Jabrill Peppers has been drawing comparisons to Charles Woodson since the moment he arrived in Ann Arbor. Now, Peppers and Woodson have apparently formed a mentor-mentee relationship.
Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press brings word that Woodson, who took home the 1997 Heisman Trophy at Michigan before becoming a sure-fire Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, has taken a liking to Peppers, and the recently retired defensive back elaborated on Peppers' game.
"He played a lot, I think he played more offense than I played," Woodson said. "Now looking at him on the defensive side, moving around, I guess he's going to be playing a little linebacker and that sort of thing, those are the things that can make a team great, that can get you over the hump. When you have a guy that each week you can change up your game plan a little bit depending on what an offense does — you can put him at nickel, you can put him at linebacker position, Will or Sam or whatever they have him doing, he can create a matchup that the offense is not ready for.
"If you can utilize a guy's talents and not let other parts of the game suffer, you've got a winning mix."
In addition, Woodson spoke about sending Peppers "a little note" following games in an effort to steward the now-linebacker in improving his game. Peppers famously entered Michigan as a five-star cornerback recruit from New Jersey, but he starred as a safety during his redshirt freshman campaign and Peppers is now slated to start at linebacker for the Wolverines in 2016.
The comparisons between Woodson and Peppers are obvious in that both present dynamic talents, but because Peppers also plays offense and special teams, it is easy to see the resemblance. As 2016 approaches, Michigan fans can now continue hoping that Peppers develops fully into a Woodson clone and, by extension, into the nation's most dynamic defensive playmaker.
