It’s not just the addition of Kyle Whittingham that’s got people excited. It’s the addition of transfers like Smith Snowden and JJ Buchanan. Snowden has experience in more than 30 games, racking up 92 tackles, six tackles for loss and four interceptions. Meanwhile, Buchanan had 26 catches for 427 yards and five touchdowns at Utah as a freshman last year.
They each joined Jon Jansen on his “In the Trenches” podcast this week. Here’s what they had to say about their new team.
Smith Snowden
On spring ball
Snowden revealed he recently
had surgery and was out for a few weeks. He says this is his first week back at practice and he’s excited to get out on the field. “It was hard to transfer to a new spot and deal with the injury I had last season,” he said. He has also been spending time getting to know his teammates.
On what he brings to the team
Snowden described himself as “a lockdown corner who loves to compete.” He is competitive and wants to show what he brings to the program. He originally thought about leaving and heading to the next level after three years, but he is hoping to improve his play as a Wolverine this year. He’s focused on creating some great plays this season and is working to compete with the best of the best in the Big Ten.
On the CBs room, coaching staff
Right off the bat, Snowden talked about Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill. He even called out sophomore Shamari Earls as a player that stands out at the position. He’s also working with a new defensive coaching staff. While Snowden hasn’t worked with Jay Hill until now, he says a lot of the terminology they use here has translated from his time at Utah. Snowden also said the entire room is, “so dope and has a lot of personality.”
On putting on the Michigan uniform
Snowden says he’s looking forward to getting to play in a Michigan uniform. “It’s an honor,” he said. He’s looking forward to playing at the Big House and experiencing all it has to offer. He also knows he’s going to be playing against the best competition each week, and he’s focusing on becoming a great player.
JJ Buchanan
On what it’s been like at Michigan
“It’s been a dream come true,” Buchanan said. He understands Michigan is one of the top programs in the country, and he loves the people, the coaches and the area.
On his decision to enter the transfer portal
Buchanan said he had to make a big decision when choosing to enter the portal. He wasn’t sure he would at first. He said the staff he’s working with at Michigan instilled a lot of belief in him and he wanted to perform and play on a bigger stage with the coaches who believed in him in the first place.
On his move from TE to WR
While he was listed as a tight end at Utah, he pointed out he never really played as an inline tight end. He and Whittingham talked about making sure he’d get the experience he needed as a wide receiver. His favorite place to play is in the slot. He knows people are comparing him to Colston Loveland, and he looks forward to trying to produce at a similar level when he takes the field.
On what he needs to learn with the offense and spring ball
Buchanan said the coaching staff makes it pretty easy for players to pick up on the plays and the vision for the offense. He is working on coming out of breaks and improving his footwork this spring, and he’ll hope to use his strength and size to go up against defensive backs in the Big Ten this fall.
On what he knows about Whittingham
Buchanan says Whittingham is all about football and is very old school. When it comes to the practices, they’re working hard. He used the word “physicality” quite a bit to talk about Whittingham’s practices.
On team goals
Buchanan says while he wants to go and play at the next level, the team has goals to accomplish this season — including winning the Big Ten. He also listed a national championship and believes they can get back to the top of the mountain and knows it’s possible at a place like Michigan. In order to reach that, he knows the team is working on rhythm with quarterback Bryce Underwood and that’s something they’re focusing on this spring.
On playing in The Game
Buchanan said he loves the hostility against Ohio State. While he’s new to Ann Arbor, he’s already up to speed on the rivalry and what’s at stake the final weekend of the regular season. Buchanan said he’s looking forward to playing the Buckeyes and showing what he can do on college football’s biggest stage.
On playing with Bryce Underwood
Buchanan said he loves working out with Underwood. He got a text from Underwood his first night on campus asking if he’d go throw so they could start building that connection with each other. Buchanan said he really believes he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks to play at Michigan.
