position that it would be smooth as silk to drop them into the Viper position with one of those guys as need me. I think the Viper may be, even though there’s a lot of jobs there, I think that might be a little bit easier for guys to grasp than the rover / free safety position that we utilize on the back end.”

While players at the Viper share some attributes with athletes at the safety position, Michigan has a couple dynamic athletes in the secondary that should provide solid coverage and help to keep offenses honest. Last year, Daxton Hill was forced to take on a larger role when Brad Hawkins suffered an injury, and the young safety acquitted himself well en route to a 36 tackle season. 

“Obviously, that was a very good experience for Daxton, but the overall play of our defense gets impacted because you lose a player of Brad Hawkins’ stature,” Brown said. “The nice thing about Brad is that he’s learned the defense. There were times in his career where he was going through the growing pains of getting, executing at an elite level. It took him some time to learn that. Plus, also believe on the back end, you develop confidence as you play well, play and play well and you cover guys and have the ability to cover. This guy, everything’s on the upswing. It really is. He’s taken a leadership role. I’m meeting with the defensive leaders tomorrow and he’s one of the guys that I’m meeting with.”

Michigan will benefit from both player’s presence at the back end, and the Viper position, a role that could be split between Barrett and Mohan, should have the freedom to hang around the line of scrimmage and snuff out running plays if need be. 

Who do you see taking the helm at Viper heading into 2020? Which player is the front runner in your mind? Let us know!