Inside Michigan football fall camp 'bunker': #LockedIn, 'turnt up' practice and 'we're gonna be really good'

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football has ramped up practices to the point of putting on pads for the first time Saturday, and the team is nearing the end of its first week of fall camp.

Before the first practice last Wednesday, second-year head coach Sherrone Moore summoned to his team to stay off of social media as they prepare for the Aug. 30 opener against New Mexico and the 2025 campaign. Tuesday night, Moore, staff members and players essentially signed off by posting the hashtag #LockedIn.

“Coach Moore challenged us to kinda stay off social media, go into the bunker,” graduate EDGE TJ Guy said. “I like to think of it as going up into the mountains, just going for a month and doing what you gotta do. No social media for the team.”

The no social media guideline is in place for fall camp, but Guy thinks some Wolverines may take it into the season.

“I could see it carrying out through, too, because I feel like what it really does is, as young people, we go on our phone and start scrolling,” Guy noted. “Without that scrolling mindlessly, we can be productive and do something good.”

It’s a “self-challenge,” Guy said, adding that he doesn’t believe it’s being policed but that “maybe they’re watching.”

‘Turnt up’ practice leads to realization

Michigan held a practice over the weekend that stood out to Guy and made him come to a realization.

“Really good,” Guy said of the vibes in fall camp. “Really high spirits and everything like that. For me personally, after that night practice we had two days ago before the off day, I was like, ‘We’re gonna be really good. We have a lot of talent on this team.’ Good spirits. The practice was really good.”

It wasn’t just offense, defense or special teams, either. It was everybody.

“The whole team — Michigan football,” Guy added. “We just have playmakers everywhere. We’re a close-knit group, building the continuity.

“It was the first day we were really turned up, for real. We were flying around. It was just good to see offensive guys making plays, defensive guys flashing. It was good.”

A common theme for the Michigan defense this season — after losing four top-90 NFL Draft picks off of last year’s elite unit — is ‘depth.’ The Wolverines have multiple players that will see time at every position, planning to rotate quite a bit, especially in the front seven.

“Fresh bodies in the game, and once we all have the same 11 on the field at all times, if that makes sense — no matter who’s in, you just have fresh bodies the entire game, which can destroy offenses,” Guy explained.

On the other side, the Michigan offense has taken leaps from a year ago.

“One hundred percent — individually, collectively as a group,” Guy said of the improvement he’s seen. “The O-line, tight ends, receivers, quarterbacks, running backs — they all look way a step ahead from last year.”

The Michigan offense is projected to have a freshman at quarterback — Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class — and Guy believes the defense is helping prepare him for what he’ll see this year.

“You know us, we’re a great defense,” Guy said. “He’s not gonna see too many defenses better than us. He’s not gonna see too many defenses doing too much more crazy things than we do. I feel like it’s a great test for him.”

Michigan was picked as the fifth-best team in the Big Ten in the conference’s unofficial media poll, and the Wolverines checked in No. 14 nationally in the preseason coaches poll. They’re not seriously looked at as a national title contender, but that kind of talk isn’t what Guy is interested in.

“I know that we’re gonna attack each week trying to win the game,” the Michigan EDGE said. “However that shakes out, that’s how it’s gonna shake out.

“I know me personally — and I know many guys in here would agree with me — we don’t really care about any of that, for real. We just try to work on our technique, hand placement, eyes, alignment, assignment … and all of that is gonna take care of itself.”