Player Spotlight: Ricky Barnum, C, Michigan Wolverines

Yesterday in our player spotlight we hit on Barrett Jones from Alabama who is making the move from left tackle to the center position for the Crimson Tide. Today, we're sticking with the hogmollies up front by taking a look at Michigan's Ricky Barnum, another player making a position change.

Ricky Barnum falls on the total opposite end of the spectrum from Barrett Jones. Jones, the much accomplished redshirt senior, is set to make a run for the Rimington Trophy out of the gate because he's got enough games under his belt to be one of the SEC's elder statesman. In Barnum we've got a Wolverine who has just nine games of experience and only three starts to his name entering his fifth year in Ann Arbor.

Now the senior is being moved to the spot he's played the most and broke into the starting line up at a season ago, left guard, and taking over the critical role of center on the Wolverines' offensive line. He is being asked to replace Rimington Award winner Dave Molk at the spot that carries a lot of responsibility and some intense decision making both pre- and post-snap.

For Barnum, there are going to be two issues that take center stage for the 2012 season, starting this spring: staying healthy and getting the snap right. He's has proven himself capable as an offensive lineman, as Brady Hoke inserted Barnum into the starting lineup early in the season and the junior responded with solid play. Until he was hit with nagging injuries to both ankles that started in September and continued throughout the season, stopping him from getting back into the lineup.

In 2012 Barnum has to stay healthy. The kid cannot contribute and live up to the potential that Hoke and Al Borges see in him if he's in the training room getting treatment.

Injuries aside the next big job will be getting the ball to Denard Robinson and Devin Gardiner on a rope and in the same spot every time. For an offense that likes to run tempo and operates out of the shotgun a bad snap spells death on so many levels. At best it disrupts the timing of the throws or handoffs of the play and at its worst it just gives the ball back to the opposition.

At 6'3" and 290-plus lbs, the kid has the size and quickness that you like to see out of a center. He can leverage nose tackles, work to the second level and, after playing guard, solidly understands the dynamics of the double team. In Barnum we'll see this spring if he can make the transition from moving to his position on the snap to snapping the ball and then getting to his spots in the run and pass game. Not everyone can make that move but as Ricky Barnum grows into a center he does have the tools to make the change.