Peppers mirrored his game after that of Woodson, who played multiple roles throughout his Michigan career, but Woodson said that he believes it is Peppers who will become the model for players hoping to break free of the limits of a single position. Not surprisingly, Woodson, who spent 18 years in the N.F.L., is among those who see an upside in Peppers’s versatility. “They’re kind of generational players,” he said, “and, at least at this point, he appears to be a vital difference-maker.” “Those players don’t come along often,” Steinberg said in a telephone interview, calling them “gems” and “franchise-makers.” safety or cornerback, but his ability to fill other roles should, Steinberg said, propel him up draft boards. One veteran agent, Leigh Steinberg, characterized Peppers as a unique talent who offers general managers an “amazing windfall as opposed to a problem with position placement.” Peppers probably projects as an N.F.L. But while his wide-ranging skills have paid dividends for Harbaugh the past two seasons, it is still uncertain how Peppers’s diverse repertory might translate to sustained success as a pro player. In 22 career games and 17 starts at Michigan, Peppers has made a strong impression. “Hopefully, they’ll notice me when the time comes, but one thing is for sure: I’m going to keep getting better.” “I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been asked to do, and that’s just play the best ball I can play,” Peppers told reporters last week. (In addition to the Heisman talk, Peppers this week was named a finalist for the Thorpe Award, which honors the nation’s top defensive back.) He maintains that his focus remains on this season, rather than on where his talents might take him as a pro. Peppers says there is still more he can do, even though he ranks second among Michigan’s tacklers, rushed for two touchdowns in a 78-0 win over Rutgers and returned a punt for a score in a win against Colorado. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Peppers also is coy about how much more his role could expand within Harbaugh’s playbook. should he choose to leave Michigan early. He is stiff-arming any Heisman talk as well as any speculation about his future in the N.F.L. It’s the darnedest thing I’ve ever seen.”įor his part, Peppers seems to ignore the hype machine that has enveloped him since he was an all-American at Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey. “If there is a better player in the country, I don’t know who it is,” Harbaugh said, adding: “There’s nothing he can’t do. The Wolverines’ re-emergence this season has been led largely by a nationally top-ranked defense that is headlined by Peppers, a multipositional do-it-all. 2 entering Saturday’s game at Michigan State (2-5) and on course for its first berth in the College Football Playoff. Nineteen years later, Michigan is ranked No. The Heisman, college football’s top individual honor, was last won by a Michigan man in 1997, when Charles Woodson, another two-way star, was the top vote-getter in the same season the Wolverines finished as co-national champions with Nebraska. Without openly campaigning for Peppers, Harbaugh has thrust him into prime position for the Heisman Trophy. Peppers’s seemingly ceiling-free ability prompted Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh to compare him recently not to just any other football player but to the multisport Olympian Jim Thorpe. But in helping lead Michigan to its first 7-0 start since 2006, Peppers has covered much more ground: 485 snaps in fact, at 12 positions, according to statistics compiled by Michigan’s athletic department. Peppers, Michigan’s dynamic redshirt sophomore, is listed as a linebacker and a defensive back on the Wolverines’ roster. In the jack-of-all-trades football universe of Jabrill Peppers, the strategic options appear unlimited.
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