5 areas where Michigan Football could improve in 2022

Michigan Football put together a 2021 season for the ages, securing their first Big Ten Championship since 2004 and first College Football Playoff appearance in program history. As the page turns to 2022, there is still room to improve and new heights to reach.

Last season, the Wolverines leaned heavily on a bruising running game and a suffocating, high-pressure defense.

However, the leaders of that identity have largely departed with EDGE defenders Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, and RB Hassan Haskins, among others, all moving on to the NFL.

It is reasonable to expect the Wolverines to pivot slightly from these pillars to better suit the 2022 roster, while also maintaining a stout defense and a relentless rushing attack.

With this pivot comes an opportunity to improve some areas that may have been relative weaknesses previously.

Will this edition of Michigan Football improve enough to outpace the 2021 squad? That remains to be seen.

But it is possible, especially as this year’s team could look more like many other nationally successful teams of the past five years with a more potent pass offense and a good (not great) defense.

Offense

Last season, the Wolverine offense powered by Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum, and the Joe Moore Award-winning Michigan offensive line was able to put up 37.7 points per game, good enough for 13th in the country.

Obviously, the majority of the offensive load was carried by the rushing attack which scored a staggering 39 touchdowns compared to just 20 touchdowns in the passing game.

Fortunately for the passing attack, there is plenty of room to improve, and that’s where we’ll start.

Passing Game

Michigan football began 2021 with a bang in the passing game, and much of that was spearheaded by senior wideout Ronnie Bell.

In the opening game of the season against Western Michigan, Ronnie Bell had 76 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown, and a massive punt return for 31 yards — all before halftime — and this doesn’t include a spectacular one-handed catch down the right sideline that was absurdly called offensive pass interference on Bell.

Then tragedy struck, and Bell was lost for the season to a torn ACL on the aforementioned punt return.

But he is back with a vengeance and has reportedly picked up right where he left off, dominating the opposition.

His return will be huge in the improvement of the passing game, but he isn’t the only reason to be excited.

Michigan football returns nearly everyone who was a productive piece of the passing attack, adds Ronnie bell, and a talented group of freshmen receivers who could make some noise sooner than later.

Quarterback Cade McNamara (likely) enters his second year as the starter and is expected to make a jump, however, he is being pushed by sophomore J.J. McCarthy, who is the more physically gifted of the two but is a bit looser with the football.

Whichever of the two is named the head signal-caller, the Wolverines will likely get better play under center than last season.

Put that improvement together with the ascending, veteran receiving corps of senior Ronnie Bell, senior Cornelius Johnson, junior Roman Wilson, sophomore Andrel Anthony, the senior tight ends Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker, and others, and you have the makings of a truly dynamic passing attack.

Especially without Hassan Haskins and his inevitability at the goal line, the Maize and Blue are due for a bit of a bump in the passing department, both in touchdowns and sheer yards.