Michigan Football: What You Need to Know About Wolverines DT Will Campbell

William Campbell is a man of much debate on this Michigan team. Some think that he is finally ready to emerge and be a force, while others think he'll continue to disappoint.

Whatever your opinion of him is, there is no denying that he is very important to this defense.

Here's a bit more information on the player who is the key to Michigan's defensive line.

He Was a Highly Recruited 5-Star out of High School

Will Campbell was a 5-star out of high school, and one of the highest rated defensive tackles in the country.

Many of the top programs in the nation were after him, with offers from the likes of Michigan, Alabama, Florida and LSU.

After being a longtime Michigan commit, Campbell re-opened his recruitment and began to look elsewhere.

Then, in early January at the Army All-American Game, Campbell once again chose Michigan, with LSU basically finishing second.

He Has Been a Complete Bust so Far in His Career

Everybody agrees that Campbell has been a bust so far in his career, and that is completely accurate. He has basically done nothing the first three years of his career, and only has one year remaining to produce.

At one point during the Rich Rodriguez tenure, things got so bad that he ended up being moved to the offensive line. The project was a failure, as Campbell eventually moved back to his more natural position of defensive tackle.

If he can go on to have an absolutely dominant senior season, which is certainly possible, he can help shed his image of being a bust.

Campbell Is the Key and Most Important Piece to the Defensive Line

This defensive line NEEDS Will Campbell. It just simply can't afford not to have him be productive. Campbell has never been a starter at Michigan, yet he is one of the surest things in people's minds on this line.

It makes sense though. Other than Roh, Campbell certainly is the most sure thing on this line. It is impossible to know how Black will adjust to playing tackle, and the seemingly new starter at weak-side defensive end, Brennen Beyer, is only a true sophomore and mostly inexperienced.

This obviously makes Campbell the key. He needs to be an anchor, drawing attention to himself and hopefully attracting double-teams.

If he doesn't do that, this defensive line could be in trouble.

It's Now or Never for Big Will

This has been said before about Campbell, but this time it's official. If he doesn't produce this year, his Michigan career will be over and it's unlikely he would wind up with an NFL team.

However, if he goes on to have a dominant senior season, he could potentially become a top 10 NFL draft pick. We've seen it countless times in the past where a player comes out of nowhere and NFL teams fall in love with them.

Campbell knows it's time to step up. Whatever the reason for his ineffective in the past, he needs to get past it. Whether it was bad coaching or lack of motivation on his own part, Campbell needs to step up.

This defense needs him too badly for him to be a non-factor once again.

Conclusion

Obviously, Will Campbell is a huge part of this team, and the his teammates need him to come through.

Fans have had to endure three disappointing years of enormous potential from him, yet come away empty every time.

Seemingly having an absolutely great and humorous attitude, Campbell could become a fan favorite with a strong 2012.

Campbell will be challenged right off the bat, as all eyes will be on No. 73 the night of Sept. 1.