Joey Burzynski : All posts

Michigan's bearded buds Joey Burzynski and Elliott Mealer still scrapping for starting OL spot

Elliott Mealer, center, is competing with friend and teammate Joey Burzynski for a starting position and in a beard growing competition.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

When it comes to beards, everything is cyclical.

"Facial hair goes in 150-year cycles," he says. "This was popular in the Civil War, and it should be coming back right about now I think."

6 risers and fallers from Michigan football team's spring camp

It was an uneventful spring camp for the Michigan football team -- and that's a good thing for a club that has 15 starters back from an 11-2 campaign.

Coach Brady Hoke wasn't changing up schemes. He has most of his playmakers back. He has established leaders, and depth at several key positions (with both lines being a notable exception).

He mostly was looking to get out healthy after 15 practices, and he did that, aside from some lumps here and there. But a few surprises did emerge along the way.

It's prudent to not read too much into the spring game -- which featured Denard Robinson for only one series, for example, and only base schemes on both sides of the ball, for another.

But, judging from what we saw Saturday, bolstered by camp reports from players and coaches, here are some risers and fallers from Michigan's spring:

5 new names to watch at Michigan football team's spring game

Michigan cornerback Terrence Talbott (37) smiles as he sits with teammates during media day before the 2011 season. After not playing last year, the junior has impressed coaches this spring.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

At this time last year, Jake Ryan's resume went something like this: Redshirt freshman linebacker; so-so recruit; didn't start until he was a high school senior.

He was nothing more than a blip on the Michigan football team's 100-something man roster. After the spring game, he was anything but.

Ryan posted perhaps the biggest highlight of that game — a pick-six of backup quarterback Devin Gardner — and showcased the kind of sideline-to-sideline tenacity for which he has become known.

He carried that momentum into the fall, eventually earned the job at strong-side linebacker and started every game. He finished with 11 tackles for loss, second on the team, and recovered two fumbles.

This year's spring game will kick off at noon Saturday at Michigan Stadium (Big Ten Network). Who will be this year's breakout player?