Chris Bracy has everything around him to become a star at Michigan

Chris Bracy might be one of the easiest breakout candidates on Michigan’s roster to get excited about.

The hype did not begin this week.

Coaches and players have talked about Bracy throughout the offseason, and Kyle Whittingham added perhaps the strongest endorsement yet Monday when he called Bracy Michigan’s most consistent No. 1 safety through fall camp.

“Chris Bracy has been rock solid from start to finish,” Whittingham said.

That is notable on its own.

It becomes even more interesting when you look at everything surrounding him.

Bracy arrives at Michigan after productive stops at UAB and Memphis, where he proved he could make plays at the college level. Michigan’s official roster lists him at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, giving Jay Hill another versatile defensive back with enough size to play downhill and enough athleticism to affect the passing game.

Now put him in this defense.

Michigan should have one of the deepest defensive fronts in the country, which means quarterbacks may not have much time to let plays develop.

At corner, the Wolverines can surround Bracy with Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, Smith Snowden and Shamari Earls.

And in the safety room, he gets to work alongside Rod Moore, one of the smartest and most experienced defensive backs Michigan has had in recent years.

That is about as good of an environment as you could build for a talented safety.

Bracy can make an impact in multiple ways.

He is physical enough to become a factor against the run, particularly in a Jay Hill defense that will ask its defensive backs to be active. But the part that could make him special is what happens when Michigan forces opposing quarterbacks into hurried decisions.

Bracy has the instincts to become a ball-hawking safety on the back end.

Whittingham also offered some important context on Moore on Monday, saying the veteran will play quite a bit against Western Michigan but is not yet all the way back to where he was before his setback. That makes Bracy’s emergence even more valuable early in the season.

Michigan does not need Bracy to replace Rod Moore.

It needs him to be Chris Bracy.

And with this defensive front, this secondary and this coaching staff around him, there may not be many players on Michigan’s defense with a better opportunity to turn a strong offseason into a breakout year.