Michigan Football: Week 5 Spring Practice Stock Report

A little more than a week ago, Michigan linebacker Joe Bolden said the Wolverines, who play their spring game April 4, had the two best defensive coordinators in the country; however, Greg Mattison politely begged to differ by delivering a D.J. Durkin-stock-booster for the media to digest.

“He’s the coordinator,” Mattison said of Durkin. “I am so excited about him being the coordinator because he’s done such a great job everywhere he’s been. He’s successful and I enjoy working with him.”

Yes, Durkin has been successful. While at Florida, the 36-year-old orchestrated a defense that rivaled what Mattison has done during the past four—particularly the past two—years at Michigan. When it comes to football, they’re essentially two of a kind. They both preach the same fundamentals, Mattison slightly louder than Durkin, and demand the same results and, more importantly, attitude from players.

Stat	Mattison (UM)	Durkin (UF)
Run Defense	No. 15 (117.7 YPG)	No. 13 (116.2 YPG)
Opponent YPC	3.21	3.17
Total Defense	No. 7 (311 YPG)	No. 15 (329.8 YPG)

But this past Thursday, Mattison wanted to make one thing clear: There is only one defensive coordinator at Michigan. He’s the defensive line coach, and that’s his job.

Now, it’s an entirely different story if players see him differently—and really, there’d be nothing wrong with that. Mattison has, without question, earned the respect of the program. But he did the right thing by publicly stepping back and redirecting attention the man in charge—and that’s Durkin.

Besides, coaching the D-line isn’t exactly a demotion for Mattison, who has mentored tackles and ends since 1975. He truly enjoys the science of the trenches.

“I really like the defensive line,” he said. “It’s a place, I think, that technique and teaching—[it’s where] you can get guys to be better. You can make improvements there through technique and hard work. I’m excited about coaching the D-line.”

Four months ago, Mattison wasn’t sure if he’d remain at Michigan. Fans and media weren’t, either. His good friend, Brady Hoke, had just been fired, and Mattison was part of Hoke’s inner circle; it made sense to predict his departure.

But on the other hand, it made more sense for Michigan to retain Mattison, who was asked how he felt during the “interim” period by Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.

“Well, I had a number of offers, you know, some in the NFL and things like that,” Mattison said. “But I made up my mind that if I had the opportunity, I’d love to stay here—and I did. So I stayed.”

This time of year, at least lately, has been productive for Mattison. During the past spring workouts, he’s seen players such as Willie Henry, Taco Charlton, Henry Poggi, Matt Godin and Bryan Mone emerge. When it comes to progress this year, Mattison says things are, well, progressing. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself, but he did say that he’s been pleased with what he’s seen thus far.

The coming weeks, of course, will tell him more about what he has for 2015.

Latest on Rudock

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

An interview between George Smith and Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News has added fuel to the Jake Rudock-to-Michigan fire. Smith, a 34-year veteran coach at St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida), was Rudock’s high school coach and recently said some things that will certainly rile up the Wolverines fanbase.

"

He started 30 games for us, he was [a] two-year starter as a junior and senior. He holds a bunch of records, he’s extremely smart. He was a backup in 2008 when we won our first national championship and was our quarterback when we won another.

We played at Paul Brown Stadium, at Ohio State and at Cowboys Stadium, so he’s been in big venues, and obvious he played at Iowa. We have 12 kids on NFL rosters, more than any high school in the country, so he’s been around those types of players here and in college. He’s a very intelligent young man, quiet, soft-spoken, and a tremendous leader.

"

Buying Rudock stock might be a tad risky, but he’s been on campus and, according to Smith, per Chengelis, wants to play at Michigan. In 2014, Rudock threw for 2,436 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions. Despite a rough season with the Hawkeyes, he completed 61.7 percent of his attempts and threw for 250 or more yards four times.

The Wolverines could certainly use every bit of the 6’3”, 208-pound senior.

Peppers on the Rise

Tony Ding/Associated Press

Speaking of buying into a player’s stock, it’s time to hit on Jabrill Peppers, whose stock hasn’t been higher since last year, when it seemed to be at a record peak.

This past Thursday, Greg Jackson, Michigan’s new secondary coach, compared Peppers to Rodney Harrison, a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro defensive back who played nine years with the New England Patriots and six with the San Diego Chargers.

But Jackson didn’t hesitate to calmly praise “Pep” with a hefty compliment.

“[He’s] enthusiastic, intense during practice…full speed to the ball all the time,” Jackson said of the 6’1”, 205-pound redshirt freshman. “He’s a kid that’s hungry, ready to prove himself and, you know, a guy like Peppers, you can’t teach hustle.

"I mean, he’s just got ‘it.’ He’s just got that knack of being a football player. We just keep him going in the right direction, coaching him—I mean, I think he’s going to be a really good player.”

During the offseason, Peppers tweeted photos of his physical transformation. He’s cut more than ever. He’s also doing backflips in practice, which suggests that he’s feeling pretty good these days.

Buy into "Pep." The investment should pay dividends. 

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, press release or other media availability.