With Michigan football fall camp starting this week, here are six bold predictions for the Wolverines in the 2023 season.
The 2023 Michigan football season is one of the most anticipated in recent memory. The Wolverines are believed by many to be a national title contender after back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances.
Michigan football went 13-1 during the 2022 season. The Wolverines also return their starting quarterback, both of their elite running backs, a number of elite defenders (Kris Jenkins, Will Johnson, Junior Colson, etc.), an elite offensive line, and some impressive breakout candidates like Colston Loveland.
The schedule is also somewhat favorable, despite road trips to Penn State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Maryland, and Nebraska. However, the Ohio State game is at home.
Frankly, in terms of league play, this schedule could be harder than people realize, especially if Michigan State and Nebraska are better than expected.
At any rate, it should be a fun season, and here are six bold predictions for Michigan football in the 2023 season.
Michigan football will be just fine without Jim Harbaugh
Whether the suspension for Jim Harbaugh is four games or less, Michigan football will be just fine. It helps that all four games are at home and there isn’t a Power-5 non-conference opponent.
Yet, Michigan football can’t overlook anyone and this senior-laden team won’t. Blake Corum said the Wolverines would have the back of their head coach, so I don’t expect the team to miss a beat during his absence.
The Wolverines might even have some extra motivation. Either way, Michigan gets through the first four games unscathed without Jim Harbaugh.
Both running backs hit 1,000
Imagine what Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum would have done last season if they were both healthy.
As it was, Corum and Edwards combined for 2,454 yards last season. Corum got the bulk of the carries earlier in the season as Edwards was a little banged up.
Then Edwards and Corum each dealt with injuries before Donovan Edwards had his breakout performances against Ohio State and Purdue. He was also damn good against Penn State.
With those backs and Michigan football’s offensive line, defenses are going to have fits. I think the coaching staff will be smarter in how they use Corum, which means more carries for Edwards.
It might not help the Heisman Trophy campaigns, but this is about winning national championships and unlike 2022, Michigan football needs to make sure Corum can make it through the entire 2023 season.
Corum will still have a spectacular season and so will Edwards, but I don’t see either getting the ball consistently over 20 times a game. It’s not needed, but they’ll get enough touches to both rush for over 1,000 yards.
Will Johnson will win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
By the end of the season, the best NFL draft prospect on the Michigan football team might be Will Johnson and he won’t even be eligible for the 2024 draft.
Johnson, the 6-foot-3 cornerback, proved just how elite he was down the stretch last season. He was able to slow down Marvin Harrison Jr. during the “The Game” and then had two interceptions in the Big Ten championship game.
It was the kind of performance that reminded me of Charles Woodson, another No. 2. So far, Johnson has lived up to that hype and I think he’ll take it to another level in 2023.
Not only will he lockdown opponents, but he’ll also notch about five interceptions. The guy is just that good. The only reason that number might be lower is because teams won’t want to throw near him.
However, like Woodson, he knows how to impact the game as a hitter and tackler too. I’d stack Will Johnson up against any cornerback in the country right now and in 2023, he’ll be the best player on the best defense in the Big Ten.
Another Joe Moore Award
The offensive line has been recognized as the best in college football each of the past two seasons and I’m predicting the Wolverines make it three in a row in 2023.
It’s not just hyperbole either. The Senior Bowl recently had seven Michigan football offensive linemen on their watch list. Something that’s never happened before.
That’s wild if you think about it. Plenty of teams have seven NFL-caliber offensive linemen on their roster, but that number of draft-eligible is unheard of.
Jim Harbaugh said there were 10 starters for five spots at Big Ten Media Days and I believe him. Greg Crippen, Myles Hinton, Giovanni El-Hadi, Raheem Anderson, and Trente Jones are all likely to start the season as backups and each could start for 99 percent of college football teams.
LaDarius Henderson and Drake Nugent were perfect replacements at left tackle and center. Both are going to be NFL players, just like the dudes they replaced. Zak Zinter might be the best guard in college football and Trevor Keegan is an All-Big Ten player too.
Plus, Karsen Barnhart is another guy that’s NFL caliber. Georgia will make a run at it, but with the way Michigan football pounds the rock, the Wolverines will make it a 3-peat as college football’s best offensive line.
J.J. McCarthy will be a Heisman finalist
Blake Corum is going to have a spectacular senior season. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he averaged over six yards per carry in 2023.
However, it does seem like there will be a real effort to split the carries more and Corum should want that too. He’s got an NFL future to consider and doesn’t need to have zero treads on the tires once he enters the draft.
Plus, as we have said over and over, Michigan football needs him in November and December, more than it does in September and October.
McCarthy is underrated by plenty of fans. The analysts and NFL draft scouts know how talented he is. Plus, he completed 64 percent of his passes and had 27 total touchdowns compared to five interceptions.
The lack of receiver talent is overblown. Colston Loveland is going to be a force at tight end, plus both Tyler Morris and Darrius Clemons will have breakout seasons in addition to the returning veterans Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson.
I’m not saying McCarthy will win the Heisman. His numbers probably won’t be gaudy enough, but his stats will be good enough and he’ll be great against Ohio State in another win.
It will be the opposite of C.J. Stroud. Instead of Michigan costing him two Heisman Trophies, McCarthy will use “The Game” to propel himself to the Heisman ceremony.
Michigan football wins another Big Ten title, wins a playoff game
I was going to have five predictions to begin with, but needed a sixth. In terms of the ultimate goal of winning a national title, Michigan football will fall short.
That doesn’t mean Michigan isn’t capable of beating Georgia. But sort of like Ohio State a couple of years ago, I’m not going to believe it until I see it. The Wolverines are capable though.
Despite some tough competition from Ohio State and Penn State, Michigan football will win the Big Ten. I’m not saying the Wolverines will be undefeated. But even with a loss, as long as U-M beats Ohio State, the Wolverines should win the Big Ten title.
The big hurdle is getting past that first playoff game. It’s a struggle, in part because of the layoff and the Wolverines haven’t played well in bowl games under Jim Harbaugh.
This time, against someone like USC, the Wolverines will find a way, but Georgia will end up winning a third consecutive national title.