Michigan football starts fall camp next week and here is a look at five position battles to watch for the Wolverines.
One thing was clear earlier this week at Big Ten Media Days: Michigan football is going to have competition up and down the roster.
There aren’t a lot of question marks in terms of starters. We have a pretty good idea who all those guys are going to be or at least who will play a lot this season for Michigan football.
But at some positions, there are multiple players who deserve to play a lot. It could lead to some tough decisions and other positions, such as kicker — it’s hard to have more than one starter.
With all that in mind, here’s a look at five position battles to watch, including one that doesn’t even concern a starting position.
Backup quarterback
We’ll start with that non-starter position battle. Hopefully, the backup quarterback doesn’t matter at all this season for Michigan football.
Just in case though, it’s going to be an interesting battle to watch and it could have some implications for next season if J.J. McCarthy leaves for the NFL draft after 2023.
Jack Tuttle transferred from Indiana. He’s a former four-star recruit and has started games in the Big Ten. That moment isn’t going to feel too big for Tuttle if he needed to play.
Davis Warren is the other candidate and a guy that could have a chance to be a future starter. You could say the same thing about Alex Orji, who is also a talented runner.
There has been talk of Michigan football using him in that role, but I don’t see the Wolverines ever taking McCarthy off the field in a competitive game and they shouldn’t.
Still, all three bring something different and it will be interesting to see how that backup QB position develops over the course of the season.
No. 2 cornerback
Jim Harbaugh mentioned the cornerback position during Big Ten Media Days when talking about position battles and it should be a fierce competition.
Josh Wallace was a really good addition late in the transfer portal for the Wolverines. He’s an experienced player who has logged about 2,000 snaps in his career.
Amorion Walker isn’t going to make it easy. He’s got physical talents that nobody else in the competition has. Walker didn’t play that well in the spring game, but focusing only on cornerback should help him improve over time instead of doing defensive back and wide receiver.
Ja’Den McBurrows is another player to consider along with some younger guys like Jyaire Hill and Cameron Calhoun could also work their way into the mix. McBurrows is the sleeper and think he’s got a shot to make noise if he can stay healthy.
Offensive line
Michigan football fans should feel really good about the offensive line after listening to Jim Harbaugh this week.
Fans should have already felt good but Harbaugh’s comment of “10 starters for five spots” was notable I thought in terms of the kind of quality depth Michigan has.
There are seven players that could be headed to the NFL draft after this season and all of those guys will be batting for starting jobs.
In terms of center, Harbaugh said that Michigan had two potential All-Big Ten players in Drake Nugent, a transfer from Stanford, and Greg Crippen.
Karsen Barnhart, Trente Jones, and Myles Hinton are all in the mix to play right tackle. Hinton could play left tackle too or could be the swing tackle. All should get some playing time this season and that doesn’t even include Raheem Anderson or Giovanni El-Hadi.
It’s insane how loaded the Wolverines are up front. Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan are going to be the starting guards. That much we know. LaDarius Henderson and the others mentioned could all be in the mix at both tackle spots.
My prediction is Henderson, Nugent, and Barnhart for the open spots to go with the two elite guards, but truly, Michigan football can’t go wrong and the snaps will reflect that the staff feels like it has 10 starters.
Wide receiver
This is one position where being a starter doesn’t matter as much. Wide receivers will often play a mix of snaps, especially if you have 5-6 you feel good about.
Michigan football has a pretty solid room. It’s a position people often cite as a weakness for the Wolverines going into the 2023 season.
However. think that’s discounting Michigan football’s wideouts a little too much. Roman Wilson could be in store for a breakout season. Cornelius Johnson also really came on. I don’t expect every game to be like Ohio State, but his production is proven.
Johnson isn’t a superstar but he can be counted on. Darrius Clemons and Tyler Morris will need to step up this season and both have the tools to do so.
Morris used to play high school football with McCarthy. Clemons is just a dynamic athlete and should have a breakout season. Yet, Peyton O’Leary, a star in the spring game, should also be in the mix to take Ronnie Bell’s old job.
Keep an eye on freshmen such as Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore too.
Kicker
Michigan football had two of the best specialists (kicker and punter) in college football for the past few years with Brad Robbins punting and Jake Moody kicking.
The Wolverines have their punter in Tommy Doman. Yet, the kicker competition will be decided in fall camp and it’s one of the most important jobs up for grabs.
Michigan football added former Saline, Michigan product James Turner from Louisville during the offseason. He made all of his PATs during the 2022 season, in addition to going 20-of-22 overall. His long was 48 yards and his main competition will be Adam Samaha.
Samaha is a three-star recruit from the 2023 class and the seventh-best kicker in the 2023 class. Harbaugh had this to say about the competition via 247 Sports: “I think James has the lead, but throw the balls out there and go from there.”
When you are trying to win a national championship, having a reliable kicker is essential and that’s why this is a key position battle to watch during fall camp.