It only took three plays for Keon Sabb to get comfortable as a starter.
Stepping onto the field for the No. 2 Michigan football team’s win against East Carolina on Saturday, the sophomore safety deflected a pass on third-and-four that forced the Pirates to punt their opening drive of the game. Not only did that play loosen up his nerves in his first collegiate start, but it set the tone for the rest of his afternoon.
“I was just ready to take advantage of the opportunity,” Sabb said Tuesday. “The whole (fall) camp, I was working hard, working hard. I finally got the opportunity, so I just took advantage of that.”
Sabb was projected to be an impact player before he even stepped on the field. For a batch of safeties that lost a veteran face in RJ Moten during the second transfer window, Sabb’s growth has him filling an important role.
And on Saturday, Sabb got his chance to show what he can do. Offseason development helped him earn a spot in place of the usual starter — junior safety Rod Moore, who was rehabbing from an injury. When defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale told Sabb he would get the starting gig about a week before Saturday’s game, Sabb was ready to take the field at Michigan Stadium. However, some things still surprised him once his cleats met the turf.
“I thought the crowd would be a lot louder,” Sabb admitted. “Once I got out there, things started moving a lot slower than I thought it was gonna be. So it ended up being fine.”
Crowd noise or not, Sabb showed off in his first start. In addition to his opening-drive pass breakup, he tacked on three solo tackles and a pair of assists. More than half of those tackles came in the second quarter as the Wolverines turned a slow-starting game into a 23-0 halftime lead.
Most importantly, Sabb and the other rotating safeties worked seamlessly with the pass rush to minimize big gains. For defensive coordinator Jesse Minter — who served as temporary head coach on Saturday — that stifling defense was significant.
“My main focus really was not giving up any big plays,” Minter said after Saturday’s game. “I thought our d-line could control the run game fairly well, we were able to play a lot of split safety and keep our guys back and stop the run, especially early in the game.”
Sabb didn’t get to that position by accident. Working all offseason to improve his game while bouncing questions off mentors such as fifth-year senior cornerback Mike Sainristil, Sabb grew exponentially.
Compared to where Sabb was last year, he’s turned into a serviceable option for a “no-star defense” defined by the sum of its parts. He credited his success to a big leap in his maturity — not just how he thinks through plays, but also how he communicates with his teammates.
As the secondary continues to heal up and Moore nears a clean bill of health, Sabb could still be an impactful part of the rotation. Michigan traditionally rotates a large chunk of playing time between three safeties, with Moore and senior Makari Paige as two key starters. After Moten’s transfer to Florida left the third spot in the safety rotation open, Sabb could fill that hole should he play like he did on Saturday.
Sabb proved he can manage an increased role, evidenced by his play against East Carolina. If he can get comfortable like he did against the Pirates, Sabb may continue making impactful plays for the secondary.
Like Saturday’s big start, just a deflection can get him going.