Michigan coach Brady Hoke: Not worried about Jabrill Peppers transfer

Michigan head coach Brady Hoke told Detroit radio station WXYT-FM that he is not worried about freshman cornerback Jabrill Peppers transferring from the program due to the team’s struggles this season.

Hoke also said a decision is looming on whether to medically redshirt the highly touted recruit this season.

Michigan sits at 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten Conference entering Saturday’s home game against Indiana (3-4, 0-3 Big Ten).

Peppers has played in only three of the team’s eight games and has recorded eight total tackles this season. He suffered an ankle injury in the season opener against Appalachian State and missed the team's 31-0 loss to Notre Dame. He has not played since appearing in the team's loss to Utah on Sept. 20. He won’t play against Indiana, either.

“He’s holding up fine. He’s mad as hell, I can tell you, because he’s a competitor,” Hoke said. "He never has really gone through anything when you look at injuries coming back-to-back like that, so it’s frustrating.”

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Hoke was asked if he was worried Peppers would transfer if he doesn’t play again this season.

“No, not at all," Hoke said. “He came here for a lot of different reasons. One of them was, as a young kid, he's always loved Michigan. That was his team growing up in New Jersey. He knows the value of an education -- he's doing great in school and (understands) this education and what it can do after football."

Peppers, a Paramus, N.J. native, was rated as the nation’s top cornerback in the Class of 2014, according to Rivals.com, after a celebrated high school career.

- Scooby Axson