ANN ARBOR - Before Michigan's Week 4 game against USC, defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan said true freshman safety Mason Curtis' "time is coming."
His time came Saturday against Illinois. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound former four-star recruit made his first defensive appearance of the season and played 22 snaps as the Wolverines modified its rotation in the secondary.
Curtis wasn't the only true freshman to make his defensive debut Saturday. Cornerback Jo'Ziah Edmond, the No. 158 overall prospect in the country last cycle, played five snaps after Michigan's secondary took an early hit with All-American Will Johnson exciting the game in the first quarter.
"Those guys get a lot of reps of practice, and I thought it was really good for those guys to be able to, in a conference game on the road, try to get their feet wet," Morgan said Wednesday of Curtis and Edmond. "Both of them have been playing special teams, but that was the first game that those guys played on defense, and I thought they did a good job. We just got to continue to get them better at practice.
"They're both smart kids. They both want to be right. They just got to get experience. True freshmen, best conference in the world, Saturday night, it's a lot of pressure on these guys to want to perform and stuff, and I thought those guys did a good job. But moving forward, those guys are part of the game plan. They're getting tons of reps. We roll a lot of guys at practice, try to roll a lot of guys in the games, but I'm excited about those two guys."
The Wolverines were coming off a bye week and had struggled defending the pass the first half of the year. The team is looking to build depth at multiple positions, and head coach Sherrone Moore said both players took advantage of their opportunities during the extra week of preparation.
"Those guys just get better," Moore said Monday. "They've got bright futures. Jo'Ziah Edmond can be as good as anybody. He's got great skill set, great ability, great speed. And then Mason Curtis, you're talking about a (6-5) safety that can run and he'll hit you. We have these opportunity practices. It gives a chance to younger guys to really evolve and get better, and those are chances for those guys to make a move. We always say it's 'Make a move Monday.' If you want to go make it, do it."
Offensively, true freshman tight end Hogan Hansen played a career-high 15 snaps and had four catches for 50 yards. Saturday was the second time this season Hansen stepped up following an in-game injury. After Colston Loveland exited the Sept. 14 game against Arkansas State, Hansen made his collegiate debut and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass on his first play.
The 6-foot-5, 236-pounder only played eight offensive snaps over the next three games, but with Marlin Klein leaving the Illinois game in the first quarter, Hansen's name was called once again.
"Hogan goes in there, doesn't blink, doesn't flinch," Moore said on Monday night's "Inside Michigan Football" radio show. "Goes in there, starts making plays. He's a guy that I think will just continue to play."
At receiver, Michigan continues to search for solutions to ignite its lowly passing attack. Amorion Walker, who transferred to Ole Miss after the 2023 season before returning to Michigan following spring practices, is a junior but is still adjusting to playing offense. The 6-foot-3 former defensive back is Michigan's tallest wideout and has seen his playing time increase the past two games. He only played four snaps combined the first five games but was on the field for nine against Washington, making a 22-yard grab that moved the chains.
Walker played 29 snaps against Illinois and caught two passes for 12 yards.
"We didn't have him in spring ball, so during training camp the first couple weeks of the season was him transitioning back to being an offensive player," Michigan receivers coach Ron Bellamy said Wednesday. "He's going out there and he looks good out there."
At 4-3, Michigan's playoff hopes are likely quashed, but the door is open for young players to gain valuable game experience.
"You have some young guys that are continuing to get better throughout the year," Morgan said. "I think it's different when you go to a place like Michigan, just getting a feel for how everything is with academics, with school, winning and losing, and just trying to figure all those different things out. I just think it's a little bit of a process for young guys."