WOLVERINE HAS IT CORNERED HALL MARK OF MICHIGAN'S D.

Byline: KEVEN CHAVEZ Staff Writer

BEVERLY HILLS - Lining up against an All-American wide receiver is a tall task for any defensive back. Now try lining up against an All-American receiver and looking across the line at another All-American receiver.

Facing USC's outstanding pass-catching duo of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith is a mighty challenge for an opposing secondary. And it's the primary reason Michigan senior cornerback Leon Hall couldn't be more excited for today's Rose Bowl Game.

``I love that kind of challenge,'' said Hall, who also was a consensus All-America selection. ``If you want to be great, you have to show that you are great.''

Hall has shown flashes of greatness from the time he left his Vista home in San Diego County and walked onto the Michigan campus. The 5- foot-11 defender played in every game as a true freshman, including the 2004 Rose Bowl against USC, and earned Freshman All-America honors. That was a blessing and a curse, according to Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English, and forced Hall to learn a different approach to the game.

``His sophomore year he got caught up in the B.S. of being a Freshman All-American,'' said English, who was defensive secondary coach before taking over as coordinator this season. ``But the last two years he's been the type of kid that's really bought into being technically sound.''

Now Hall is practically a defensive technician. When he breaks down his matchups against the Trojans, he's focused more on the precise positioning and psychology than speed and pure athleticism.

This season, Hall grew into a superstar player. He took in stride his preseason accolades and made certain his performance matched the hype.

Hall led the team with three interceptions and has 12 for his career. He's also tied for the single-season Wolverines mark in pass breakups (18). And, unlike some cornerbacks, he has no problem exchanging helmet paint after finishing fourth on the team with 41tackles.

Against the Trojans, Hall has tried to find similarities to USC in Michigan's own set of standout receivers.

``Mario (Manningham) and (Steve) Breaston both can do a lot of the same things as Smith,'' Hall said. ``Adrian Arrington is more like Jarrett, though not quite as big. We go against some similar talent and that helps a lot.''

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Cornerback Leon Hall led Michigan with three interceptions this season and is expected to be a high NFL draft pick.

Brian Bahr/Getty Images