Michigan's defense has, rightfully, received a great deal of credit in advance of the 2015 season, and much of that credence has been paid to a quality core of linebackers. Joe Bolden has been the player who has received the most accolades, but the Wolverines have a returning starter who was arguably better than Bolden the last time he was on the field.
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Desmond Morgan, who missed 11 games during the 2014 campaign with an arm injury, is back at 100 percent, and he is seemingly ready to compete at a high level once again. Ben Fidelman of 247Sports spoke to Morgan, and the senior linebacker had this to say about his return:
"I'm definitely anxious, I haven't played a game in over a year now. It feels weird and I don't think I've ever gone this long without playing football. It was weird for me to have to sit there when the team went on the road and watch games on TV, it was the first time since high school I had done that."
Morgan is the most talented of the three starting linebackers (James Ross III joins Bolden and Morgan), and he was a valuable contributor while starting all 13 games for the 2013 squad. It hasn't been a competition between the linebackers for publicity, though, as Morgan spoke about working closely with Bolden to grow continuity.
"I think conversations about this season started last year. We were close on and off the field, plus playing with each other in the middle helps with that as well. We're both veteran guys that have played a lot of football here and have been around for a couple years, so we kind of know what to expect."
Desmond Morgan has received almost zero "buzz" for the 2015 season, and that is to be expected with Bolden receiving Captain honors, Jabrill Peppers being the center of attention and, well, Jim Harbaugh's sheer existence. Still, he has the upside to reach 100 tackles this season, and with the athleticism to cover well in the passing game as well, Michigan is lucky to have him back for a final college season.
