Latest info on the top Michigan football position battle, which could bleed into the season

Last Thursday, second-year defensive play-caller Jesse Minter met with the media to answer a few burning questions. Right now, the top Michigan football position battle revolves around the cornerback position — who will start at the CB2 spot across from Will Johnson? Minter gave plenty of insight into where things stand right now, including the fact that there may not be a clear-cut starter at cornerback by the end of fall camp.

Top Michigan football position battle still yet to see a clear frontrunner pull away at cornerback 

A season ago, Jim Harbaugh let the Wolverines’ heated position battle at quarterback (between Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy) bleed into the first two weeks of the season. By Week 3, it was clear that McCarthy was the guy — he then led the Maize and Blue to a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance with a program record of 13 wins all said and done.

This year, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter says that fans could see a similar scenario with the cornerbacks throughout the first few weeks of the coming season. To be fair, it will take a few weeks for the Wolverines to see any real challenges on the schedule, so this might not be a bad idea.

“I see a lot of guys just working really hard,” Jesse Minter said of this top Michigan football position battle earlier this week. “We’re trying to use a method where it’s a different guy every day. Nobody’s really taken it and ran with it. And that’s really just because of just the opportunity so far; you got some practices without pads on now, you’ve had a few with pads on. So I think as you go through more and more situational things, more and more scrimmage-type opportunities, I think somebody eventually will separate themselves.”

A plethora of talent for the Wolverines creates positive scenarios for the defense

While no one has “pulled away” with the job just yet, the good news is that many rising stars are starting to step up and compete hard for the job. The top two cornerbacks in this race appear to be Amorion Walker and Josh Wallace, though according to Mitner, the staff is changing things up and seeing where everyone plays their best ball.

“Right now, it’s a whole host of guys that we’re playing,” Jesse Minter stated. “We’re trying to find the best combination of five DBs in a lot of our nickel-type stuff that we’ve tried a lot of different combinations that could be a combination of multiple positions: corners, safeties, nickels. We’re trying to find that best-five combination, and I think early on it will come.

“That battle will continue, I would imagine, into the season. Maybe one guy one game, one game, the next. Similar to how coach (Jim Harbaugh) did the quarterback competition last year where maybe one guy, and it’s really like how you play in games and how you play. The best players will show themselves as the season goes on.”

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