Name: Makari Paige
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 192 lbs.
High school: West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield
Position: Safety
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #7
Last year: I ranked Paige #63 and said he would be a backup safety (LINK). He made 6 tackles.
TTB Rating: 79
It's not usually a good thing when the third best safety in the program is a true freshman, because safety is a notoriously difficult position to learn so quickly. And yet in 2020, that was exactly where Michigan found itself. Paige was a well regarded recruit but not a superstar high school player, and with no spring ball during a COVID year, he was apparently the best guy available to back up Brad Hawkins and Daxton Hill at safety. He performed adequately for a freshman, but he was still slow to read things and lacked something when supporting the run.
Paige looks to be the third best guy again, but now he has six games and an entire off-season under his belt. He also now plays for his former high school coach, Ron Bellamy, the new assistant at the position. (It's also worth noting that last year's safeties coach, Bob Shoop, was not with the team for the entire season and fill-in Aashon Larkins was not nearly as accomplished.) So there should be an improvement here, and Michigan needs to groom replacements for Hawkins and Hill, both of whom are likely to be gone to the NFL in 2022.
Prediction: Backup safety, special teamer
I'm curious to see who will see more snaps this year between Paige and the top DL candidates like Jeter, Hinton, Smith, Welshoff. I would guess as the 5th DB it will be Paige unless one of those guys surges ahead of others.
ReplyDeleteI would hope our DL is at least two deep, and our secondary can keep the safeties in place (meaning Seldon can come in at Nickel)
DeletePaige, Moten and others should get playing time, but that should be determined by injuries & garbage time
If last year is any indication the 5 DB package will be used more than the 4 DB package (I don't have data to substantiate this for Michigan but it is true for most teams, even in the NFL). I still don't have a sense for if that means one of the 3 "true" DL will come out or if it will be one of the OLB (quasi-DE like Hutchinson or a more true LB). Regardless,
DeleteLast year the 5-DB personnel included Paige rather than any of the CB options. Hill slid into the slot and Paige came in. Michigan typically didn't add in a 3rd corner unless they went to dime packages. I'd guess that's still Michigan's "best 5" unless one of the younger guys zooms ahead.
Safety is the strongest position on D and CB perhaps the weakest.
There's a lot of assumptions above but if that logic holds Paige will have a huge role and will be closing games (even if he isn't starting them).
All true, but how many times have we seen a player at the start of the season, only to disappear? How many have contributed in once season, and then scaled back the next?
DeleteAs far as I know, Seldon missed time due to COVID. With a year under his belt, my "hope" is that we have a Nickel. Keep #2 & #30 at Safety, commanding the Secondary
Will the fifth defensive back be an extra safety (Paige, Moten, etc.) or an extra corner (Gray, Seldon, etc.)? With this new defensive staff, I don't really know.
DeleteThey used Brandon Watson (a corner) a few years ago, but they used Paige last year.
Agree. There is the inherent uncertainty of offseason development and new personnel plus additional short COVID-season uncertainty as well as the coaching change uncertainty. We're just guessing.
DeleteBUUUUT, there was talk during last year's camp that Hill was the best CB on the team but didn't want to be moved off safety. I find that believable. I think Paige also acquitted himself pretty well for a freshman, at least from what we could tell in the overall cluster. Brown loved him and Bellomy also seems to be a big fan, having coached him in HS.
Paige is big and fast - he can defend the slot and play safety. I don't think he's going to get passed.