ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- While freshmen names that have been bandied about during the offseason have included Savion Hiter, Carter Meadows, Salesi Moa, and Travis Johnson, Michigan football has a couple of other high-end players who perhaps won't contribute right away given the depth ahead of them, but certainly have bright futures. The lifeblood of any program is in the trenches, and the Wolverines managed to reel in two top-flight four-star recruits at defensive tackle, both of whom were summer arrivals.
Titan Davis and Alister Vallejo both have high expectations, even if this first year won't necessarily see them on the field as much as future seasons. Given that Trey Pierce, Enow Etta, Jonah Lea'ea, Deyvid Palepale, Bobby Kanka, and others may
be ahead of them on the depth chart, they've got a bit of an uphill battle. But their position coach, Larry Black, likes what he's seen out of both in fall camp.
On Monday, Black shared how they're both progressing and why it's difficult for freshman defensive tackles to crack the rotation early.
"Yeah, you're talking Titan and Alister," Black said. "It's tough, man. D-line is hard. Like, it's gritty. You're getting four hands on you, double teams. You're learning how to position your body weight on certain blocks. Then you've got school, you're in the bridge program.
"So, I think the challenge, one, is just being organized and being detailed with what they do from school-wise to field-wise. And then next is just coming in and showing the ability to use your hands at a high level. A lot of times the high school guys get away with it because they're more athletic and more talented and they never really have to strike people.When you get here, you've got to learn how to use your hands.
"So, those guys have been able to progress, man. But I'll tell you what, Titan and Alister, they show up every day and I've been proud of those guys just from the standpoint of they're still kind of been in class while the rest of the team is still working and they show up every day, man, and they're finding ways to get better. So, very, very stock up on those two as they continue to progress. "
It's not impossible that they see early playing time. After all, Vallejo -- who many have compared to Mason Graham -- hopes to follow in his footsteps as a player who got regular snaps in rotation in his freshman campaign. Titan Davis was mentioned in a CBS Sports article as a player to watch even this season.
As of the fall roster release, Davis is listed at 286 pounds, while Vallejo is 307.
Michigan does seem to have a belief that it's important to get freshmen on the field in year one. But how much will either see if it's not a blowout situation? That much is anyone's guess, as the team continues to prepare toward the season opener on September 5 against Western Michigan.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football freshman defensive tackles show promise in camp
