The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2. Find a No. 1 (and No. 2) running back Michigan doesn't have enough bodies here, even if there are some players with great potential. Senior Chris Evans will not play this year due to a suspension, so it's up to two freshmen to emerge in redshirt Chris- tian Turner and true frosh Zach Charbonnet. This is reminiscent of the 2004 season, when Mike Hart emerged as a freshman and ran with the position to the tune of 1,455 yards and nine scores. Hart was special, and they'll need one or both of Turner and Char- bonnet to learn quickly. Former walk-on Tru Wilson will provide depth and can block, but he's not an every-down back. 3. Solidify the run defense Michigan was solid in this area last year, finishing No. 23 in the country by allowing 127.4 yards per game, but losing so much of the line and elite linebacker Devin Bush Jr. will be a challenge to overcome. The last two games of the season a year ago, when Ohio State ran for 171 yards (4.8 per carry) in a blowout win and Florida gashed the defense for 257 yards (6.4 per carry) and three scores, gave a view of life without Bush. Shoring up the defensive front and finding Bush's replacement will be keys to the 2019 defense's success. 4. Develop some pass rushers Defensive coordinator Don Brown likes his line's potential, but he admitted this spring their success would be predicated on finding some guys who can get to the quarterback … especially from the interior. Linebacker Josh Uche can be elite on the edge, but U-M lacked a Maurice Hurst-type guy along the interior last year, and it was evident. 5. Force more turnovers This remains a focus for the third year in a row. The stress on defensive backs in man-to-man coverage makes it difficult for corners to pick off passes, and Brown isn't about to change what's worked. The Wolverines' passing defense was No. 2 in the nation last year, after all. But U-M forced only 17 turnovers for the sec- ond straight year, tied for 89th nationally in 2018. Brown's charges only forced seven fumbles and recovered six, the latter tied for 96th in the land and is not nearly good enough for such a talented unit. THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 53 Defense DT Carlo Kemp Kemp is the epitome of a leader, having played three different positions at Michigan and even sug- gesting a move inside to tackle to help the team when he was still an end. He's well respected by all. The dark horses — Seniors Josh Metellus and Khaleke Hudson: Safety Metellus bypassed a shot at the NFL to come back and lead the Wolverines to a shot at a title. He's respected for his play on the field and took his leadership skills to the next level in the spring, serving as an ex- cellent mentor to the younger players. Hudson, the viper, is a show-up-and-do-your-job kind of guy, a worker who never takes a play off in practice. Offense OG Ben Bredeson Bredeson was a junior captain last year and has been a team leader since his sophomore season. He's a throwback to the Lloyd Carr era, a player who always puts team first. He said he gave very little consideration to leaving early, given his sense of responsibility to the program. The dark horse — Senior quar- terback Shea Patterson: Many considered Patterson a one- and-done guy, but he knew the second the Wolverines lost at Ohio State he couldn't leave on that note. That's a guy who gets it. Michigan's 2019 Captains: Best Bets Michigan doesn't have many seniors on either offense or defense again this year, so there aren't as many candidates for the captaincy. Here are The Wolverine's picks for U-M's leaders this season, a favorite and dark horse(s) on each side of the ball: Carlo Kemp PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 2019 SEASON PREVIEW