Michigan Football Rumors: Another Position Switch And Battle For Backup DE Spot

The Michigan Wolverines are approaching the end of fall camp with the season opener less one week away. Although the season is nearly here, the coaching staff isn't done switching players' positions and there a few position battles left to be decided. Here are the latest rumors on Michigan Football

Nate Johnson To CB
Jim Harbaugh and his staff have already made a few position changes and with the transfer of CB Keith Washington, they're made another. WR Nate Johnson is getting work at CB now, reports scout.com (subscription required) and the Detroit Free Press.

"Yeah, Nate Johnson, he's going back and forth," sophomore corner Lavert Hill told the Free Press. "He's a great athlete. So they move him around (a bit)."

Michigan has plenty of options at WR, especially with Grant Perry back from a suspension, but they are a bit thin at CB. Johnson's move to WR could also allow him to see the field more often. He's listed at 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, with the quickness to serve as a nickel or dime corner

Three-Way Battle For Backup DE Spot
Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich are the Michigan starters at DE, with Carlo Kemp set to backup Gary. But the backup role behind Winovich is very much up for grabs. 247Sports reports that three players are battling for top backup billing. 

"Right now, we're hearing it's been a relatively tight three-way battle between true freshmen Luiji Vilain and Kwity Paye along with redshirt sophomore Reuben Jones," Steve Lorenz of 247Sports writes. "While we'd currently peg Vilain as the favorite, both Paye and Jones have had strong camps, with the former showing some real ability in flashes."

Lorenz adds that one source told him Paye, a three-star recruit, has shown some impressive things, but still needs to work on consistency. Finally, Lorenz says that both Paye and Vilain, a four-star, will both see snaps. That was expected with Vilain, but it's a nice surprise for Paye, who was not as highly touted. 

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Related Topics: Michigan Wolverines Football, Nate Johnson, Kwity Paye, Michigan Wolverines Football Fall Camp, Luiji Vilain, Michigan Wolverines Football Rumors