Michigan Football: 5 things to watch in spring practice

How have the highly-touted recruits developed

One of the main reasons for optimism right now with Michigan football is that there are so many good, young players on the defensive side of the ball. However, if that success is going to continue, more need to be ready to take the next step.

And spring football will a great time to judge their progress. One name to watch in particular is Aubrey Solomon. He was the top-rated defensive tackle in the 2017 class and played quite a bit last season.

But, like Rashan Gary, his impact was minimal. Looking back to last spring, that’s when Gary really started to look like a star and I’m hoping that Solomon shows that same potential this week. More than anyone else, he will have to step up and fill in for Maurice Hurst.

Solomon is just one example, but there are many more, on both sides of the ball. Offensively, it would be nice to see Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins take the next step too.

Next: Top 15 Michigan quarterbacks of all time

The spring game is set for April 14 and between Friday and that date, there will be a lot of great chances to see how these young guys are developing and who the future stars of Michigan football might be.