Michigan football has started spring practices and here are five position battles to watch for the Wolverines.
Spring practices have arrived for Michigan football. The offseason went quickly and while not all of the new additions to the roster will be taking part in spring practice, the Wolverines have all of their transfers and a bunch of early enrollees participating.
Michigan football is fresh off back-to-back Big Ten titles and trips to the College Football Playoff. And despite some NFL interest in head coach Jim Harbaugh, the band is back together so to speak and the Wolverines are loaded.
There were some departures for the NFL. Mazi Smith, Mike Morris, Ronnie Bell, Luke Schoonmaker, Gemon Green, DJ Turner, Ryan Hayes, Olu Oluwatimi, Jake Moody, Brad Robbins, and more. Andrel Anthony was also among the transfer portal departures, along with Eyabi Okie who followed Biff Poggi to Charlotte.
Still, Michigan football added five four-star transfers in the portal and some key reinforcements on the offensive and defensive lines, not to mention elite linebacker Ernest Hausmann.
Some of the guys will be taking part in spring practice for the first time and here are five position battles to monitor this spring for Michigan football fans.
Backup QB
Davis Warren started to come on the radar for the first time last spring. J.J. McCarthy was out with an injury and Warren played well in the spring game.
That won him the No. 3 job and the backup job after Cade McNamara went out with an injury. Warren, who is on scholarship now, is looking to lock down the No. 2 job next season and the unofficial title of future starter.
Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal are also in the mix along with former Indiana quarterback Jack Tuttle. He could be taking on the Alan Bowman role but there’s certainly a chance, with his experience, that could be the top alternative if one was ever needed.
At any rate, with McCarthy firmly entrenched as the guy as long as he wants to play in Ann Arbor, the No. 2 QB job is one to watch, because there’s a chance one of those three young guys behind J.J. could be called on to start in 2024.
Wide receiver
Last spring, Darrius Clemons was a breakout star of sorts standing out as a freshman. However, he didn’t get many opportunities last season and caught one pass for seven yards.
The depth chart is still pretty stacked with experience as Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson are both back. A.J. Henning is too.
Anthony leaving definitely opens up a spot as the deep threat. That was supposed to be his role yet he struggled to catch the ball and never took that next step. Michigan football plays a bunch of different receivers and I expect to see that next season.
However, there is a pecking order that still needs to be determined. Johnson and Wilson are proven commodities. They are going to get their targets and their snaps. The slot position with Henning, Tyler Morris, and others is one to watch, plus to see who else could be in the rotation.
Amorion Walker is expected to play wide receiver and cornerback this spring. So the eyes will be on Clemons who has a dynamic combination of size 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and speed (4.39 in the 40). He’ll be one of a few guys I’m watching this spring at wide receiver.
Offensive line
Michigan football lost two key starters on the offensive line in starting left tackle Ryan Hayes and also center Olu Oluwatimi.
But two of the additions in the transfer portal should help shore up those spots. Drake Nugent from Stanford, who started the past two seasons at center for the Cardinal, is the favorite to take over that job but Raheem Anderson and Greg Crippen could have a say in that.
Ladarius Henderson was also brought over from the transfer portal and while he could play a few different spots, he’s started games at both tackle spots and seems like an ideal fit for Michigan football at left tackle, where he will be competing with Jeffrey Persi and others.
Giovanni El-Hadi could also be in the mix at tackle, although he saw most of his snaps at guard last season. The right tackle job could also be up for grabs. Karsen Barnhart is probably the favorite but Trente Jones is another solid veteran coming back.
Stanford transfer Myles Hinton is another name to know. He’s got multiple years to play and could use more development but he’s a top-100 talent and could also play guard or tackle.
Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter at both guard spots are about the only sure thing, beyond that, it’s going to be fascinating as a battle royal on the O-line two deep is about to commence.
EDGE
It hurt to see Okie leave via the transfer portal but I understand it. The key thing for Michigan football will be the development of some younger guys.
Derrick Moore flashed last season for the Wolverines. So did Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell. Those three guys combined for eight sacks last season and the production should take a big leap with Morris and Okie not around anymore.
Josaiah Stewart who transferred to Michigan football from Coastal Carolina was another huge addition. He had 12.5 sacks two years ago. Last year, he notched 3.5, so it will be interesting to see what the hierarchy looks like this spring.
As we have seen, you need multiple edge rushers to have an effective pass rush. Enow Etta is a guy that could be in the mix down the road, but he’s not enrolled early according to 247 sports. TJ Guy and Kechaun Bennett are sometimes forgotten but they also have potential and it’ll be interesting to see if they flash and make a move at all this spring.
The opportunity is there and while I feel good about the depth chart as is, it wouldn’t be bad for another guy or two to emerge.
Cornerback
We know that Will Johnson is going to start at one cornerback spot for Michigan football during the 2023 season. We also know that Mike Sainristil will handle the nickel duties as he did so effectively during the 2022 season.
However, the other cornerback spot is one of the most interesting position battles in spring practice. The Wolverines attempted to add some players at the position in the transfer portal but missed.
Jyaire Hill, a four-star cornerback in the 2023 class, is ranked No. 172 overall and is the second-highest-rated pledge for Michigan football in 2023. He’s also enrolled early along with fellow four-star signee Cameron Calhoun (No. 391 overall).
Both of those guys could be in the mix to start opposite Johnson. Ja’Den McBurrows and Myles Pollard are other names to know and it’s one of the key position battles to watch.