5 Michigan Football players ready to take a big leap on offense
Michigan football is loaded with young talent on both sides of the ball and we look at 10 Wolverines ready to take a big leap in 2022, starting with five on offense.
Combined on both sides of the ball, Michigan football will be replacing around 10 starters heading into the 2022 season.
That number isn’t anything new. Every program in the country is dealing with turnover. That’s just the way it is and when you have a 12-2 season like Michigan football did, it generally means you have players headed for the NFL and that’s also true of the Wolverines.
But Michigan football has also done a great job of recruiting over the past few years. The 2019 class was ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten, while the classes in 2020, 2021, and 2022 all ranked in the top three of the conference and were each in the top 13 overall.
The last two recruiting classes included five-star signees in J.J. McCarthy and Will Johnson, as well as a number of other top-100 talents.
Of course, Johnson can’t make a leap in 2022 because he didn’t play for Michigan football in 2021. Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was starting or at least playing a key role next season.
But McCarthy is a guy who is going to see a big leap in playing time and production next season, even if he’s not the full-time starter and our list of offensive players ready for a leap starts with him but also includes a running back, receiver, tight end, and an offensive lineman.
1. J.J. McCarthy
Our first Michigan football player that will take a big leap in 2022 is McCarthy. Yes, he’s dealing with an injury and he’s going to miss time this spring.
Regardless, missing spring is going to hurt McCarthy’s chances of beating out Cade McNamara for the job. He will be missing out on valuable reps and while he’s going to do as much work as he can studying and all that, those spring snaps are extremely valuable, especially for a young quarterback.
That being said, McCarthy is going to have a bigger role next season. Even if Cade is the starter, McCarthy will play more. The arm talent is undeniable and so is his ability to run. He’s got to learn how to manage the game better and take care of the ball, as well as just making simple plays instead of trying to turn everything into a home run.
In short, McCarthy has to learn to be a point guard, while also being able to unleash his incredible talent when needed. That’s what this season will be about and once that is mastered, it will be impossible to keep him off the field.
And whether he starts or not, he will see a big jump in production.