Michigan Football: How the Wolverines can replace Tarik Black

The Michigan football team announced that Tarik Black suffered an injury to his foot and if he has to miss time, here’s how he can be replaced.

Honestly, injuries are my least favorite part of football and this weekend, all Michigan football fans can understand why as the Wolverines might have been dealt a serious blow following an injury to wide receiver Tarik Black.

The rumors started circulating on Twitter Saturday night and by Sunday, it had been confirmed by the Detroit Free Press after an announcement by the Michigan football program.

There are still a lot of unknowns but according to Nick Baumgardner, Black is under evaluation and nothing is certain. It’s also possible Michigan just doesn’t want to announce it yet or they may be waiting on tests, but there is a fear that the injury is season-ending.

Regardless of how serious the injury is, it seems likely that Black would be unable to play Saturday vs Notre Dame, which is already a blow, seeing as it is one of the season’s defining games.

Whether it’s a long-term injury or something that causes him to miss a few weeks, the options for replacement are pretty much the same. Donovan Peoples-Jones would be counted on to step into the No. 1 role. He essentially did the same thing last season and was a disappointment. Hopefully, he has taken the leap in his sophomore season.

Grant Perry will still be in the slot and he has been reliable and shouldn’t really be affected. The void would be on the outside and the nature fill-in would be Nico Collins, a four-star wide receiver from 2017. Oliver Martin is another name to watch.

Michigan football would have had more veterans available for depth purposes but lost both Eddie McDoom and Kekoa Crawford to transfers this summer. However, another option would be playing tight end Zach Gentry in more of a wide receiver role.

Gentry has wide receiver speed and has been split out before and in the slot. Michigan has depth at tight end with Sean McKeon and Nick Eubanks, so Gentry’s versatility could come in handy at some point.

Another positive thing is that the Wolverines are in a much better position to overcome this loss with Shea Patterson at quarterback. Good quarterbacks generally make their receivers better and he should be talented enough to make things work with Peoples-Jones, Perry, Collins and Martin, plus the tight ends.

But there is no doubt, depth is a concern and anytime you lose your top wideout, it’s concerning. The best hope is that Black will miss a short time but if it’s season-ending, Michigan football fans should hope UM handles the loss better than it did last season.