at nickel back not because he couldn't hack it safety or not because there was so much depth at cornerback, but because nickel back will be an impact position, and U-M wanted an impact player there. Michigan decided to play five-star freshman Jabrill Peppersnot because he couldn't hack it safety or not because there was so much depth at cornerback, but because nickel back will be an impact position, and U-M wanted an impact player there.

"The way offenses are nowadays, you have to play nickel so much more," defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said. "The nickel position is an important position now compared to where it was five or 10 years ago. You have to have a guy in there that is going to play a whole bunch in that game."

The 6-1, 202-pound Peppers has been practicing with his teammates for less than a week, yet he is already a key figure for the Wolverines, generating more questions from Mattison than any other individual defensively.

That type of attention could go to such a young player's head, but Peppers was shielded from media-day interviews, and behind the scenes, he's being treated like everyone else.

"I haven't had to say a thing to him about it," Mattison said. "We coach him really, really hard. There's no pampering. 'You're just a guy on our defense.'

"Obviously with what success he had at his high school, he'll get attention but he's been very mature about it. He understands it's about Michigan now. When you're at Michigan, you're just one of the team and your responsibility is to do what the team asks of you, and that's what he's done."

In other words, there is no prima donna with Peppers, but there is an elite athlete that Mattison expects to play significantly this fall.

"Any freshman that is getting reps with the first or second unit at the University of Michigan is obviously going to be better than a freshman that is not," his coordinator said. "He's talented.

"He wins the state in New Jersey in the 100- and 200-meter dash so that tells me he's fast. He started and played great football for two or three state championships and that tells me he's a very good football player. So him choosing to come to Michigan, now he has to prove he's a Michigan football player and that happens every day in practice, but to this point, he has embraced that and tried to be the best football player he can be.

"I expect him to play up to his ability, and we wouldn't have him in there if we didn't think he could help us have a really good defense."

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