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Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan continues to progress from injury, is running and participating in walk-throughs during practice. (Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com)
ANN ARBOR -- Michigan star outside linebacker Jake Ryan is still several weeks away from being cleared to return to full action on the football field.
But, he's not exactly sitting around waiting.
Michigan coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison both said this week that Ryan is staying active with the team -- physically, and otherwise -- during fall camp.
"By the trainer's admission he's been running," Mattison said Wednesday. "(And) he does our walk-throughs with us."
Hoke has maintained for months now that Ryan -- who tore his ACL in March -- could return to game action at some point in October.
And as of now, that early prognosis remains in tact.
And, on top of that, Mattison says Ryan has taken advantage of his limited time on the field to hit the weight room with extra passion.
"Jake's been great," he said. "He was one of the guys that I saw in that weight room, and I had to tease him. I can never be nice to Jake. I had to tell him, 'I'm surprised you were lifting with the big boys, I didn't know you could lift that much.'
"Jake Ryan has really gotten stronger."
A player who was admittedly a bit wild, and basically instinctual early on in his career, Ryan has also become a better student of the game.
The All-Big Ten linebacker remains active with his position group, not just to stay sharp, but also to make sure his healthy teammates know what they're doing on any given snap.
"It's so interesting, at one point, you didn't know if you made a call whether Jake would do it right or not," Mattison said. "Now, he's with the group, so when he does it -- he coaches the other guys to do it."
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