Michigan Football: 3 players that need to step up in 2018

Every team in the country will be counting players to step up next season and for Michigan football, here are three guys that are important.

One of the most interesting things about Michigan football, is that over the past few years, the Wolverines have become, in themselves, a hot-button issue. People either seem to either like them or hate them, in large part, because of head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Some people don’t appreciate Harbaugh’s antics. Others don’t like that Michigan football gets a lot of attention, without really achieving much on the field. In three seasons under Harbaugh, the Wolverines haven’t won a conference championship or even played for one. They did make the Orange Bowl, had one top-10 season and two seasons in which they won 10 games.

So it hasn’t been all bad. But there is no doubt that 2018 is a pivotal year for Michigan football. A lot of eyes are going to be fixed on the Wolverines. The team that was young in 2017, won’t be next season. Most of the starters, on both sides of the ball, will be back.

Quarterback is still a question mark right now and even if Shea Patterson is eligible, there will still be concerns. Can he adapt to the offense? Will he gel with the current personnel? Can he flourish in more of a pro-style system or will the Wolverines change to match his skill set?

Those are all valid questions. However, since we have no idea what’s going on with Patterson at this point in time, the three players outlined in this post are guys that are all eligible to play next season. Just something to keep in mind.