Comparing Michigan Football’s current roster with 2016
Comparing the Offensive Depth Charts
Starting at QB, Michigan is again leaning on a first year starter with very limited game experience. Now, Milton’s potential is exponentially higher than that of Wilton Speight’s was, but Milton’s floor is also lower. The coaching staff believes in Milton 100%, but we will not know for sure what Michigan has in the 6-foot-5, 240-pound gunslinger until 7:30 EST next Saturday, October 24.
The Running Back room is where I think the 2020 team has a chance to really “boom” this season. With workhorses like Charbonnet and Haskins, and receiving or change-of-pace backs in Chris Evans and 4-star Freshman Blake Corum, this is a deep, talented, and versatile group.
The 2016 backs were nothing to scoff at, headed by fan-favorite RB De’Veon Smith, but the depth of 2020’s stable gives them the clear edge.
At Fullback, I believe Khalid Hill is the best at the position under Harbaugh, but Ben Mason is a close second.
Also working in Hill’s favor is usage — Mason switched to DT last season in large part because of new OC Josh Gattis’ “Speed-In-Space” offense which does not focus on the FB nearly as much as Harbaugh’s Pro Style offense did.
Similar to the running backs, I think the 2020 wide receiver room edges out 2016’s simply because of depth and fit in the offensive scheme.
2016 had stalwarts like Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson, both players who had a cup of coffee in the NFL, while this year’s group does not have that number one guy.
Ronnie Bell, the team’s leading receiver from a year ago, hopes to take the next step and improve even more on what has been an astonishing career based on his recruiting ranking — keep in mind Bell was committed to Missouri State to play basketball before Michigan swooped in and offered him to play football.
Even as the 2020 team lacks a proven, big-bodied receiver on the outside, maybe Gattis’ offense doesn’t need one.
The offense’s goal is to get players the ball in space so they can do damage after the catch, and when you look at the pure speed and shiftiness each receiver possesses, this offense has a chance to pick up right where they left off last season and be even better when you consider Joe Milton’s ability to take the top off of a defense with the flick of his wrist.
The tight end is a position that is pretty interesting to me when comparing these two Wolverine squads. At the top you have an All-American in Jake Butt, and a highly talented, ready-to-breakout fifth year senior in Nick Eubanks. Obviously, Butt is the better option of the two, but the depth behind the starters is where 2020’s TE room really pulls away.
Sophomore Erick All has the potential to be just as good as Jake Butt when all is said and done. He has been said to have the best hands on the team and could not be kept off the field in 2019 because of his ferocious tenacity when blocking.
No offense to Wheatley Jr. and Ian Bunting, but both All and Schoonmaker look like they could slide in and start Week 1 and Michigan football would have a matchup nightmare in their favor against almost any Big Ten opponent, which you probably can’t say about the 2016 reserves.
Offensive line is a major question mark for the Wolverines in 2020, much different from the 2016 line. The front in 2016 sarted three fifth-year players and had two fourth-year players waiting in the wings, which they needed after Grant Newsome’s terrible injury which forced him to medically retire.
This year’s O-Line has a different challenge ahead of them — breaking in a whopping four brand new starters.
Having Jalen Mayfield return is invaluable and locks down one edge for their new starting QB. The young men set to step up at each vacant spot are talented and/or experienced themselves, they just haven’t actually started more than a game here and there as an injury replacement.
LT Ryan Hayes started the first two weeks last season, C Andrew Vastardis played down the stretch against OSU and Alabama, Stueber may have beat out Mayfield for the starting RT spot last season had he not torn his ACL, and Filiaga is a fourth-year player who has the body type and enough practice reps to be a good bet at excelling now that he has his opportunity.
Overall, I will give the 2020 offense a clear edge over 2016’s. Joe Milton has had a year to digest Josh Gattis’ system, and the running game should be much better with a plethora of backs that can do so many different things and keep the opposing defense off balance. The Wide Receivers have outstanding potential to splash in an offense handcrafted for their skill sets and the offensive line has just enough experience to provide an acceptable floor, and the athleticism to possibly improve upon last season’s unit which sent four players to the NFL.