In the Trenches 595 - Jaime Ffrench, Andrew Sprague Transcript
8/19/2026 5:00:00 AM | MGoBlue Podcasts
Jon Jansen • 00:00
Well, we've got a lot to cover as we get closer and closer to the regular season. The Broncos are on the horizon, but today we've got a new player and an old friend. We've got Jamie Ffrench, new to the program, comes to us from the Longhorns. Really excited to talk to Jamie Ffrench and also Andrew Sprague. And you guys know how I love to talk to my offensive lineman. Both of those players join me next on in the Trenches.
Jeff Laurence • 00:26
Welcome to the official podcast of Michigan football In the Trenches with Jon Jansen. Presented by Meijer, presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest. Nobody covers Michigan football better than the two time captain, national champion and Michigan athletics Hall of Honor inductee.
Jaime Ffrench • 00:48
Playing fast, you know, just bringing the old me back to the collegiate level and just helping my team win, get touchdowns, move the ball on third down, stuff like that.
Jon Jansen • 00:55
So you referenced the old, what do you mean by bringing the old me back?
Jaime Ffrench • 00:59
I wasn't able to make a lot of plays and show glimpses of me last year. So just coming back here at Michigan and just getting back to me in high school.
Jeff Laurence • 01:07
This is in the Trenches presented by Meijer. Once again, here's Jon Jansen.
Jon Jansen • 01:13
Welcome back friends to another live edition of in the Trenches. You got myself, Jon Jansen along with Brian Boesch and excited to be talking more Michigan football. But we want to let you know what's going on with MGO Blue podcast before we get into our seven from seventy seven Defend the Block. It's already out so you can download it wherever you get your podcast. Brian was joined by Moustapha Thiam and so excited to have him on the podcast Conquering Heroes. It will return September three. There's going to be a little bit new format so it's exciting. Stay tuned. That'll come out on the third of September, but as I already mentioned, I'm joined by the voice of Michigan basketball, Brian Boesch. Brian, how you doing man?
Brian Boesch • 01:55
I'm great. We got a nice new office here at Schembechler Hall.
Jon Jansen • 01:58
Yeah, we are live on site today.
Brian Boesch • 02:00
We are. We'll see if that's able to continue. We'll gauge Jon's behavior this week, but we are still able to take comments and questions from the chat. We'll do that on the video only version. We've got two interviews on the audio side of things. Wide receiver Jamie Ffrench and then offensive lineman Andrew Sprague. Believe it or not, we, we will have Jamie first. That is, I don't Know if that's in Jon's contract. I think he requires that we have the offensive lineman first.
Jon Jansen • 02:26
No, no, we save best for last.
Brian Boesch • 02:28
Oh, okay, fair enough. We do it in the order.
Jon Jansen • 02:30
However way you flip that coin, it's
Jon Jansen • 02:32
going heads for me.
Brian Boesch • 02:33
Yeah, it's weird how that works. All right, let's talk about the big news from this week already. The captains are out. And we start with the man who is the first three time captain since Horace Greeley Prettyman. Who of course.
Jon Jansen • 02:48
Oh, Horace.
Brian Boesch • 02:49
He was a rusher and a forward for the maze in blue back in the day. That was in the eighteen eighties. Our buddy Anthony Broom over at the Wolverine pointing out that little morsel of goodness that the first three time captain was Prettyman and the second is Rod Moore. Your thoughts?
Jon Jansen • 03:07
So a forward and a rusher.
Brian Boesch • 03:11
Yes.
Jon Jansen • 03:11
So I'm guessing rusher obviously.
Jon Jansen • 03:13
You know this is before the forward pass.
Brian Boesch • 03:15
I don't think they had edge rushers back then.
Jeff Laurence • 03:17
No.
Jon Jansen • 03:17
So he would be the running back.
Brian Boesch • 03:19
Forward.
Jon Jansen • 03:20
I'm curious as to what that would translate into today's position group forward.
Brian Boesch • 03:26
Is that probably offensive lineman? Just because that's where this whole podcast revolves to.
Jon Jansen • 03:31
Yeah. But if he's the rusher then he's going to block for himself. So he would if forward would have to be. Maybe that's the defensive line.
Brian Boesch • 03:40
Maybe his coach did what Lloyd never did for you, made him eligible.
Jon Jansen • 03:44
He threw him the ball. Maybe he's the first one that caught a forward pass. That's why he's three time captain.
Brian Boesch • 03:49
According to the Michigan Daily, he was the first Ohioan to play Michigan football. So he was the first. Correct.
Jon Jansen • 03:56
Okay. First one that actually graduated high school
Jon Jansen • 03:59
and got into the University of Michigan. Yes.
Brian Boesch • 04:02
Yeah. And he also owned like three businesses after the fact.
Jon Jansen • 04:05
Ohio State. And actually could spell hey, and Rod, Ohio native.
Jon Jansen • 04:09
Yeah.
Brian Boesch • 04:09
You know, nice little lineage there for the three time captains.
Jon Jansen • 04:12
Really excited for Rod and it could not happen to a better individual. Obviously from a two time captain. I'm jealous as hell that he is now going to be that three time captain, but not jealous about how he got there. A lot of trials and tribulations. We talk about earning the right to be a Michigan captain. It comes with, you know, hey you, you spend some time down the depth chart. You work your way up, you have some successes, you have some failures, you learn from a lot of different things that happen. And we'll talk about how that's somewhat changing in college football. It's changing here at Michigan, but for Rod there's no one that has gone through the fire more than Rod Moore. And we saw it last year when he's. He's. He's trying to get back on the field, continually trying. And it was always the question, where's Rod Moore? What's Rod Moore doing?
Jon Jansen • 04:57
When is he going to be back? Well, now he's back, and he says he's as close to what he was prior to the injury as he's ever been. We had him in the summer, really excited that he's back. He's playing this defense, is going to count on him, not just in terms of his skills. And we'll see where he is. You know, having basically two years outside of football, outside of playing football, mentally, you're going to have another coach on the field. And that's what we had talked about last year, having him on the field. Even though it was some brief moments, he has done a great job of staying engaged, staying involved, putting in the work to get back on the field. And I could not be more proud of a Michigan football player than I am of Rod Moore. And I'm excited that he is again, captain at Michigan.
Brian Boesch • 05:43
We've talked about Rod Moore a few times, and I've maintained there's really not a whole lot about Rod Moore we can discuss other than he just has to be healthy. This is one of the junctures I would put there as we'll talk about with the offensive captains, different rules, parameters, those who are eligible for Rod to still do it, new regime, new setup, hasn't played in two years. It speaks to what he's been bringing to the table. Now, number two on our seven from seventy seven, the other defensive captain. These are the four spring captains who maintained that title. He here for the fall and for the season. It's defensive lineman Trey Pierce. Jon, I think he has a chance to be Michigan's best defensive player based on where his position, where he excels on the field. Where have you seen him as a leader, live up to that type of billing?
Jon Jansen • 06:29
Well, for Trey, he has grown into more of a leadership role. He's come in. He's not. He was not much of a vocal guy in his first few years. He's become more vocal. He's more comfortable with what his role is on the team, how he relates to his. His teammates, how he relates to the coaching staff, developing all of those relationships. But for Trey, it's more about, this is how I go about my business, and this is how, you know, if you're a young guy, watch Trey Pierce, how he studies, how he works out, how he manages his weight, what he's doing nutritionally, what he's doing up on campus. He is, you know, the, the ultimate pros pro here at the college level in how to earn your way into a prominent role of playing but also earn your way into the respect that you've got to have from your teammates.
Brian Boesch • 07:20
All right, number three on our seven from seventy seven. We flip to the offensive side of things and talking about the changes in parameters, eligibility for captains in the past recent history you had to be at least a fourth year player. Not necessarily fourth year in the program, but fourth year player. The two offensive captains are not third year Jordan Marshall, a guy who, he's talked like a captain. What Biff Poggi I think once said he'd vote for him as president one day and maybe, I mean, hey, Jordan has that type of fluidity with his speech, the way he carries himself, how he, when everyone brings up him and Savion, he'll mention Bryson Kuzdzal, right? That's the kind of approach he takes. This isn't surprising that he got there at any point, but certainly as a junior it's well earned.
Jon Jansen • 08:06
It is and it's, it's. He's a guy. When he was a young player here at Michigan, a lot of the coaches that were here at the time compared him to Blake Corum. Not just in terms of his athletic ability, what he can do on the field. There are some comparisons there. Jordan is obviously becoming his own player. But when you look at what he has done in a leadership role, leading this offense, standing, talking, when what it needs to be. But more importantly, just like I mentioned with Trey Pierce, it's not about what you're saying, it's about what you're doing. Guys are always going to pick up on that more. But then when you do talk, are you talking about me or are you talking about the team? And you mentioned he always brings up all the guys in that room. He talks about his offensive line, he talks about his quarterbacks, talked about the receivers, talks about the.
Jon Jansen • 08:52
I think it was one of the things that he mentioned in the off season that he really wanted to work on was his pass blocking so that it would, this would be a much more dynamic explosive offense and that's not with the ball in his hands but what he's doing to make the ball available for his teammates. So he's that type of, of individual and that type of leader.
Brian Boesch • 09:10
And if Savion Hiter is what I think a lot of fans are hoping for. I think what some people here in the building think is the potential for that. Incoming true freshman Jordan Marshall's not going to have any issue splitting that running back responsibility. We saw it last year with a guy, Injustice Haynes, who, I mean, Haynes was the more effective runner until he got hurt. He was used a little bit more than Jordan.
Jon Jansen • 09:32
Right. And it's never been about I want more carries. You know, he wants to touch the ball. He'd love to touch the ball on every single play.
Brian Boesch • 09:38
I think that's where he's better is when he gets twenty, twenty five starts,
Jon Jansen • 09:42
get, you know, rolling, gets a rhythm of the game. That's all, all running backs. And it may start off the season until Savion, he's building up trust with the, with the coaches, he's building up trust with his teammates. But until you see it in a game, you know, I mean, and, and Mike Hart used to talk about the, the, the, the, the football is the program. And so you've got to make sure that you build up trust you, that you're going to hold on to that you're going to protect the program at all cost. I think it'll probably be Jordan Marshall one A, saveon one B and at some point I would not be surprised that it flips that, you know, Savion is more of a one A and
Brian Boesch • 10:15
Jordan Marshall is one game, not like just one point at the, in the middle of the season. Then Savion takes over. Are you talking about hot hand or.
Jon Jansen • 10:22
Well, I mean, it always comes down to the hot hand, but I think at some point, because Savion is such a special athlete that he's going to get more touches in a game. And it may not just be handoffs, it could also be throwing the ball to him, but he'll get more touches. And I guarantee you the guy that's not going to be complaining about it is Jordan Marshall. As long as this team is productive, this offense is productive, this team is winning. Jordan Marshall wants the best. And if you're a young player like Savion with the expectations, with the talent that he has coming in, there is no better room to be in than that running back room one with the coaching staff, you know, Tony Alford, Freddie J is still in there, but more importantly, the teammates that you have in that room, that's a solid group of individuals led by Jordan Marshall.
Brian Boesch • 11:09
All right, last but not least, QB one Bryce Underwood, the fourth Michigan captain for twenty twenty six. You have always said it does not matter what, what grade you are how long you've been in a program, whether or not you have that C on your uniform or just figuratively starting quarterback is a leader. So that was already a given. But for the program to recognize Bryce as a sophomore, as somebody who has a lot of pressure on him, yeah, he can lead not just an offense, not just a quarterback room, but as part of a four man captain team. What does that say to you, former captain?
Jon Jansen • 11:47
Well, he's got a command presence on the field. He's going to be the one that's running the huddle. And whether it's a huddle or it's, hey, everybody's at the line of scrimmage and he's calling things, he's got to have a leadership presence. That's the voice that you're going to hear most on the football field. And so it, yes, whether or not he's a captain, whether or not Brian Grease was a captain, it doesn't matter. You're going to have to have leadership qualities from that quarterback or you're just, you're going to be a stunted offense, you're going to be a stunted team. So it's great to see that, that, you know, his teammates recognize that. And I think this is, I don't know if this is a shift from, you know, in terms of going from Jim Harbaugh, Sherrone Moore and now to Kyle Whittingham. I didn't, you know, haven't talked to him about how he ran his program at Utah.
Jon Jansen • 12:32
This is also a shift of what we're seeing in college football. You look at this offense and it is dominated. We talked about it at the end of last year, the amount of young players that had playing time, the experience that's out there. But you look at the offensive line, you look at receivers, you look in the running back room and other than the tight end or some guys that are in position, battles up front, you've got second and third year guys. So the selection process has to be adjusted. That's what has happened here at Michigan this year. And I don't know if that's something that moves forward. Hopefully the retention is more so at Michigan than other programs. But I think you're going to start seeing this around college football where you just don't have guys in a program for very long and you've got a whole lot of young players. That's the case for Michigan this year and we talk about it as a benefit in terms of the experience and the youth of this team.
Jon Jansen • 13:26
Now we'll see. It's a tough challenge to be a captain at the University of Michigan. It is even tougher in your second year, in your third year for Jordan Marshall because you just haven't built up that wealth of experience. Both of them got great experience last year. Now they're going to be thrown into the fire in a new role. Not just production, not just all the expectations that Bryce Underwood came with to Michigan. Now you add on top of that the fact that he is going to be looked at as one of the captains. It's, it's, there's a lot of pressure on this young man and I think his shoulders are broad enough to handle it.
Brian Boesch • 14:04
Yeah. And the reality is if you have been in a program for a second season, if you're a returner, you have to have some sort of leadership these days in college athletics. And we'll talk about where these are the only four guys who are leaders on this team. There is a leadership council we'll discuss momentarily. But first, Jon, we always love returning podcast partners and we got to tell our folks here on the podcast watching or listening about our friends at Laurentide Winery. They're back for another year with us and at the big house.
Jon Jansen • 14:35
Yeah. And if you love our dinner, artisanal award winning wines, you can get it from one hundred Leelanau grapes made by Laurentide Winery at Michigan, a Michigan favorite founded by the University of Michigan alums Susan and Will Braemeyer. They're proud to be family owned since twenty ten and grateful to be part of your celebrations, dinners and game day traditions. You can visit them at the tasting room and Lake Leelanau, purchase online at laurentide one winery dot com thank you for raising your wine glass with Laurentide.
Brian Boesch • 15:10
Thank you to Susan and Will Bramer. Just one Braymer I got said Braemer, Braymeier, Bramer.
Jon Jansen • 15:16
That's what I said.
Jon Jansen • 15:17
We'll go back, we'll film review after this film review and make sure that, you know, I am correct.
Brian Boesch • 15:23
It's okay. We love Susan and Will. They are loyal listeners of the podcast. I wanted to make sure as a guy who's, you know, Boesch with six letters, I, I try to, you know,
Jon Jansen • 15:32
try to get from that safe.
Brian Boesch • 15:34
Yes, yes, exactly. We'd really try to drill that into. Sorry. From the state that produces three time captains in Michigan. I'm just saying number five on our seven from seventy seven. Those four captains will be accompanied by twelve other players on the team's leadership council. There was a spring leadership council as well. This is a Kyle Whittingham led project From Utah now to Michigan. Any names that stand out on the list and how do you feel like the internal player led leadership has developed since Whittingham got here?
Jon Jansen • 16:07
Well, I've always said you're only going to go. Your success is going to be limited or unlimited by the leadership of your players. And I always go back to. People are probably tired of me talking about that ninety seven team. I was a captain of that team. Eric Mays was a captain of that team. Brian Grease, Charles Woodson, Glen Steele, Ben Huff, you know, you, you. I could go right down the list. Zach, Adam, Rob Sweat, all the guys that had leadership roles. We didn't have a leadership council, but we had guys that would step up in the moment when it was appropriate to step up. They would step aside when it was time for somebody else to lead. So when you have a leadership council, it just adds to. We talked about the young players on offense that are now expected to be leaders. They don't have to do it alone. All right, those are the guys that you're looking to on a day in, day out basis.
Jon Jansen • 17:00
But when you look across the board, you've got three offensive linemen on there. Andrew Sprague, Jake or Blake Frazier. All of those guys young but with really good experience and also have had times where they've had to battle for their, their ability to, to get on the field. Troy Bowles defensively, like the football iq. His awareness of what is going on in and around the field, what, what it takes to be excellent. Zeke Barry is a guy that at times we've been very, I've been very tough on in his, in what he's doing. Jyaire Hill is also on this. So you've got representatives literally at every position group. So everyone's represented. And you've got guys with some experience, more experience. Nico Andrighetto. You know, a guy that's been around and done all the dirty jobs that you've got to do on special teams defensively. So there's, there's a really nice mix of, of guys on this list and some new guys as well, like JJ Buchanan and John Henry Daley.
Brian Boesch • 18:00
Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned those two guys. They're the two who are new to the program who are on there and obviously, I mean, Coach Whittingham has had familiarity with those guys. But still, to do that, to earn that within the program, I think is noteworthy. All right, number six on our seven from seventy seven. We'll switch gears a little bit and talk about some of the polls that came out. Michigan is sixteenth in the two polls that are most important among the completely irrelevant polls. But it's always a good talking point to discuss. Those are the ones that show up when you're looking at rankings. AP and coaches poll your thoughts on Michigan, number sixteen in both.
Jon Jansen • 18:37
I think it's appropriate there's a lot of questions and I mean you could look around college football and say there's a lot of questions everywhere with the transfer portal and everything that's going on. But I think it's appropriate that they're at sixteen in both polls and they're behind a team. We talked a lot about BYU last year in regards to should they be in from the Big twelve. They ultimately didn't win their way in. And you start looking at Washington just behind a Penn State just behind him. A lot of questions about, you know, the transfers from Iowa State, Matt Campbell and so they're kind of in that group of they, they, they, any of those teams could be teams that really take off. And there's also just a lot of question marks that if things don't come together they may want, you know, be in that middle rankings and even drop down every once in a while.
Jon Jansen • 19:25
But you look at the top of the polls and you see the teams that have returning quarterbacks or defending national champs.
Brian Boesch • 19:34
Yeah, we'll get into that on the video only stream because pretty wild that of the two polls, I think it's seven, three, four, seven different teams got at least one first place vote, number one vote. So we'll talk about that on the video only side number seven on our seven from seventy seven. The reality is whatever Michigan's ranked in, the AP coaches, any of your favorite prognosticators or if you have one at your house that you are devising, it doesn't matter because Michigan's going to face six teams that are in this poll and who knows, maybe there's another team or two that emerge later on in the year that Michigan will face when they are ranked number one Ohio State, number two Oregon number six Indiana number ten Oklahoma in week two and then the aforementioned Nittany Lions at eighteenth, number twenty two Iowa coming to town at the end of September and mentioned the Big Ten.
Brian Boesch • 20:26
Also remember USC and Washington, Big Ten teams, they are ranked fourteenth and seventeenth respectively. It is pretty wild to see just how different the schedule is now versus what it was. This is kind of, you mentioned the ninety seven team. Like these are schedules that it kind of looks like there are multiple marquee non conference games on the schedule. But, but there's only one because there are new West Coast Big Ten teams. But it is a schedule to where if you do things right and if things break a certain way. I do believe nine and three is a feasible potential college football playoff record. That doesn't mean that's what they're shooting for. This program wants to win Big Ten championships, want to get, you know, buys all that stuff. But the schedule's that challenging.
Jon Jansen • 21:08
It is. And you look at just the headliners. The top tier that you're playing without question marks are going to be obviously Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State. And so obviously if you finish nine and three, you will have to have beaten one of those teams. I think if you, if you only get one of those wins, it becomes a little bit tougher. You're going to have to beat somebody to get in. And then you look at that, maybe that next tier where Penn State question marks, you know, who else was I thinking of? Iowa. I talked about them in regards to. I think they're actually ranked too low at twenty two. I think they're that team in the Big Ten.
Brian Boesch • 21:48
We've discussed that game.
Jon Jansen • 21:50
A lot hinges on that game. So now you're talking about six games of the, the, the twelve that Michigan's going to be playing where it's top notch opponents. They're going to have to play their best football early on against Oklahoma. They're going to have to find their footing. They're going to have to play extremely good football throughout the course of the year and consistently good football because there's no stretch of three or four games where you're like, hey, you know what, we can, we could figure things out, we can get some guys some time. That's not how the schedule sets up. So if you look at it and you say, okay, well maybe this young team, I just talked about, the youth on offense, maybe if they drop one early to Oklahoma, you. The good thing about this schedule, the tough thing is it's a tough schedule. The good thing is you've got a lot of opportunity to make up ground.
Jon Jansen • 22:37
If you drop one early, you'll have all those games, those marquee matchups that we talked about and the fact that you have, you know, within the final three weeks you've got Oregon and Ohio State. You want to make a statement, you play your best football at that time. That's when the voters are going to be casting their ballots and when the committee is going to be deciding who's in the postseason. It sets up well for Michigan to have opportunity. It's Challenge. There's no question about it.
Brian Boesch • 23:03
That's the interesting part. Not all nine and three is look the same. What if Michigan is eight and three and then goes to Columbus and beats a number one Ohio State?
Jon Jansen • 23:14
Right, that's, that's, that's where it comes down to. Okay, those three losses.
Jon Jansen • 23:18
Who was.
Brian Boesch • 23:19
Just look at September. We could come out of September and Michigan could be a trendy national championship pick if they go four and oh, and look good against Oklahoma and Iowa and Western and utep. Of course, they could also be two and two and people could wonder, is this all going to fall apart? Like, that's, that's the. There aren't a lot of stretches where you think back to twenty three. We didn't really know what that team truly was until November. Yeah, that's not. There could be three, four different chapters acts for this team because of this schedule.
Jon Jansen • 23:47
And the beautiful thing about playing Oklahoma early is it is a great test to see where this team is. And as I mentioned, if you drop one early, there's plenty of opportunity to make things up. But you know, more of a what are we doing? Well, where do we need to improve before we play Iowa, before we play Indiana, Penn State? You know, we go out to make that, that long trip, that arduous trip out to Eugene and then obviously that short trip down to Ohio State.
Brian Boesch • 24:14
There you go. All right, before our transitions, audio side, we've got Jamie Ffrench and Andrew Sprague. Video side we'll preview those interviews and then talk a little bit more about the polls and some takeaways from Jon. We haven't asked Jon about how practice has gone the last week or so, but we'll.
Jon Jansen • 24:29
And just a little teaser. I do ask the question, why two F's in Ffrench?
Brian Boesch • 24:34
Why does this look like my report card?
Jon Jansen • 24:38
Exactly right.
Brian Boesch • 24:39
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Jon Jansen • 24:43
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Brian Boesch • 25:16
We needed one fewer mention there. Cause it could have been seven and seven after our seven from seventy seven.
Jon Jansen • 25:21
Yeah. Well, instead, what is it? It's six. Seven.
Brian Boesch • 25:24
Well, this would have been seven. Eight.
Jon Jansen • 25:26
I don't I mean, I wasn't counting. I know you were, but I, I,
Brian Boesch • 25:29
yes, I am like that. But is six, seven a popular thing in the Jansen household is that only
Jon Jansen • 25:35
to annoy my kids because you, you do it now.
Brian Boesch • 25:39
It's jumped the shark in that.
Jon Jansen • 25:40
Absolutely.
Brian Boesch • 25:40
So it's not cool anymore?
Jon Jansen • 25:42
It's not cool anymore? No. Until dad does it, it's even less cool. But it's hilarious.
Brian Boesch • 25:48
Yes.
Jon Jansen • 25:49
Every single time.
Brian Boesch • 25:50
Nine seven nine seven. Ninety seven. We talk about that a few times. All right, interviews, audio side. Jamie Ffrench first and then Andrew Sprague.
[music builds]
Jon Jansen • 26:06
Now joined by Jamie Ffrench, sophomore wide receiver, first year at Michigan, and you've
Jon Jansen • 26:10
had a hell of a couple of years.
Jon Jansen • 26:12
Five star recruit.
Jon Jansen • 26:13
You head to Austin, you play for Texas for a year. Now you're in Ann Arbor playing for the University of Michigan. What's this two years been like for you, man?
Jaime Ffrench • 26:21
Man, it's been number blessing, man. I've been loving the road through journey of just taking it all in. Had a great year last year at Texas. Was able to show up in five games, you know, just better opportunities, you know, got up to the transfer portal and now I'm here in Ann Arbor and I'm loving it.
Jon Jansen • 26:34
So what were some of the things maybe you learned as a freshman, your first year in, in college football?
Jaime Ffrench • 26:40
I'd definitely say, like how to approach the game. Watching a lot of great guys, you know, like Ryan Wingo, you know, Emmett Moseley, how those guys approach the game, you know, what they do on a daily basis. So taking those notes from those guys, why Michigan?
Jon Jansen • 26:52
And let me actually, let me start with this one. I know that you had a relationship prior to coming to Michigan with Bryce and with Andrew Marsh.
Jaime Ffrench • 27:00
Right.
Jon Jansen • 27:01
How did you guys develop that relationship throughout high school or even the first year last year?
Jaime Ffrench • 27:06
Man, I'll say just connections with, you know, like camps, you know, seven hundred seven s, you know, all these circuits we meet at, you know, Andrew Marsh and Bryce. I know they were both highly recruited guys and I was blessed to be one too. So we just knew each other from the recruitment process. Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 27:18
How, how difficult is it during the season to maintain some of those relationships?
Jon Jansen • 27:23
Because there's a lot going on as
Jon Jansen • 27:24
a freshman, but you seem to be able to be a guy that can do that.
Jaime Ffrench • 27:27
Yeah, it's really just, you know, reaching out to one another, you know, just making sure someone's good. That's pretty much it. And now, now it all flips around. Now I'm here, now we're on the Same team. So that's pretty much it. Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 27:37
How did much did those relationships play into your decision to come to Michigan?
Jaime Ffrench • 27:42
Man, it played a big role. Big role. They pretty much let me know, like Michigan's a spot, you know, like accident, even asking around like food spots and stuff like that. So they helped me out a lot. Yeah, a lot.
Jon Jansen • 27:52
Did Coach Whittingham recruit you out of high school?
Jaime Ffrench • 27:56
So unfortunately he didn't. I got recruited by Coach Bellamy though. I came in a visit in twenty twenty two. I was a sophomore in high school. So. Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 28:03
What's it been like? Because I know obviously at Texas, right, you, you develop a relationship with Coach Sarkisian and some of their coaches. What's it been like developing a relationship with this coaching staff, but specifically Coach Whittingham?
Jaime Ffrench • 28:16
Man, it's been easy, man. These guys are easy going. They, they pretty much just want work and they're going to really just sack, sacrifice it and, and I love that, you know, just want to be the best and I love this staff a lot, man.
Jon Jansen • 28:26
Coach Simon, Coach Higgins, you get two
Jon Jansen • 28:28
wide receiver coaches in there.
Jon Jansen • 28:29
What's it like having multiple voices in that receiver room?
Jaime Ffrench • 28:33
Man, I, I, I'm, I'm blessed to have those guys, man. It's just Coach Higgins, he's a high caliber guy. Coach Simon, high caliber guy. So just hand those voices, like you said, are just good. They're going to make sure you, you know what you're doing at all times. So stuff like that.
Jon Jansen • 28:45
I really like how what's the challenge of being introduced to a new offense? And really everyone here is. So everyone's on the same page. But it's a new offense. It's your second year. How long does it take to get comfortable with the terminology, how things are delivered in the huddle or not in the huddle. You can get signs on the sidelines now. What's the process like to pick all that up?
Jaime Ffrench • 29:09
Man, I'll say piggyback. At Texas it was a little bit harder the way Coach Sarkisian ran his offense. But here, I'll say it's pretty simple. I pretty much got the playbook down in the first semester around like springtime, so I'm pretty much just getting to that phase of mastering it now. Like I pretty much know everything that X and O's now.
Brian Boesch • 29:24
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 29:25
So now that you know the X's and O's, what is it that you bring to this program, this offense?
Jaime Ffrench • 29:31
Man, just playing fast, you know, just bringing the old me back to the college collegiate level and Just helping my team win, get touchdowns, move the ball on third down, stuff like that.
Jon Jansen • 29:39
So you referenced the old me. What, what do you mean by bringing the old me back?
Jaime Ffrench • 29:43
I wasn't able to make a lot of plays and show glimpses of me last year. So just coming back here at Michigan and just getting back to me in
Jon Jansen • 29:50
high school, how big of a challenge
Jon Jansen • 29:52
was that last year to, to just. You mentioned playing the five games. You, you maintained a red shirt, which who knows if that actually means anything anymore. But you go from a five star receiver stud in high school and then you, you don't get as much playing time as I'm sure you thought going into your freshman year, man, it's pretty
Jaime Ffrench • 30:13
much just stand down, trusting the process, you know, just keep putting your best foot forward and good things to happen. That's pretty much everybody's time is different. So just not beating myself up. That's pretty much it.
Jon Jansen • 30:22
And Andrew Marsh, a guy that we talked about, what's it like being in the same room as him now?
Jaime Ffrench • 30:27
Man, I'm grateful, you know, just learning from him. I get to pick his brain. Oftentimes he picks my brain. So, yeah, he's my good friend, man. Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 30:34
When you get a chance to get out on the field, what are some of the.
Jon Jansen • 30:38
Because we all, we all got a
Jon Jansen • 30:40
chance to see Andrew Marsh last year and we've had a chance to see some of the other guys. We haven't seen JJ yet, but when. What are some of the best routes? What are some of the things that you're most comfortable doing?
Jaime Ffrench • 30:51
Man, I feel like me, I'm a type of guy who could get up fast and stop really quick. Like I'm. I could stop very sudden. Suddenly. Like I work on that a lot. I got a good release package. So those are the things I try to model my game out there and really critique.
Jon Jansen • 31:04
You are in that process of choosing a team, right? How much did the offense, Jason Beck's offense, Coach Whittingham's program play a role into? Because typically here in Michigan the last couple years, it's been a challenge to get the ball. The receivers, they come in with a new offense. How much of a sell was that for you? How much did you look at that?
Jaime Ffrench • 31:24
Man, that mattered a lot. I was very familiar with Coach Beck's offense from the previous year at Utah, and I knew it. With his success with the offense, I knew what he could do, I know what Coach Whittingham could do. So just put my trust in those guys and just put my best foot forward and just staying humble. Yeah, that's pretty much it.
Jon Jansen • 31:38
Where's the offense at right now? Couple of weeks into training camp, where's the offense at?
Jaime Ffrench • 31:43
Man, I feel like we're right where we need to be. And if you want to be exact, I feel like we're a little ahead. So I'm really excited for the season.
Jon Jansen • 31:49
What we have to hold, the relationship
Jon Jansen • 31:51
that you previously had with Bryce, now it's got to take it to that next step. You've got to be on the same page. What are some of the things that you guys work on individually or you guys as a receiver group with the quarter, quarterback group to make sure that you're always on the same page?
Jaime Ffrench • 32:06
Man, Typically just reps. A lot of reps. We, we typically spend a lot of time by ourselves. When the coaches are not around, we'll go in the facility sometimes just working a lot of stuff that we do on the field while the defense, you know, while the bullets are flying. So just critiquing those so when it is live and stuff, we can look
Jon Jansen • 32:21
a little sharp and.
Jon Jansen • 32:22
And I mentioned it already, it's not been a secret, right? It's been a hard going to get the receivers the ball. When you look at the talent that's in this room, how many different ways can this receiver room be effective in this offense?
Jaime Ffrench • 32:35
Man, it's going to be a very effective offense with the receivers. I feel like we're going to be the ones that make the offense go. I feel like early in the games we're going to be ones that get the crowd going, you know, stuff like that. Because like you said, it hasn't been really been a thing here at Michigan. So we're going to just turn this thing around. That's our goal.
Jon Jansen • 32:50
I do want to ask you this before we. We continue with the football conversation. Your last name, right? Two F's at the beginning. What's the story behind that?
Jaime Ffrench • 32:57
So my dad, he's from Kingston, Jamaica. It's just a Jamaica thing. They really must do just. But one of the S are silent, so it's just Ffrench. But yeah, that's why it's double F. So.
Jon Jansen • 33:05
So when we're broadcasting the game, I
Jon Jansen • 33:08
don't have to come up with two
Jon Jansen • 33:09
F's, it's just one.
Jaime Ffrench • 33:11
Yeah, I get that sometimes, though. Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 33:12
Yeah, it makes. Makes our life a lot easier.
Jon Jansen • 33:16
Have you had a chance to get back to where your dad's from?
Jaime Ffrench • 33:19
No, I haven't. No, I haven't got a chance. I have to get My passport, to be honest. Yeah. Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 33:25
This offense, whether it's the line, it's what needs to happen between now and that first game against Western Michigan, and maybe even more importantly, what's.
Jon Jansen • 33:38
I don't want you.
Jon Jansen • 33:39
I can look past Western Michigan. You can't. What do you have to do to be ready to play a team and a defense like Brett Venables in Oklahoma?
Jaime Ffrench • 33:46
Man, I feel like just keep working with each other. We're. We're going to be prepared. I don't doubt that at all because we have a great staff. Those guys do a lot to keep us prepared. So just trusting them and just showing up every day like, we're on, like, day seven right now. We're hurting, but, like, just showing up, wanting to practice, keep putting our hair down, keep working every day, just keep coming out. That's it.
Jon Jansen • 34:05
This team had a chance to play Oklahoma last year. In Oklahoma, you did as well. Are there anything. Is there. Is there anything that you're bringing to the table? Like, hey, this is some of the things that we did. Are the coaches open to ideas that you guys have as players?
Jaime Ffrench • 34:21
Typically, not really. We're just trying to figure out their system right now. You know, they're new, we're new, so we got to figure out their system first, and they got to still figure us out. So we haven't pretty much got to that level yet, but we're using the base core value. Start out fast, physical toughness.
Jon Jansen • 34:34
So stuff like this, blocking as a receiver,
Jon Jansen • 34:38
how important is that to you?
Jaime Ffrench • 34:39
Man, it's very important to me. But even to coach back, you want to be able to get in that circle of trust, what they call it, and you got to be able to block. You got to be able to block run routes and get open, stuff like
Jon Jansen • 34:49
that off season when you're not playing football, what are some of the hobbies? What are the. Some of the things that you like to do to. To get away from the game?
Jaime Ffrench • 34:56
Man, I love to go back to Florida, just get on the beach, you know, just hang out. When I was at Texas and now I'm here, I don't really have a beach, so just even getting a workout on the beach, man, there's some great
Jon Jansen • 35:05
beaches here in the state of Michigan. Now we don't have the weather in the middle of winter.
Jaime Ffrench • 35:08
Right, Right.
Jon Jansen • 35:09
A little colder, but we got to
Jon Jansen • 35:11
get you out to some beaches.
Jaime Ffrench • 35:12
Yeah, man, I wish it was one closer than Ann Arbor, but, you know. Yeah, man.
Jon Jansen • 35:15
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 35:15
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 35:16
It's a little bit of a drive.
Jaime Ffrench • 35:16
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 35:17
Jamie thanks for joining us.
Jon Jansen • 35:19
Really excited to see you on the field.
Jaime Ffrench • 35:20
Thank you, man.
[music builds]
Jon Jansen • 35:30
Now by last year's starting right tackle, and we anticipate the same thing this year, Andrew Sprague. Andrew, thanks for joining me. And I'm going to jump right into it.
Jon Jansen • 35:40
What's different about your game this year going into this camp in this season
Jon Jansen • 35:45
than maybe it was last year?
Andrew Sprague • 35:47
I think the biggest difference is definitely just my body transformation. I lost like five to ten pounds, but I lost over twenty pounds of body fat. So I feel like that's really helped me moving a lot better and a lot stronger, honestly.
Jon Jansen • 36:00
How'd you do it? What was the focus this off season, really?
Andrew Sprague • 36:04
I mean, just showing up to the diet. Yeah, clean up the diet was part of it. But honestly, just the type of workouts we do now compared to last year, I think that's really been the biggest difference.
Jon Jansen • 36:15
Was there any change that you made in what you're eating?
Andrew Sprague • 36:19
Yeah, I don't. I don't really eat too much fried food anymore, so I feel like that's definitely helped. But I mean, I still have some cheat meals here and there. But honestly, I feel like the work in the weight room has been a lot better.
Jon Jansen • 36:31
What's the. What's the fried food maybe you miss
Andrew Sprague • 36:33
the most, like canes and Chick Fil A.
Jon Jansen • 36:39
This year your approach to camp, has it been different? Because in your freshman year you got some time and you played in a bowl game and. But this year you've got all that knowledge, all that experience, all that film
Jon Jansen • 36:52
that you were able to watch.
Jon Jansen • 36:54
What was your approach to this, this. This training camp, this game?
Andrew Sprague • 36:59
Honestly, it's been nice to be able to, like, work different techniques and see experiment things to see if I should use them in game or not. So I feel like now I really know all different sorts of sets and techniques, so I can really try all of them and see which ones I want to bring into the season.
Jon Jansen • 37:17
How much film study and review of the previous year of your reps were you able to do? And. And how much of that were you able to do with the. The new coaching staff with Coach Harding and his gang?
Andrew Sprague • 37:30
I mean, I did a lot of it, like when Coach Harding first got here, and that was good. But I still go back all the time on my iPad and just watch. Pick a random game and just watch it and critique myself, see what I like, see what I don't like. So I do it all the time.
Jon Jansen • 37:45
What were some of the things that you liked from your performance last year?
Andrew Sprague • 37:50
I feel like at times I was, I was good in pass pro and but I just feel like I could have been a lot more consistent. But I feel like I used my length length well last year and had good hands. So that's something I'm trying to keep from last year.
Jon Jansen • 38:04
But what are some of the things that you identified as areas that you
Jon Jansen • 38:08
had to work on and how did
Jon Jansen • 38:09
you do it in the off season?
Andrew Sprague • 38:12
One of my biggest area that me and coach were talking about is just always keeping my feet moving and pass pro. Sometimes I'll, I'll just my feet won't be going as fast and I'll get an unexpected inside move or something and that'll mess me up a little bit. So always keeping my feet chopping and moving and just my pad level too there.
Jon Jansen • 38:30
Jake looks like he's going to be the center Guarnera. But there's a lot of the guard positions are still. There's a battle going on. What's important for you as a guy that's established himself at that right tackle position as you work with multiple guards throughout camp?
Andrew Sprague • 38:48
I think one thing that makes my job a lot easier is a guard that I can communicate well with and we're always on the same page. And then also I like a, a big strong guard that can take a lot of, take a lot of the D tackles so I can just come down and try to tee off on the D tackle.
Jon Jansen • 39:04
So what's your favorite block?
Jon Jansen • 39:08
I know it's not one on one pass pro.
Jon Jansen • 39:10
It's probably not setting a wide nine.
Andrew Sprague • 39:12
I'd say probably either like a, a front side deuce where you can just try to tee off on the, on the D tackle over the guard or left come down. I've been starting like outside zone a lot more to just solo reaches front side.
Jon Jansen • 39:29
What's important for this offensive line as you guys are sorting through who the five best are going to be to become the offensive line that a couple of years ago, not that long ago, it's a Joe Moore award winning offensive line. Do you guys talk about that and what's it going to take to get to that opening weekend?
Andrew Sprague • 39:47
We just know it's going to take everything we have every, every extra hour in the training room, every extra second. We watch, we watch film together. We know we have to sacrifice everything if we want to make the Joe Moore win the Joe Moore Award again.
Jon Jansen • 40:02
So I know you guys did a lot of fun, interesting things as a group this past summer. What were some of the things that you Did. And maybe what was your favorite?
Jon Jansen • 40:15
I thought there was a home run derby.
Andrew Sprague • 40:17
I was about to say the O line home run derby was. That was pretty funny, seeing some of the guys get out there and swing bats. Actually, a few of the guys surprisingly hit like eight home runs. Dan Terry boy hit eight home runs, so that was pretty cool.
Jon Jansen • 40:31
Did he win it?
Andrew Sprague • 40:32
Yeah, he won it. I mean, we hang out so much, it's kind of hard to pinpoint one.
Jon Jansen • 40:38
I know one of the things that you. That in talking to some of the guys last year was you guys would get together and eat.
Andrew Sprague • 40:44
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 40:45
When you do what's. What's the go to food group group for this bunch of linemen?
Andrew Sprague • 40:52
A lot of the guys love Red Robin. I don't like Red Robin as much, but I mean, I still go out there with the guys.
Jon Jansen • 40:59
Well, they got a stack of onion rings.
Andrew Sprague • 41:00
Who doesn't know the onion rings?
Jon Jansen • 41:02
Fried foods.
Andrew Sprague • 41:03
No, I was gonna say I love. We'll cater cane sometimes. And that's always. That's always a good one.
Jon Jansen • 41:09
How does doing things like that in the off season and you mentioned you're hanging around with these guys all the time. How does that translate to making you guys a better offensive line and just
Andrew Sprague • 41:21
really, like, know that I like, we have each other's backs. Like, we're all best friends on and off the field. Like, we know what people have gone through on their personal level with their family. So we're just so close. We really are like brothers. So we'll fight, we'll do. We'll do anything. But yeah, we're really brothers. We have each other's backs no matter what. And I feel like that's very helpful when it comes to being a good offensive line.
Jon Jansen • 41:44
If you're willing to share what are some of the goals that you have for yourself this. This football season?
Andrew Sprague • 41:50
I want to be all Big Ten. I just want to do everything I can to protect Bryce. And I know a lot of people love to hate on Bryce and say whatever they want about him, but I. I have full confidence in the kid and I'm gonna do anything I can to make his job easier and let nobody hit him this year.
Jon Jansen • 42:11
One of the things that Coach Whittingham has talked about, Coach Beck has talked about, is running the quarterback a little bit. How does that change anything that you guys do or when he breaks pocket? Because he's. He's going to be a mobile guy and under duress, he's going to be able to get out.
Jon Jansen • 42:28
How does that change and how do
Jon Jansen • 42:29
you recognize when that's happening behind you?
Andrew Sprague • 42:32
I mean, as a tackle, it is sometimes hard when a quarterback rolls out of the pocket and you don't know, but I mean, you just have to block longer, strain harder and. But I think it'll be very helpful for us keep the defense on their toes. I mean, when we have Bryce, Savion and Jordan who can all run it, it's going to be hard for them to pick. Pick which one to stop.
Jon Jansen • 42:51
What's the relationship like that you guys have with that quarterback room, but specifically Bryce, you mentioned you're very defensive of him and you know what he can do. What's that relationship like?
Andrew Sprague • 43:03
Oh, I love Bryce. That's. We've gotten really close. Even since last year we were close, but we've gotten way closer this year and we just know how, like, how hard he really works. Like it's really incomparable. Incomparable to anything I've seen. So I just, I know he's going to ball out this year and I can't wait to watch.
Jon Jansen • 43:21
Invite the quarterbacks to any of those.
Andrew Sprague • 43:24
Yeah, we definitely invite the quarterbacks. We all went out to Tommy Carr's lake house. That was a pretty fun.
Jon Jansen • 43:31
Were any of them invited to the Home Run Derby?
Andrew Sprague • 43:33
No, they weren't invited to the Home Run Derby.
Jon Jansen • 43:35
Only athletes.
Andrew Sprague • 43:36
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 43:37
All right, man, I appreciate it.
Jon Jansen • 43:39
Thanks for stopping by and we'll look forward to seeing you on the field.
Andrew Sprague • 43:41
Yeah, thank you. Appreciate it.
[music builds]
Jon Jansen • 43:49
Well, thanks to Jamie and Andrew for their time. Camp is there. You hear from all the players. It's about what goes on in the practice field, film, nutrition, recovery. There's a lot going on so we appreciate the time that they, they spend with us. So for both Jamie and Andrew, I would like to thank you for listening. We'll have more as the weeks get closer and the days get closer to opening day. This is in the Trenches.
[music builds]
Jeff Laurence • 44:16
Thanks for listening to this edition of in the Trenches with Jon Jansen presented by Meijer. Presenting some sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest, in the Trenches is part of our Michigan Athletics podcast network, M GO Blue Podcast. The preceding is a Learfield presentation of the Michigan Sports Network.
