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Michigan‘s Big Ten title hopes were brought to a halt with a 42-13 pounding at the hands of rival Ohio State Saturday afternoon, but one thing that continues to amaze me is the versatility of Jabrill Peppers.
The redshirt freshman is listed as a safety, but there really isn’t much that Peppers hasn’t been able to do this year. That’s why he’s among four finalists for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation’s most versatile player. Defensively, you can put Peppers at linebacker as well as in the secondary and lately, he’s been seeing time offensively.
In the loss to the Buckeyes, Peppers carried the ball seven times for 29 yards, caught two passes for for 25 yards and also threw a pass. Let’s not forget his contributions on special teams as well, returning both kicks and punts with regularity.
Peppers is a piece of a defensive unit that’s been pretty darn good through most of the season. Jourdan Lewis has been the standout performer in the secondary this season, leading the conference in pass breakups, but the young safety is making a name for himself in Ann Arbor.
It’s no surprise that the Wolverines have been looking for more playmakers offensively, with shaky quarterback play and not much depth at receiver. The running back position has depth, but no standout runners. Head coach Jim Harbaugh hasn’t been afraid to take chances in his career and he clearly sees something special in Jabrill Peppers.
With the loss, Michigan closes the regular season with a 9-3 record. Disappointing considering they had late-season Big Ten and national aspirations, but encouraging considering they won only five games a year ago. They’ll play one more game, as the Wolverines now await their bowl assignment. It may not be what they had hoped it would be a week ago, but nevertheless, it’ll be a positive experience for young players like Peppers as they look towards next season.
Jason Shawley is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering Big Ten Football. Follow him on Twitter @jshawls.
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