ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Since even back in spring ball, it's been evident who the primary three cornerbacks for Michigan football would be: Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, and Smith Snowden. But, as the coaching staff said back then, the big question was the depth behind them.
Now, with fall camp nearly over, one has come to the forefront as someone who will definitely be in the rotation.
A four-star across all recruiting services, Shamari Earls was a longtime South Carolina commit before flipping to Georgia and then to the Wolverines. He had some injury issues last year that precluded him from seeing the field as much as the two first-year players who have since transferred out -- Jayden Sanders and Elijah Dotson. But now, as Earls enters his second year in college
football, he's not only earned playing time, he's playing right alongside the other top corners in terms of viability.
"Shamari is playing like a starter, and honestly I'm going to probably have four of them between Zeke, Sug, Snowden and Shamari," cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford said. "Night and day from day one, on and off the field. Took a lot of flak as far as spring goes with some confidence, but he's definitely, definitely grew and I think he's learned a lot from those three guys, from those upperclassmen -- knowing how to watch film, knowing how to practice. Just trying to be consistent every single play. So I think he's learned a lot over the last eight months. I'm very impressed with him, and I'm looking forward to the way that he responds come season time."
While Earls may be settled as a 'fourth' starter, there is still a question about who will play after him. As it turns out, that debate might not be settled even before the season.
According to Gilford, there are three players vying for playing time -- one being a third-year player who showed promise in his freshman year, another being a true freshman, and another being another third-year player who recently switched over from offense to defense. Even so, there might not be an official pecking order, as they'll each have to earn their role every single week.
"The competition between 5-6-7 -- Jo'Ziah Edmond, Jamarion Vincent and I'Marion Stewart," Gilford said. "That's going to be an ongoing competition. I'm going to be honest with you guys, it's going to be an ongoing competition throughout the whole year. I've already told them the best man is going to play. That's how I've been coaching my whole life, and I'm not going to change. They totally understand that. Everything is going to happen on and off the field, so you've got to do everything right. And that's just how we're going to go from there, from 5-6-7.
"Special teams is going to play a big factor, so whoever plays the most special teams is going to be the fifth guy. Somebody has to bring some value, and that's going to be special teams. So whoever plays the most special teams, whoever's the best on special teams, will probably earn that fifth spot."
Who will fans see out on the field? We'll know more come September 5, when Michigan football hosts Western Michigan for the season opener at The Big House.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Shamari Earls earns major role in Michigan football secondary
