Those Who Stay Will be Champions: Michigan Football 2024

[Zososoxfan]

The defending national champions return an insane D and some interesting talent on O, but there's a new coaching staff and there's no QB on the roster capable of winning a NC.

That said, the D should be so good next season that they should be able to make a run at a playoff spot now that there's 12.

The biggest question is what to do at QB, as the most talented player at the position is run-first Alex Orji (pronounced 'orgy' FYI). Other QBs on the roster include Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle, Jayden Denegal, and Jadyn Davis. Davis a true frosh and they're gonna throw a RS on him in all likelihood. Denegal doesn't seem to have a chance at the job. Tuttle is experienced and talented, but was injured for the spring game. Warren looked pretty good but has a pretty low ceiling. We'll see if Coach Moore and Co. wanna gamble on reshaping the offense significantly to build around Orji, or whether he'll continue to be a package-specific guy, and they give the reins to Tuttle/Warren. Either way, I expect them to hunt for a QB in the portal hard.

The next biggest question IMO is OL. Last year's OL was outstanding and deep, and most of them are going to get drafted this weekend. Gone are Zinter, Keegan, Nugent, Henderson, Jones, and Barnhardt. Wow. There's a lot of upperclassmen with real experience coming in behind them, and they did land an awesome transfer IOL from Northwestern in Priebe, but yeah, until the games start, I'll be worried about OL.

WR has some talent in Morris, Semaj, and Freddie Moore, but it gets real thin after that. I know Michigan is one of the worst premier programs for WR, but dayum I'd think they'd have a bit more talent than that.

WR concerns are mitigated a bit by the awesomeness that is the TE group. Loveland is primed for a Bowers-type year where he may be the #1 target. There's 3-4 guys behind Loveland that are all top notch recruits and have tons of potential. Bredeson is back as a blocking TE/FB too, but I doubt he gets a material amount of touches (1-2/game).

Also helping the WR issue is the fact that Donavan Edwards is a really really good pass-catching RB. I'm hoping Sherrone expands this part of the playbook considerably, as it's probably the easiest way to fix a lot of soft spots on this O (OL, QB, lack of WR). Khalel Mullings is very good and can do the tough between the tackles running, and there's 2-3 guys behind HIM that are also excellent.

On D, the DL is going to be a nightmare for every opponent and I think we're looking at the best unit in the country. Mason Graham is a first round pick, Kenny Grant is a giant that can move extremely quickly for a guy his size, Derrick Moore is my binky and is the perfect fit and talent for the anchor, and Josaiah Stewart was an absolute menace against OSU, Iowa, and in the playoffs. There's not nearly as much depth on the DL this year, but Rayshaun Benny deserves a shout as he will definitely rotate at the nose and is an established player.

I'm pretty excited for the LBs, as Hausmann really came on at the end of the year, and apparently Barham is the most athletic player on the D. Jimmy Rolder is a very talented player but just hasn't been able to stay healthy yet thru 2-3 seasons. Him doing so would provide solid depth.

Will Johnson is another surefire first round pick that matched up well against MHJ and Rome Odunze LAST year. Michigan is lucky to have him and I love watching him play.

Just last night, DJ Waller entered the transfer portal which is pretty shocking IMO. He was in a battle with 2nd year player Jyaire Hill for CB2. I'm irrationally hopeful that Waller might still come back, but WTF.

Safety was set to be a huge strength of the D with returning stars and upperclassmen Makari Paige and Rod Moore. But Moore tore his ACL early in spring and is out for the season. I'm so effin' sad for this guy, and I hope he rehabs like a mofo and gets drafted next April. Easily one of my favorite players from the D last season. Q Johnson returns from last season too, and while he wasn't the most consistent down to down, the guy came up with 2-3 of the biggest plays of the season down the stretch. Not a bad thing in the slightest to have him in the backfield. Jaden McBurrows is expected to take a starting role, and highly touted Zeke Berry (what a great footbaw name) should hopefully make some noise too. Expect Michigan to look for another CB in the portal if an upperclassman shakes loose and they can raise their floor.

The schedule is an absolute bear but I'm excited about that. Even if Michigan goes 7-5, getting to see Texas, USC, Washington (again lol), and Oregon during the regular season is awesome. OTOH, it's weird not to have PSU nor Wisco on the schedule. Yet, if that's the cost of getting rid of Rutgers (and to a lesser extent Maryland and Nebraska) I'm cool with it. Michigan visits Austin in a few years, and I'd love to see a game in Eugene and the Rose Bowl!

 

[jacklamabe65]

A former student, Stone Anderson, is a placekicker for Michigan. A fantastic young man in every way.

 

[Granite Sox]

The defending national champions return an insane D and some interesting talent on O, but there's a new coaching staff and there's no QB on the roster capable of winning a NC.

That said, the D should be so good next season that they should be able to make a run at a playoff spot now that there's 12.

The biggest question is what to do at QB, as the most talented player at the position is run-first Alex Orji (pronounced 'orgy' FYI). Other QBs on the roster include Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle, Jayden Denegal, and Jadyn Davis. Davis a true frosh and they're gonna throw a RS on him in all likelihood. Denegal doesn't seem to have a chance at the job. Tuttle is experienced and talented, but was injured for the spring game. Warren looked pretty good but has a pretty low ceiling. We'll see if Coach Moore and Co. wanna gamble on reshaping the offense significantly to build around Orji, or whether he'll continue to be a package-specific guy, and they give the reins to Tuttle/Warren. Either way, I expect them to hunt for a QB in the portal hard.

The next biggest question IMO is OL. Last year's OL was outstanding and deep, and most of them are going to get drafted this weekend. Gone are Zinter, Keegan, Nugent, Henderson, Jones, and Barnhardt. Wow. There's a lot of upperclassmen with real experience coming in behind them, and they did land an awesome transfer IOL from Northwestern in Priebe, but yeah, until the games start, I'll be worried about OL.

WR has some talent in Morris, Semaj, and Freddie Moore, but it gets real thin after that. I know Michigan is one of the worst premier programs for WR, but dayum I'd think they'd have a bit more talent than that.

WR concerns are mitigated a bit by the awesomeness that is the TE group. Loveland is primed for a Bowers-type year where he may be the #1 target. There's 3-4 guys behind Loveland that are all top notch recruits and have tons of potential. Bredeson is back as a blocking TE/FB too, but I doubt he gets a material amount of touches (1-2/game).

Also helping the WR issue is the fact that Donavan Edwards is a really really good pass-catching RB. I'm hoping Sherrone expands this part of the playbook considerably, as it's probably the easiest way to fix a lot of soft spots on this O (OL, QB, lack of WR). Khalel Mullings is very good and can do the tough between the tackles running, and there's 2-3 guys behind HIM that are also excellent.

On D, the DL is going to be a nightmare for every opponent and I think we're looking at the best unit in the country. Mason Graham is a first round pick, Kenny Grant is a giant that can move extremely quickly for a guy his size, Derrick Moore is my binky and is the perfect fit and talent for the anchor, and Josaiah Stewart was an absolute menace against OSU, Iowa, and in the playoffs. There's not nearly as much depth on the DL this year, but Rayshaun Benny deserves a shout as he will definitely rotate at the nose and is an established player.

I'm pretty excited for the LBs, as Hausmann really came on at the end of the year, and apparently Barham is the most athletic player on the D. Jimmy Rolder is a very talented player but just hasn't been able to stay healthy yet thru 2-3 seasons. Him doing so would provide solid depth.

Will Johnson is another surefire first round pick that matched up well against MHJ and Rome Odunze LAST year. Michigan is lucky to have him and I love watching him play.

Just last night, DJ Waller entered the transfer portal which is pretty shocking IMO. He was in a battle with 2nd year player Jyaire Hill for CB2. I'm irrationally hopeful that Waller might still come back, but WTF.

Safety was set to be a huge strength of the D with returning stars and upperclassmen Makari Paige and Rod Moore. But Moore tore his ACL early in spring and is out for the season. I'm so effin' sad for this guy, and I hope he rehabs like a mofo and gets drafted next April. Easily one of my favorite players from the D last season. Q Johnson returns from last season too, and while he wasn't the most consistent down to down, the guy came up with 2-3 of the biggest plays of the season down the stretch. Not a bad thing in the slightest to have him in the backfield. Jaden McBurrows is expected to take a starting role, and highly touted Zeke Berry (what a great footbaw name) should hopefully make some noise too. Expect Michigan to look for another CB in the portal if an upperclassman shakes loose and they can raise their floor.

The schedule is an absolute bear but I'm excited about that. Even if Michigan goes 7-5, getting to see Texas, USC, Washington (again lol), and Oregon during the regular season is awesome. OTOH, it's weird not to have PSU nor Wisco on the schedule. Yet, if that's the cost of getting rid of Rutgers (and to a lesser extent Maryland and Nebraska) I'm cool with it. Michigan visits Austin in a few years, and I'd love to see a game in Eugene and the Rose Bowl!

Nice thread starter. Thanks for that!

Some additional thoughts to complement your comprehensive overview:

• I agree they don’t have a championship-quality QB on the roster at the moment, but I also think it’s very late to think they can get a QB upgrade in the portal; it is scarcely 3 months before the beginning of camp. This worries me.
• Marlin Klein is getting a lot of ink as TE2 behind Loveland; he’s described as being a more athletic AJ Barner.
• Cole Cabana is a dual-threat RB in the Edwards mold who might also help mitigate the lack of WR depth.
• Trey Pierce, Cam Brandt, and Enow Etta are interior D-linemen who will get an opportunity to rotate in with Graham/Grant/Benny.
• In addition to Hausmann, Barsham, and Rolder, Cole Sullivan is one true FR at LB with a lot of buzz. Watch for him on ST and then see if he can mix in at LB.
• Waller is a disappointment, but Hill has supposedly had a good spring. Here’s also hoping the perpetually injured McBurrows stays on the field, as he might be a worthy successor to Sainristil in the slot.
• IMO, they should prioritize PK, CB, and QB in that order in the portal (factoring in that it will be very difficult to identify a difference-maker at this late date for QB).

 

[Zososoxfan]

Nice thread starter. Thanks for that!

Some additional thoughts to complement your comprehensive overview:

• I agree they don’t have a championship-quality QB on the roster at the moment, but I also think it’s very late to think they can get a QB upgrade in the portal; it is scarcely 3 months before the beginning of camp. This worries me.
• Marlin Klein is getting a lot of ink as TE2 behind Loveland; he’s described as being a more athletic AJ Barner.
• Cole Cabana is a dual-threat RB in the Edwards mold who might also help mitigate the lack of WR depth.
• Trey Pierce, Cam Brandt, and Enow Etta are interior D-linemen who will get an opportunity to rotate in with Graham/Grant/Benny.
• In addition to Hausmann, Barsham, and Rolder, Cole Sullivan is one true FR at LB with a lot of buzz. Watch for him on ST and then see if he can mix in at LB.
• Waller is a disappointment, but Hill has supposedly had a good spring. Here’s also hoping the perpetually injured McBurrows stays on the field, as he might be a worthy successor to Sainristil in the slot.
• IMO, they should prioritize PK, CB, and QB in that order in the portal (factoring in that it will be very difficult to identify a difference-maker at this late date for QB).

Re QB, it probably helps that this is still going to be one of the most run-heavy and generally conservative offenses in the country. I'm thinking a QB along the lines of Cade McNamara (or Cade himself hahaha...maybe??) who's really good on short stuff and protecting the ball might be enough. The downfield shots are gonna come from Loveland (against safeties cheating up to help against the run) and scripted trick plays where the receiver is either blindingly open or not. But if that's the job description, how likely is it that a QB comes loose who's materially better than Warren/Tuttle. Who knows, but with the portal entry deadline coming tomorrow, we should know soon enough.

 

[twibnotes]

My pats fandom took a massive hit tonight

to me JJ is a special kid and player - really wanted him in foxboro and not excited about maye

 

[Granite Sox]

Here’s the kicker…

View: https://twitter.com/thewolverineon3/status/1784000126559617357?s=61&t=fJYtkpGv4bOl3p7SGjEodw

 

[Granite Sox]

• IMO, they should prioritize PK, CB, and QB in that order in the portal (factoring in that it will be very difficult to identify a difference-maker at this late date for QB).

They've got their PK now, and have picked up two WRs in the portal, including prodigal son Amorion Walker.

 

[Granite Sox]

Loaded up the defensive backfield in the portal with 2 CBs and 2 S.

Still need a QB, I fear…

 

[LeftyTG]

I'm taking the trip up from Austin to Ann Arbor for the game in Week 2. Seeing a game in the Big House is a bucket list item for me and I can't wait. I was hoping this would be a rematch - I vividly remember sitting in the stands at the Sugar Bowl during warm ups watching OT in the Michigan/Alabama game - but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Still, sure to be a fun environment.

 

[RedOctober3829]

New Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore is one of seven members from the 2023 football program accused of violating NCAA rules in a draft of the NCAA's notice of allegations obtained by ESPN.
The draft, which could be subject to change, states Moore could face a show-cause penalty and possibly a suspension for allegedly deleting a thread of 52 text messages with former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions in October 2023 on the same day that media reports revealed Stalions was leading an effort to capture the playcalling signals of future opponents.
The draft states that the texts were later recovered via "device imaging" and Moore "subsequently produced them to enforcement staff."

The new allegations against Moore are part of the long-anticipated notice of allegations related to Stalions' off-campus scouting operation.
Former Michigan staff members Jim Harbaugh, Chris Partridge, Denard Robinson and Stalions are also accused of committing Level 1 violations, the most serious category in the NCAA's enforcement process. The school also faces a Level 1 violation charge, according to the draft, due to its "pattern of noncompliance within the football program" and institutional efforts to hinder or thwart the NCAA's investigation. Former coaches Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale are also accused of recruiting violations unrelated to Stalions in the draft.
Neither Michigan nor the NCAA responded to requests for comment Sunday.
Harbaugh, who left Michigan to coach the Los Angeles Chargers after leading the Wolverines to a national title in January, is accused of not cooperating because he denied the NCAA's request to view relevant messages and phone records from his personal cellphone. The draft says Harbaugh could face a "show-cause" restriction if he ever opts to return to college sports.

The draft also states the NCAA gathered evidence that shows Stalions was on the sidelines at Michigan State's season-opening against Central Michigan in 2023. Stalions was wearing a bench pass, Central Michigan coaching gear and a disguise, according to the draft, which states that Stalions' conduct "seriously undermined or threatened the integrity of the NCAA collegiate model." The draft does not say how Stalions obtained a bench pass for the Chippewas sideline.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/40724577/michigan-football-coach-sherrone-moore-violated-ncaa-rules-noa-draft-says

 

[cornwalls@6]

Harbaugh suspended in absentia for a year. The NCAA is an utterly corrupt, clown show of an organization that should be disbanded. He wont bother, having much bigger fish to fry, but I would love it if he would sue their asses on anti-trust grounds. They seem to get their clocks cleaned in court regularly now, and it would be fun to watch another one. And I say all this as someone who actively roots against Michigan football, and finds Harbaugh to be an insufferable ass.


https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-issues-suspension-and-show-cause-penalty-to-jim-harbaugh-for-michigan-recruiting-violations-164321443.html

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Harbaugh suspended in absentia for a year. The NCAA is an utterly corrupt, clown show of an organization that should be disbanded. He wont bother, having much bigger fish to fry, but I would love it if he would sue their asses on anti-trust grounds. They seem to get their clocks cleaned in court regularly now, and it would be fun to watch another one. And I say all this as someone who actively roots against Michigan football, and finds Harbaugh to be an insufferable ass.


https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-issues-suspension-and-show-cause-penalty-to-jim-harbaugh-for-michigan-recruiting-violations-164321443.html

I think this is effectively a four year ban.
They might as well suspend you and me, too.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Harbaugh suspended in absentia for a year. The NCAA is an utterly corrupt, clown show of an organization that should be disbanded. He wont bother, having much bigger fish to fry, but I would love it if he would sue their asses on anti-trust grounds. They seem to get their clocks cleaned in court regularly now, and it would be fun to watch another one. And I say all this as someone who actively roots against Michigan football, and finds Harbaugh to be an insufferable ass.


https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-issues-suspension-and-show-cause-penalty-to-jim-harbaugh-for-michigan-recruiting-violations-164321443.html

The NCAA has it out for JH in large part because he was a big supporter of paying players and tying it to football revenue. It's a joke of an organization.

 

[Jason Bae]

Bought my ticket for the Oregon game a few weeks ago. This will be my first game at The Big House.

 

[mauf]

The NCAA has it out for JH in large part because he was a big supporter of paying players and tying it to football revenue. It's a joke of an organization.

Have other coaches been found to have lied to NCAA investigators? If so, what penalty did they receive?

It seems to me this is the larger issue than the recruiting violations themselves. So long as the NCAA exists and has rules to enforce, it can’t tolerate coaches and administrators lying to people who are investigating rules violations.

 

[Zososoxfan]

With fall camp starting, it's still not clear who the QB is going to be in Game 1. The guys over at MGoBlog can't stop talking about the possibilities of building the offense around Orji. They correctly note that if Rich Rod had this squad back in his day, it would be pretty perfect. IOW, running QB (Orji), pass-catching TE (Loveland), bruising RB (Mullings), versatile RB/WR hybrid (Edwards), and slot bug (Morgan) is a lot of good ingredients to work with.

However, that offense was eventually countered so this O would have to look different--likely in the variety of run game they prefer, although that's above my ability to explain.

All of which is to ask the question in this thread--who do you think starts in G1 and how do you think the QB spot shakes out over the first half of the season?

I do in fact think Orji will start under center for the first offensive snap of the season, but I think Coach Moore will hedge and try to get Warren several series as well. I believe Tuttle has a minor injury in fall camp, so he'll likely be the backup to both Orji and Warren. The key to this team's success specific to the O will likely be field position, possession, and ball security, letting Loveland, Edwards, and Morgan break big plays with YAC (after catch AND contact). Mullings and the OL should be able to keep the average rush above 4 (last year it was 4.5) which will hopefully keep most of the competitive games from turning into track meets. If they can get 2021 Cade McNamara level of performance, they should still win 7-8 games convincingly and hopefully can pull out more from their tougher ones.

The other thing I'll be watching for closely in G1 is how the OL plays. Michigan could do about as well as you could reasonably ask with replacing all 5 starters and the 6th man on the OL. Everyone is an upperclassman and have varying levels of experience. RT remains the biggest question, with Gentry, Persi, and Link (apparently) all vying for the spot.

On D, this DL should be unstoppable, Will Johnson might be the best CB in the nation, and there is a lot of talent at LB and Safety.

 

[Zososoxfan]

So the QB situation is bad (expected), the OL hasn't gelled yet (hopefully they can improve), and the WRs are weak after Semaj (saw that coming). Hopefully Michigan can get right next week against AK ST before facing a much scarier looking USC than originally thought.

On D, while Hausmann and Barham are talented, they're still learning the D and this was a tough test. The DL looks good but not great. Without any (and I mean "any" literally here) help from the O, the DL depth was shown to be shallower than expected. Jyaire Hill doesn't quite look ready for primetime across from WJ.

Lots of respect to UT--I think they have 1) a playoff spot on relative lock, 2) a likely 1st round draftpick QB in Ewers, and 3) a real title contender in Austin.

My hope now is that this squad can round into form over the course of the season and play like Iowa+. Possession based O with a stifling D should be a recipe for success here. But for that to happen, the O has to be able to move the ball. That starts with the OL, QB, and WR improving.

 

[Jason Bae]

One of the most baffling things about yesterday's game for me was how little they used Mullings after week 1, and they still don't seen to have any clue on how they want to use Edwards. I think Mullings should be getting the majority of the carries and Edwards should be more involved in the passing game, especially with how bad the receivers have looked. Warren certainly has his limitations as a QB (arm strength, inconsistent accuracy, has struggled to progress past his first read), but it does seem like he's been let down by the play calling and poor receiver play. Michigan should look at working Orji into a RB/TE role if you're not going to use him as a QB. Bringing him in as a QB has pretty much telegraphing to the other team that he's running the ball, it reminds me of how predictable they got in 2016 when Peppers would come out on offense. I would really like to see them play around with split end formations.

Can't say I was expecting them to beat Texas, but that was rough. I think Texas deserves a fair amount of credit for that beatdown, Ewers made some great plays with his arms and legs whenever the pocket did shrink.

 

[Granite Sox]

I’m still shocked they didn’t go get a serviceable QB in the portal. Warren ain’t it. Could they be waiting for Tuttle to get healthy? Total arrogance.

The WR issue seems like a chicken-egg thing to me; they can’t/won’t air it out, so they don’t get the talent. This offense blows and it’s hard to see where it will get better without a functional quarterback.

If teams figure out how to double-team Loveland, it’s over.

8 in the box, double Loveland, wear out the defense.

 

[Jason Bae]

I’m still shocked they didn’t go get a serviceable QB in the portal. Warren ain’t it. Could they be waiting for Tuttle to get healthy? Total arrogance.

I can't totally fault them for that, most of the good QBs in the portal were gone by the time the playoffs were over with and the Harbaugh situation sorted itself out.

 

[twibnotes]

Really concerned about both coordinators. Wink is lost and Campbell is not putting his guys in a position to succeed.

I believe in sherone but if both coordinators are misses, it really makes for a tough beginning to moore’s HC career

 

[Zososoxfan]

Michigan trundled through the easiest game on their scheduled on Saturday vs. Arkansas St. The D looked much better with simplified playcalling, but this offense is atrocious. @twibnotes comment from 2 weeks ago still applies--how do the coaches think this is the best 5 OL and what the actual fuck did they do with the playbook design in the offseason? JH should take some blame for doing what he does--i.e., winning it all but putting all his effort into a final season before leaving wreckage behind him--but that doesn't excuse the lack of creativity or execution on offense.

It's really not clear whether the O is going to continue with the pro style stuff that they can't run very well, or if they'll transition to the RichRod offense for Orji's skillset. In the latter case, it's probably already too late. At this point, just pick whatever gives you the best chance against OSU and try to play spoiler because this O isn't going to get the team more than 7 wins as currently constituted.

 

[twibnotes]

Michigan trundled through the easiest game on their scheduled on Saturday vs. Arkansas St. The D looked much better with simplified playcalling, but this offense is atrocious. @twibnotes comment from 2 weeks ago still applies--how do the coaches think this is the best 5 OL and what the actual fuck did they do with the playbook design in the offseason? JH should take some blame for doing what he does--i.e., winning it all but putting all his effort into a final season before leaving wreckage behind him--but that doesn't excuse the lack of creativity or execution on offense.

It's really not clear whether the O is going to continue with the pro style stuff that they can't run very well, or if they'll transition to the RichRod offense for Orji's skillset. In the latter case, it's probably already too late. At this point, just pick whatever gives you the best chance against OSU and try to play spoiler because this O isn't going to get the team more than 7 wins as currently constituted.

Yeah at this point I think I care more about seeing good coaching adjustments than anything.

Sherone needs to show he can problem solve. In this case he needs to help Campbell simplify things and use his best players (that Edwards and Mullings aren’t both on the field more often is malpractice)

 

[Jason Bae]

Defense and Mullings came up huge this weekend. That 63-yard run was incredible. There were a couple dumb plays by Wink (particularly that wide open TD in the end zone), but it felt like he had a good gameplan overall. They were able to get pressure on Moss most of the time even with the rather low blitz rate (21%). I don't think we'd beat Texas in a rematch, but I think it would have been a much closer game with the USC gameplan. Can't say Orji was impressive, but the OL left him under constant siege when he did drop back.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Defense and Mullings came up huge this weekend. That 63-yard run was incredible. There were a couple dumb plays by Wink (particularly that wide open TD in the end zone), but it felt like he had a good gameplan overall. They were able to get pressure on Moss most of the time even with the rather low blitz rate (21%). I don't think we'd beat Texas in a rematch, but I think it would have been a much closer game with the USC gameplan. Can't say Orji was impressive, but the OL left him under constant siege when he did drop back.

Yeah, the most encouraging things that happened on Saturday were Mullings pretty clearly making the case for RB1 and Wink dialing back the pressure a bit. Everyone keeps saying that Wink is getting too cute with NFL stuff but what I don't get about that line of thinking is that we have many examples of elite NFL 4-man DLs that get pressure allowing the back 7 to play a variety of coverages slowing down elite offenses, especially passing attacks (I'll spare everyone the obvious example).

I'm still pretty discouraged by just about everything happening on offense. There's been no changes to the starting OL despite bad pass pro and only decent run blocking (Edwards and Mullings both made most of their own yards). They've shown no signs that Edwards is going to a pass catcher this season (the biggest headscratcher), and the playbook looks essentially untouched since Orji was named the starter.

Michigan may get a chance to work on some new things against Minny this weekend, but this Michigan team isn't good enough to treat any opponent lightly. @Washington the following week feels pretty similar. After that they have the bye week where they could install more stuff, but the remainder of the season is a gauntlet with surprisingly capable @Illinois, MSU (likely to be a tricky game this season when we can't just sit on them), Oregon, @Indiana (also surprisingly good!), Northwestern (god awful), and @OSU.

 

[Average Reds]

Yeah, the most encouraging things that happened on Saturday were Mullings pretty clearly making the case for RB1 and Wink dialing back the pressure a bit. Everyone keeps saying that Wink is getting too cute with NFL stuff but what I don't get about that line of thinking is that we have many examples of elite NFL 4-man DLs that get pressure allowing the back 7 to play a variety of coverages slowing down elite offenses, especially passing attacks (I'll spare everyone the obvious example).

I'm still pretty discouraged by just about everything happening on offense. There's been no changes to the starting OL despite bad pass pro and only decent run blocking (Edwards and Mullings both made most of their own yards). They've shown no signs that Edwards is going to a pass catcher this season (the biggest headscratcher), and the playbook looks essentially untouched since Orji was named the starter.

Michigan may get a chance to work on some new things against Minny this weekend, but this Michigan team isn't good enough to treat any opponent lightly. @Washington the following week feels pretty similar. After that they have the bye week where they could install more stuff, but the remainder of the season is a gauntlet with surprisingly capable @Illinois, MSU (likely to be a tricky game this season when we can't just sit on them), Oregon, @Indiana (also surprisingly good!), Northwestern (god awful), and @OSU.

Was at the game Saturday. I’m still recovering.

Not quite as negative for the future, given that the O-Line looked much better and my hope is that comments from Moore after the game mean that Andrew Gentry may be replacing Evan (The Weakest) Link in the future.

The QB conundrum is something. We have one guy (Warren) who can sling it, but doesn’t have the game reps to make good decisions, and another guy (Orji) who makes better decisions but doesn’t have the game reps to allow him to get confident in his ability to throw the ball. Unless the plan is to have Tuttle take over when he’s finally healthy, Moore is going to have to accept the mistakes and let one of them grow into the role.

The defense looks solid. Josaiah Stewart, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are absolute beasts out there. If Will Johnson stays healthy and the rest of the secondary grows into their roles they will be just fine. (I’m aware that’s an awful lot of “ifs.”)

As an aside, I’ve never heard a Michigan crowd that loud and intimidating. Still recovering from it all, especially the stress that had nowhere to go when they actually pulled it out.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Was at the game Saturday. I’m still recovering.

Not quite as negative for the future, given that the O-Line looked much better and my hope is that comments from Moore after the game mean that Andrew Gentry may be replacing Evan (The Weakest) Link in the future.

The QB conundrum is something. We have one guy (Warren) who can sling it, but doesn’t have the game reps to make good decisions, and another guy (Orji) who makes better decisions but doesn’t have the game reps to allow him to get confident in his ability to throw the ball. Unless the plan is to have Tuttle take over when he’s finally healthy, Moore is going to have to accept the mistakes and let one of them grow into the role.

The defense looks solid. Josaiah Stewart, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are absolute beasts out there. If Will Johnson stays healthy and the rest of the secondary grows into their roles they will be just fine. (I’m aware that’s an awful lot of “ifs.”)

As an aside, I’ve never heard a Michigan crowd that loud and intimidating. Still recovering from it all, especially the stress that had nowhere to go when they actually pulled it out.

Hadn't heard about Gentry in at RT, that would be welcome, even if just to see it to believe it.

WRT QB, you have to go with the guy who doesn't turn the ball over since this D is so dominant. Full stop. Hopefully they can build some offense around Orji's skillset.

 

[Jason Bae]

Yeah the Link experiment needs to end. Having a freshman start as an OL never goes well, and the PFF and MGoBlog UFR scores back it up.

 

[Eric1984]

Yeah the Link experiment needs to end. Having a freshman start as an OL never goes well, and the PFF and MGoBlog UFR scores back it up.

Link is terrible (or maybe he's potentially good but he's not ready -- I hate talking about an 18-year-old kid like that). The right side of the line was a sieve the whole day. Even Mullings was getting brought down behind the line of scrimmage when they ran that way. And one thing is certain -- they won't win more than 6 games total with this offense. Not just because it can't score without a really short field, but because the defense will be gassed midway through the third quarter every week. They won't beat a diminished Washington on the road. They sure as hell won't beat Oregon. And I have no confidence they'll beat a much-improved Illinois or Indiana. And I'm not even confident they'll even be able to beat a struggling Sparty. Northwestern seems like the only sure win left on the schedule. 7-5 at best.

 

[Granite Sox]

Yeah… the second half of the schedule may be a Death March at this point.

The thing that concerns me the most is that there is no sign of improvement after 5 games anywhere on offense.

Orji can’t throw, and his reads (run and pass) look hesitant.

The WRs are nonexistent.

The TEs (Loveland, Klein, Hansen) and Bredeson look really dangerous, but Loveland’s going to be in and out of the lineup for the rest of the year with a bum shoulder, and every defense knows that they’re the only receiving targets.

Edwards is only good for the occasional home run play. Why they don’t rep two-back swing passes and wheel routes to him all day is mystifying. He’s tits on a bull at this point.

The OL just isn’t very good, and no one is getting any better. Hinton and El Hadi were supposed to be anchors, and they’ve been very meh. Priebe? Hardly notice him out there. Link has potential (I think), but he’s just too spastic right now. They’ve fucked up the C position bigly. Should’ve given it to Crippen and let him run with it. What the fuck is Newsome doing?

Kirk Campbell doesn’t impress me at all.

God bless Kalel Mullings; it’d be a miracle if he makes it to Colombus.

 

[Jason Bae]

Link is terrible (or maybe he's potentially good but he's not ready -- I hate talking about an 18-year-old kid like that). The right side of the line was a sieve the whole day. Even Mullings was getting brought down behind the line of scrimmage when they ran that way. And one thing is certain -- they won't win more than 6 games total with this offense. Not just because it can't score without a really short field, but because the defense will be gassed midway through the third quarter every week. They won't beat a diminished Washington on the road. They sure as hell won't beat Oregon. And I have no confidence they'll beat a much-improved Illinois or Indiana. And I'm not even confident they'll even be able to beat a struggling Sparty. Northwestern seems like the only sure win left on the schedule. 7-5 at best.

Yeah, I don't want to say Link can't improve and become a reliable starter... look at Jon Runyan Jr.'s progression. It's just a lot to ask for someone to start as a freshman OL.

It just feels like they're playing with one hand behind their back. I think you just need to shuffle QBs around and try to keep defenses guessing, but if they want to have any semblance of a passing game you probably have to go with Warren. Run on Orji drives and maybe even a few trick plays/play action calls, throw with Warren. At least with him I can say he throws accurate balls. Just not very deep and he has a bad tendency to lock onto his first read. Their misusage of Edwards is asinine, it reminds me a lot of how they misused Chris Evans. I feel like Michigan under-utilizing offensive players goes back to Lloyd Carr.

 

[Eric1984]

Yeah, I don't want to say Link can't improve and become a reliable starter... look at Jon Runyan Jr.'s progression. It's just a lot to ask for someone to start as a freshman OL.

It just feels like they're playing with one hand behind their back. I think you just need to shuffle QBs around and try to keep defenses guessing, but if they want to have any semblance of a passing game you probably have to go with Warren. Run on Orji drives and maybe even a few trick plays/play action calls, throw with Warren. At least with him I can say he throws accurate balls. Just not very deep and he has a bad tendency to lock onto his first read. Their misusage of Edwards is asinine, it reminds me a lot of how they misused Chris Evans. I feel like Michigan under-utilizing offensive players goes back to Lloyd Carr.

They cannot run Edwards up the middle if they can’t open the kind of holes where he might break one. He needs to be catching short passes in space. But they don’t have the protection or the QB to get it done.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Yeah… the second half of the schedule may be a Death March at this point.

The thing that concerns me the most is that there is no sign of improvement after 5 games anywhere on offense.

Orji can’t throw, and his reads (run and pass) look hesitant.

The WRs are nonexistent.

The TEs (Loveland, Klein, Hansen) and Bredeson look really dangerous, but Loveland’s going to be in and out of the lineup for the rest of the year with a bum shoulder, and every defense knows that they’re the only receiving targets.

Edwards is only good for the occasional home run play. Why they don’t rep two-back swing passes and wheel routes to him all day is mystifying. He’s tits on a bull at this point.

The OL just isn’t very good, and no one is getting any better. Hinton and El Hadi were supposed to be anchors, and they’ve been very meh. Priebe? Hardly notice him out there. Link has potential (I think), but he’s just too spastic right now. They’ve fucked up the C position bigly. Should’ve given it to Crippen and let him run with it. What the fuck is Newsome doing?

Kirk Campbell doesn’t impress me at all.

God bless Kalel Mullings; it’d be a miracle if he makes it to Colombus.

QFT. I said the USC win was likely the high point of the season, and maybe a win over IU or Illinois is more enjoyable, I stand by that statement as this was USC's first visit to the Big House as a member of the conference. I agree that IU, Illinois, OSU, and Oregon all look like losses to me, with MSU and Washington toss ups, and NWU being the only solid win left on the schedule. Egads.

Again, the troubling part about all of this is the lack of creativity and foresight of the coaching.

Yeah, I don't want to say Link can't improve and become a reliable starter... look at Jon Runyan Jr.'s progression. It's just a lot to ask for someone to start as a freshman OL.

It just feels like they're playing with one hand behind their back. I think you just need to shuffle QBs around and try to keep defenses guessing, but if they want to have any semblance of a passing game you probably have to go with Warren. Run on Orji drives and maybe even a few trick plays/play action calls, throw with Warren. At least with him I can say he throws accurate balls. Just not very deep and he has a bad tendency to lock onto his first read. Their misusage of Edwards is asinine, it reminds me a lot of how they misused Chris Evans. I feel like Michigan under-utilizing offensive players goes back to Lloyd Carr.

I hear what you're saying and don't necessarily disagree, but the gameplan this year is clearly to play 1950s football, and that means running 40x/game and not turning the ball over. It's the Orji show (heh) until they lose a game or he turns it over (more than Warren would).

I can't get this dumb thought out of my head that Edwards doesn't want to be a pass catcher and the coaches are acquiescing to his preference. Like, that's bad for everyone involved and is harming THE TEAM THE TEAM THE TEAM. OTOH, maybe the coaches recognize how fucked this all is this season and are just keeping it under wraps for OSU. The coaches did that one season (maybe Hoke's last) but by the time they broke out the package/set of plays I'm thinking of, it wasn't repped enough and the execution sucked, and OSU kinda knew it was coming.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Fun matchup coming up this weekend in Champaign vs. Illinois. This game will be an inflection point for both teams, as Illinois is having a great season and Michigan continues to lurch to and fro in their post championship hangover. Tuttle coming in and giving the passing game a new dimension was very exciting, especially his pass to Amorion Walker (!), but he also had 2 crippling turnovers in the 4th quarter against Washington (who just got pummeled by Iowa). Hopefully the bye week means we get a healthy DL (Moore was out against Washington and it showed) and the OL gets straightened out with Crippen coming in for Guidice and Persi coming in at RT for Link (with Hinton coming back healthy at LT). If we get those personnel changes/returns and the offense looks more coherent, I'd be mightily encouraged for the back half of the season.

 

[Zososoxfan]

I'm not, and should not have been, "mightily encouraged for the back half of the season". Whoops!

Tuttle wasn't good at all, the offense is still super broken, and the team still looks very badly coached (hello special teams blunders and missed tackles!).

Moore should and will get a second year, even if they lose the rest of the games (minus Northwestern), but he must do a whole lot better if he wants to keep his job. Unclear to me if you can draw a line between Moore, Wink, and Campbell to assign the ineptitude, or more likely it's a combination. Nevertheless, Moore is THE guy and he will eventually take the fall if this team doesn't look MUCH better next year.

 

[Granite Sox]

I think Moore has to swallow his pride and bring in an experienced OC. Campbell seems like he’s in over his head. Has no idea how to utilize the offensive talent outside of Loveland.

Everyone seems to be in love with Grant Newsome due to his backstory, but the OL has been horrible up and down the line. The QB situation dwarfs all other problems, but I feel like the OL is a close second.

 

[Jason Bae]

I think Moore has to swallow his pride and bring in an experienced OC. Campbell seems like he’s in over his head. Has no idea how to utilize the offensive talent outside of Loveland.

Everyone seems to be in love with Grant Newsome due to his backstory, but the OL has been horrible up and down the line. The QB situation dwarfs all other problems, but I feel like the OL is a close second.

The OL sucks, but it's not quite 2013-14 Hoke bad. I feel like the playcalling is the biggest issue, and they seem to have zero idea of how to use their best players (Loveland to some extent, Mullings, Edwards). Donovan Edwards is like Chris Evans all over again.

 

[Zososoxfan]

I think Moore has to swallow his pride and bring in an experienced OC. Campbell seems like he’s in over his head. Has no idea how to utilize the offensive talent outside of Loveland.

Everyone seems to be in love with Grant Newsome due to his backstory, but the OL has been horrible up and down the line. The QB situation dwarfs all other problems, but I feel like the OL is a close second.

Agree re Campbell. He got the job because he was there and it was easy to promote him.

WRT to Newsome, that just became a lot more important because Andrew Babaloa, a 5* recruit and probably one of the best 2 OTs in the class, just committed. Moore was also the OL coach before becoming the OC, so I really hope we can see some development of the OL in the remaining games.

If Moore isn't that good of an Xs and Os guy, he might still make it as a HC if he can become an elite recruiter (see: Franklin, James). This is a big indicator that maybe Moore is focusing on that front and directing his staff to do so as well.

 

[Granite Sox]

Yep. Moore is still a great recruiter. That is apparently Newsome's strength as well. No evidence to suggest Newsome's a good developer of talent. Babalola's commitment is important for myriad reasons, but between Moore and Newsome they need to make noticeable improvements in their player development skills, because the stagnation of the current OL is shocking.

Moore as OC wasn't great, either. McCarthy, Corum, and a veteran OL covered up a lot of warts when it came to offensive game play. What we are seeing right now is a joke.

Harbaugh did a great job of creating a culture of toughness, resiliency, and The Team, The Team, The Team. Moore would do well to focus on maintaining this type of culture as a HC, and let the coaches coach and develop as long as they know how. Offense is where the focus needs to be.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Yep. Moore is still a great recruiter. That is apparently Newsome's strength as well. No evidence to suggest Newsome's a good developer of talent. Babalola's commitment is important for myriad reasons, but between Moore and Newsome they need to make noticeable improvements in their player development skills, because the stagnation of the current OL is shocking.

Moore as OC wasn't great, either. McCarthy, Corum, and a veteran OL covered up a lot of warts when it came to offensive game play. What we are seeing right now is a joke.

Harbaugh did a great job of creating a culture of toughness, resiliency, and The Team, The Team, The Team. Moore would do well to focus on maintaining this type of culture as a HC, and let the coaches coach and develop as long as they know how. Offense is where the focus needs to be.

One thing I forgot to mention re Moore and Newsome as OL guys is the inexplicable decision to stick with Link at RT and to a lesser extent, Guidice as C for as long as they did.

It's a bit harder to judge Moore as OC IMO because JH was the HC and he's an offense guy. IOW, JH was much more involved in the offense, and I'm more comfortable assigning credit/blame for the D to Minter, than for the O to Moore. Last year's offense was very conservative for many fans' tastes, but it was complementary football and it's hard to argue with the result!

Moore is also credited with helping shape the culture that led to last year's (and likely previous years') cohesiveness. There were guys who could've left for the NFL after '22, but decided to 'Stay and Be Champions'. JH was definitely a guy who valued toughness and a lot of old school footbaw things, but I think we should also give credit to Moore for blending that with his angle.

 

[Eric1984]

Well -- got a win against a very week Sparty. I liked the Warren/Orji combo -- Warren didn't set the world on fire but he was functional and didn't make mistakes and he also had a couple of drops. Orji provided a good change of pace and even if they knew what he was going to do when he came in, he was able to give them yards at good times. But the tackling on defense was an absolute disaster -- it's like they don't even work on it in practice -- and Wink's defensive playcalling on 3rd and long, sending 6 men to blitz, continues to be inexcusable. And lining up Graham at DE on those plays? WTF? He sucks and he needs to go. It just feels like he's there to collect more money for retirement. There's a reason he was available when he was and didn't have an NFL job. On the offensive side, Campbell had a better game than he's had. A few very pedestrian useless 3 and outs at bad times, insisting on running up the gut when that's exactly what the Spartans were playing for instead of taking what they were giving them, but they also put together some nicely called drives and I loved the use of Edwards as a passer. A little bit of creativity for once.

Next week is going to be very tough -- I just hope we can keep it respectable.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Well -- got a win against a very week Sparty. I liked the Warren/Orji combo -- Warren didn't set the world on fire but he was functional and didn't make mistakes and he also had a couple of drops. Orji provided a good change of pace and even if they knew what he was going to do when he came in, he was able to give them yards at good times. But the tackling on defense was an absolute disaster -- it's like they don't even work on it in practice -- and Wink's defensive playcalling on 3rd and long, sending 6 men to blitz, continues to be inexcusable. And lining up Graham at DE on those plays? WTF? He sucks and he needs to go. It just feels like he's there to collect more money for retirement. There's a reason he was available when he was and didn't have an NFL job. On the offensive side, Campbell had a better game than he's had. A few very pedestrian useless 3 and outs at bad times, insisting on running up the gut when that's exactly what the Spartans were playing for instead of taking what they were giving them, but they also put together some nicely called drives and I loved the use of Edwards as a passer. A little bit of creativity for once.

Next week is going to be very tough -- I just hope we can keep it respectable.

Agreed. Warren was pretty clearly the best of bad options, but hopefully by sticking with him down the stretch they can actually improve a bit and open the playbook. Jack Tuttle also just medically retired from football, so his weak arm strength looks like it was a medical issue, and he suffered his 4th concussion recently. Back to Saturday, it seems like they do have some trickeration in the playbook but it just begs the question why it took so long to start using it. Encouraging performance from the OL, in large part likely due to Hinton's return. Gentry went out this game but Link wasn't nearly as bad as his backup. Still, I hope Andrew's back for more games this season.

I feel like Wink was having a better couple of weeks before Saturday, so I'm still holding out hope he can adjust his 3rd down playcalling--it's been abysmal and too clever by half [a million] this season.

Will Johnson missing with injury hurts the D a lot.

Just hoping they can keep Oregon competitive, maybe surprise IU, demolish Northwestern, and then have a helluva game plan cooked up for The Game.

Edit: Included Tuttle retirement news

 

[Zososoxfan]

I didn't care about the Bryce Underwood rumors until news broke last night that Carter Smith decommitted. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, Carter Smith is a 3* dual threat QB from Fort Myers, FL who's been in the fold for awhile. A few days ago, there was some rumors swirling around that Michigan was making some big NIL offers to Underwood, the #1 QB recruit of the same class, who also happens to be from Belleville, MI. Belleville and Michigan have a long history that I'm not well-versed enough in to write about, but in any event Underwood has been committed to LSU for some time.

The other piece of relevant info here is that Michigan already has the excellently-named Brady Hart from Cocoa, FL in the 2026 class. Hart is a top 10 QB. Jadyn Davis hasn't taken a snap this season, so there are clearly big moves being made by Michigan to address the weak QB room. I don't have it in me to look at what QBs might come available in the portal, but I'd expect Michigan to be involved there too.

Overall, I'm just glad to see that Moore and the program are taking the biggest problem with this year's team (and the program's outlook more generally) seriously.

 

[Average Reds]

Carter Smith is currently rated as a 4 star and is having such a monster year that he may move up to 5.

He can go to a program where he is “the man” rather than one of many possible starters. He’s also in line for a much bigger NIL package than he was looking for initially.

No matter where he ends up, it makes all the sense in the world for him to reopen his recruitment. Especially with Michigan pining for Underwood.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Carter Smith is currently rated as a 4 star and is having such a monster year that he may move up to 5.

He can go to a program where he is “the man” rather than one of many possible starters. He’s also in line for a much bigger NIL package than he was looking for initially.

No matter where he ends up, it makes all the sense in the world for him to reopen his recruitment. Especially with Michigan pining for Underwood.

TBF, Underwood is from Michigan and Michigan's coaching changes likely had a big impact on the school's interest in Smith AND Underwood.

But one thing that has definitely changed in Ann Arbor over the last 6 months is the approach to NIL. Transformational over transactional is gone, and Michigan is now just another player in the NIL game. Hopefully they're a big one, but they don't have the developmental machine story to tell anymore (at least not yet), so they gotta pony up!

 

[Zososoxfan]

Another game in which coaching looks to be a big culprit in a loss. Moore gets another season no matter what from me, but there are warning signs that he might just not be a good HC, at least not yet. Campbell should already be demoted.

 

[thehitcat]

Well at least he seems to be good at recruiting per Adam Schefter he’s flipped Bryce Underwood from LSU

 

[Average Reds]

Flipped Elijah Dotson (4-star DB, and Underwood’s teammate) from Pitt yesterday. Flipped Underwood today. Making a run at flipping 5-star OL Ty Haywood from Alabama. It’s a good week for Michigan

Assuming they fix their OC issues, my guess is that they will return to form swiftly next year.

 

[Granite Sox]

Keep an eye on Derek Meadows (WR out of LV) as well… he was seen as a package deal with BU. Supposedly Michigan, Notre Dame, and a BMT (Boras Mystery Team™️) are working to flip him from LSU as well. Michigan seen to have the advantage now.

I can’t see any way they let Campbell coach these recruits. Curious about the OC plan moving forward…

 

[Zososoxfan]

Well now! If we're gonna compete on talent, it's a whole new program. For my entire fandom (20+ years), Michigan has never been the program that tries to merely aggregate the most talent--it's always been about great, not elite, talent, and development. But yeah, this is probably easier for Michigan at this moment. Whoever they bring in as OC, all this talent will help make them look good. Also don't overlook the fact that OCs will be much more likely to come to A2 if they know they have BU under center.