Michigan Football: 5 early takeaways from Wolverines’ fall camp

A surprise or two

You have to love the attitude of Michael Barrett. He was beaten out for a starting job last season but he didn’t complain. He just kept working.

Barrett is a dominant special teams player and he’s played in all three phases of the game for Michigan. But down the stretch last season, he found an ideal role as a nickel linebacker due to his speed, coverage skills, and tackling ability.

There are some rumblings now that Barrett, after an impressive offseason of work, could push for a starting job this season. Either way, he’s going to play a lot of snaps, and make an impact.

Another that might not start this season but is a senior and in need of a productive campaign is Julius Welschof, who has dropped about 20 pounds and is playing EDGE.

Welschof is 6-foot-7, 266 pounds and he would be a great candidate to replace some of the production lost by Hutchinson or Ojabo. He’s a physical freak and the Senior Bowl has tweeted about keeping an eye on him this season.

As a pass rusher, he could use that raw natural talent and the defense, with significant contributions from Barrett and possibly Welschof, might not drop off much from 2021, just like Jim Harbaugh said it wouldn’t.