The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Michigan signed 26 players last year, a big class to add to a team with plenty of veterans returning. Several will get an opportunity to play early. Here are the most likely to see the field: 1. SAFETY DAXTON HILL The unanimous five-star recruit out of Tulsa, Okla., has all the tools needed to compete as a freshman, and he'll have every opportunity to crack the two deep. He can run, cover, hit and has an innate ability to get to the ball and make a play. He's similar to former Michigan standout and five-star Jabrill Pep- pers in many respects, especially in his feel for the game. He will likely see action on both special teams and defense from the get-go. 2. Wide receiver Mike Sainristil Hill and Sainristil might be 1-A and 1-B on this list. The 5-10, 179-pounder received more freshman hype than any receiver since Steve Breaston in the early 2000s, based largely on his practice play. The Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year is an electric playmaker, notching 32 catches for 792 yards and 12 touchdowns in addition to 290 yards and five touchdowns rushing last year at Everett High School — and he was even named a second-team All- American by USA Today on defense, where he secured six picks. He's going to be a threat in the slot and has been a tough cover for Michigan's veteran defensive backs since he arrived on campus. 3. RB Zach Charbonnet The Californian enrolled early but missed the spring while recovering from a surgery. He was ranked among the top 101 prospects nationally by all three major recruiting services, though, and is still expected to play a role this fall, partially out of necessity. There just aren't enough bodies here. Charbonnet has the makings of an elite back and an early contributor. He rushed for 4,688 yards and 63 touchdowns his final three years of high school and has a college ready body at 6-1, 222 pounds. 4. TE Erick All The Fairfield, Ohio, standout and early enrollee notched 30 receptions for 465 yards and four touchdowns during his senior year, and he was one of the team's pleasant surprises this spring. The 6-5, 225-pounder catches everything in sight, can play either tight end or receiver, and is fearless. He's go- ing to play, and many believe he could be an impact player by the end of his first year. 5. DT Chris Hinton A 6-4, 285-pounder, Hinton has a college-ready body. Chances are he and four-star early enrollee defensive tackle Mazi Smith will both play. Smith showed flashes this spring, and Hinton was listed a Rivals.com five-star prospect (No. 15 overall) for a reason. He tallied 49 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a senior, and was dominant during the week at the All-American Bowl in earn- ing his spot as one of the nation's best players. He's a huge addition at a position of need on the interior line. TOP FIVE QUESTION MARKS 2. Will the interior defensive line be strong enough to hold up against the league's better offensive lines? Losing Bryan Mone, Lawrence Marshall and Aubrey Solomon (transfer) will be difficult to overcome, but there are several options. Senior Carlo Kemp started out as a linebacker. Now he's a nose tackle, and sources said in early June he was up to 290 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Donovan Jeter flipped a switch in the spring and showed great potential inside, while redshirt junior Michael Dwumfour displayed flashes last year. Freshmen Mazi Smith and Chris Hinton will have to provide depth here, as will junior fullback convert Ben Mason. We'll know more about this group Sept. 21 when the Wolverines play at Wisconsin. 3. How much different will the offense look … and will it be better? Head coach Jim Harbaugh seemed to do some soul searching about his offense at the end of last year. It was much improved in a lot of areas, but the pace was slower and it didn't always seem to take advantage of its strengths — specifically, quarterback Shea Patterson and his receivers. Patterson even brought it up during the postgame following a Peach Bowl loss to Florida, admitting he hoped to open it up a bit more. Enter first-year coordinator Josh Gattis, who came to U-M after helping Alabama craft one of the nation's top attacks. Michigan's defenders said this spring they saw a lot more pass and were strained at times trying to defend all the looks they faced. Gattis in- sisted this would still be an offense built around the run, but expect to see more creativity … and more reliance on the quarterbacks. THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 51 TOP FIVE FRESHMAN CANDIDATES TO PLAY 4. Who plays right tackle, and will the position be a weak spot? Redshirt sophomore ANDREW STUEBER got thrown into the fire last year when right tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty went down, and he had his highs and lows. He started at Ohio State and in the bowl, so he has some experience. At the same time, redshirt freshman Jalen Mayfield is one of the most athletic players on the line, and he's neck-and-neck with Stueber. The competition has brought out the best in both of them, and this should be the strongest U-M has been at the position in a few years — if Stueber continues to mold his body and Mayfield continues to learn. 5. Who will win the placekicking battle? Redshirt junior Quinn Nordin got off to a great start two years ago with a pair of 50-plus-yard field goals in a win over Florida and made 19 of 24 in his first year, a 75.0 success rate that ranked seventh in U-M's single-season record books. He was 11 of 16 last season before an illness sidelined him. Freshman Jake Moody took over, made a team-record six field goals in a win over Indiana and converted on 10 of his 11 tries in the final three games. His only miss came from 50-plus yards in the bowl game. This is a good problem to have. Both kickers showed extremely well this spring. 1. Can the running backs be good enough to help compete for a title? Redshirt freshman Christian Turner and true freshman Zach Charbonnet have great potential, but neither has proven they're capable of performing and surviving in the rugged Big Ten. It's not just about running the ball — it's about blocking, knowing the playbook, catching the ball out of the backfield, etc., too. It doesn't take an elite back to win a title, though it certainly helps. If these guys can get it done by committee, the way Chris Howard, Anthony Thomas, Chris Floyd and Clarence Williams did in 1997, for example, there are plenty of other weapons at the other skill positions to carry the load. Senior Tru Wilson is an outstanding pass blocker and will help on third down. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM 2019 SEASON PREVIEW