Michigan Football: Which will be better in 2021, the pass or the run?

Although Michigan football isn’t expected to have a great season in 2021 (it’s a rebuilding year after all) that doesn’t mean that U-M fans can’t be excited about the offense in 2021.

While we won’t know what the defense looks like for Michigan this season, we will know what the offense will look like and there is already a lot to like about the offense.

In years past, Michigan football had to rely on the defense to carry it to victories, but this season, I don’t see that happening. I think U-M’s offense is underrated and too talented to not carry the team this season.

Michigan has a few questions to answer on offense, but one fun question to answer is: will the run or the pass be better in 2021?

As I mentioned above, Michigan’s offense is underrated (maybe still not elite level quite yet) and that side of the ball could have a really good year when the season is over.

Cade McNamara at quarterback slinging the ball around really has us Michigan fans excited for his potential. No, he’s not J.J. McCarthy, but until McCarthy is ready to ball out, McNamara is the starter.

Cade reminds me a little bit of Mac Jones, just with more mobility. He is an accurate quarterback, that, in the right situation, can put up some huge numbers.

Cade will have a lot of receivers to throw to as well. The receiver position is actually one of the biggest strengths on the team in terms of talent and depth. Players like Mike Sainristil, Roman Wilson, Ronnie Bell, A.J. Henning, and Cornelius Johnson should all see the field a lot next season.

Shifting gears, the running back position is another position group that is very talented, and has some depth behind it.

It is not as much depth as Michigan football usually has at running back, but nonetheless, it is talented. Players like Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum, Tavierre Dunlap, and Donovan Edwards all are talented backs who could see the field in the fall.

So which group is better for Michigan football in 2021?

Between the two positions, I expect the running backs to ultimately be better. I still believe Cade McNamara and the receivers will have a pretty good season, but I feel the running backs will be good to great this season.

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Haskins is a proven veteran running back who never seems to lose yardage, he is always falling forward. He will probably be running back No.1 to start the year. He is my personal favorite running back right now just because he has gotten better and better each year. He will have a few 100+ yard rushing games, even with the carries being split amongst all the backs.

Corum is the burner back. He is the fastest back on the team and is mainly utilized in outside rushing schemes, where he can get to the edge and flash his speed. He will also be utilized more in the passing game this year I feel. He can be used in screens, wheel routes, slants, and out routes. Out of all the running backs, I want him to be the instant game-changer. If McNamara can get him the ball in space, he has the chance to go the distance on more than one occasion.

Donovan Edwards is Donovan freaking Edwards. He’s the do-it-all bruiser back, with more speed than people realize. I won’t get my expectations up too high for him, because he is only a freshman, and Michigan likes to rotate their backs often. He will flash his superstar potential throughout the season though. There is a small chance that he could be running back number one by the end of the season.

One thing I want Harbaugh to do a better job of this season is to keep feeding the hot hand. It really irks me sometimes when a U-M running back is playing really well, finding the holes, breaking tackles, and Harbaugh pulls him out of the game.

It makes no sense. If that running back is dominating, keep giving him the ball. Obviously, fatigue sets in, but as soon as he’s rested up, put him back in the game.

Lastly, there’s Dunlap. He is a smaller running back, but he is a great complementary back. He’s more of a shiftier, change-of-pace back. He probably won’t get that much playing time overall, but Harbaugh will give him a few carries here or there. If there is an injury or two (which would not be good at all for lack of true depth) his workload would increase, but unless that happens, he will not play as much at least this season.

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Overall, the Michigan coaching staff and U-M fans have to feel really good about the running back position. Every running back on the roster brings something a little bit different to the table, which is always great to have. In a 2021 football year that will probably annoy us a lot, Michigan fans should at least be able to enjoy a successful rushing season.

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