Fall camp often serves as a bit of an eye-opener for some of the nation’s top recruits signed during the spring. The days of being the best are quickly a thing of the past once they arrive on campus for fall camp and have to work to earn respect from teammates and coaches all over again. Such is the case in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Jabrill Peppers.
Head coach Brady Hoke has already spent time suggesting he will have to wait and see if Peppers can match the hype he brings to the Wolverines as one of the top players in the nation in the recent recruiting class. Hoke’s defensive coordinator, Greg Mattison, is taking the lead of the head coach when asked about Peppers this summer.
“He’s talented, let’s face it. ... But with him choosing to come to Michigan, now he has to prove that he’s a Michigan football player,” Mattison said in a story by MLive.com. “There’s no pampering. (He’s) just a guy in our defense.”
It is expected Peppers will play a key role in Michigan’s defense this season. Peppers, a defensive back by trade, brings plenty of speed to the field and he has the ability to play any position in the secondary, a reason he has a shot to be a true impact freshman in 2014. Mattison has decided to play him at nickel back this fall camp. The Wolverines ranked seventh in the Big Ten against the pass with 17 interceptions, but the Michigan defense gave up some big plays through the air more than enough times to cost them some games.
The good news for Michigan is Peppers appears to be handling his transition from top high school recruit to a freshman looking to find his role.
“Obviously with his success in high school, he’ll probably get attention, but he’s been very mature about it,” Mattison said. “When you’re (at) Michigan, you’re just one (player) on the team. You’re responsible to do what the team is asking you and that’s what he’s done.”
Down at LSU, the nation’s top-ranked running back in the Class of 2014 is seeing similar treatment. Leonard Fournette is not being given any guarantees despite previously being thought to be the starting running back in week one for LSU.