The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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6. QB Justin Fields, So., Ohio State The sophomore has yet to show consistent pro- duction on the field (328 passing yards and four touchdowns in spot duty last year as a freshman at Georgia), but inexperience isn't likely to stop the for- mer No. 2 prep player in the country from becoming the next successful Ohio State quarterback. 7. LB Joe Bachie, Sr., Michigan State Bachie's 102 tackles last year led a MSU run de- fense that finished No. 1 in college football, and the senior will once again anchor a front seven that will be among the nation's best for a third year in a row. 8. CB Lavert Hill, Sr., Michigan He was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selec- tion and a third-team AP All-American in 2018, and will be viewed as one of the country's best corner- backs heading into his final go-round in Ann Arbor. 9. DE Kenny Willekes, 5th-Sr., Michigan State The fifth-year senior's 20.5 tackles for loss led the conference last season and earned him unanimous first-team All-Big Ten status. Although he broke his leg in MSU's bowl loss to Oregon and missed all of spring ball, Willekes is expected to be ready by the time the 2019 campaign kicks off. 10. WR J.D. Spielman, R-Jr., Nebraska It's fair to expect his 2018 statistics — 66 receptions for 818 yards and eight touchdowns — to all increase this season in the second year of head coach Scott Frost's offense, especially with sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez running the show once again. 11. LB Paddy Fisher, R-Jr., Northwestern 12. WR K.J. Hill, 5th-Sr., Ohio State 13. DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Jr., Penn State 14. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Jr., Michigan 15. WR Tyler Johnson, Sr., Minnesota 16. OC Tyler Biadasz, R-Jr., Wisconsin 17. S Jordan Fuller, Sr., Ohio State 18. WR Nico Collins, Jr., Michigan 19. CB Jeffrey Okudah, Jr., Ohio State 20. RB Anthony McFarland, R-So., Maryland 21. WR Cody White, Jr., Michigan State 22. RB Reggie Corbin, 5th-Sr., Illinois 23. QB Adrian Martinez, So., Nebraska 24. WR K.J. Hamler, R-So., Penn State 25. DB Marcelino Ball, R-Jr., Indiana West Division 1. Wisconsin (9-3, 7-2): The Badgers' two biggest question marks on offense reside at quarterback (a battle between junior Jack Coan and freshman Graham Mertz) and along the offensive line (four new starters), while the star player — junior running back Jonathan Taylor — remains. A legitimate Heisman contender, Taylor has gained 4,171 rushing yards through his first two seasons and will help the Badgers compete for their third Big Ten West title in four years. 2. (tie) Nebraska (8-4, 6-3): It's fair to expect the Cornhuskers' late season success last year (they won four of their final six games after an 0-6 start) to carry over into 2019, especially with the return of sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez (64.6 completion percentage in 2018) and redshirt junior wideout J.D. Spielman (818 receiving yards). The Big Ten West is wide open in head coach Scott Frost's second year, and the Cornhuskers get arguably their four toughest opponents — Ohio State, North- western, Wisconsin and Iowa — all at home. 2. (tie) Northwestern (8-4, 6-3): Whether or not the Wildcats repeat as Big Ten West champs will likely hinge on how well redshirt sophomore quarterback Hunter Johnson — who transferred in from Clemson and was a five- star prospect out of high school — replaces the school's all-time leading passer in Clayton Thorson. Eve n t h o u g h Northwestern is in adequate shape at every position on the roster with perhaps the ex- ception of offen- sive line (where three starters were lost), a brutal five-game stretch to start conference play — Michigan State, at Wisconsin, at Nebraska, Ohio State and Iowa — could make or break the team's season. 2. (tie) Iowa (8-4, 6-3): The Hawkeyes actually appear to be the most complete team in the entire Big Ten West, with the only areas of concern residing on the interior of the offensive line (three new starters) and the safety spot opposite junior Geno Stone. A defense that ranked seventh nationally last year should once again be among the nation's elite, while senior quarterback Nate Stanley returns to lead a balanced offensive attack. Iowa's path to the conference championship is perhaps the toughest in the division with trips to Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Nebraska looming large. 5. (tie) Purdue (6-6, 5-4): The offense will once again be a strength (finished 29th in total offense last season) with redshirt junior quarterback Elijah Sindelar and explosive sophomore wideout Rondale Moore running the show, but it's hard to envision a defense that finished 113th in 2018 being much better. Reaching a bowl game for the third straight year under head man Jeff Brohm will be a reasonable goal, though concerns at running back and on the interior of the of- fensive line may prevent the club from grabbing that elusive seventh regular-season victory (the Boilermakers have won six in each of Brohm's first two years). 5. (tie) Minnesota (7-5, 5-4): The Gophers ended 2018 by winning four of their final six games, and with sophomore quarterback Zack Annexstad, senior wideout Tyler Johnson, and the running back tandem of sixth-year senior Rodney Smith and redshirt sophomore Mohamed Ibrahim all returning, it's fair to expect that success to carry over. A 6-2 start is very plausible before the club closes out the year with a crucial four- game stretch that consists of a visit from Penn State, road trips to Iowa and Northwest- ern, and finally a regular-season home finale against Wisconsin. 7. Illinois (4-8, 2-7): Uncertainty surrounds the Illini's entire quarterback situation (presumed sophomore starter M.J. Rivers transferred in May, leaving freshman Isaiah Williams as the likely starter). A potent ground game that ranked 12th nationally last season and is led by fifth-year senior running back Reggie Corbin and an offensive line returning four starters highlight the offense. Even though making a bowl game should be a realistic goal for head coach Lovie Smith in 2019, the Illini have won more than five games just once in the last seven seasons. Michigan Over Wisconsin: The 2019 season could finally be the year that U-M head coach Jim Har- baugh takes home the Big Ten crown. The Wolver- ines' main competitor in the East is an Ohio State squad with a first-year head coach in Ryan Day, while the Badgers appear to be one of four realistic con- tenders who could claim the West (along with Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern). The East is the superior division (it has won each of the five championship meetings since the confer- ence realigned in 2014), and that pattern of success should continue. Michigan will take down an inferior Wisconsin squad in the 2019 Big Ten title game. Michigan 27, Wisconsin 20 Big Ten Championship Game Prediction The Wolverine's Top 25 Players By School School Offense Defense Total Ohio State 3 3 6 Michigan 3 1 4 Michigan State 1 2 3 Nebraska 2 0 2 Penn State 1 1 2 Wisconsin 2 0 2 Illinois 1 0 1 Indiana 0 1 1 Maryland 1 0 1 Minnesota 1 0 1 Northwestern 0 1 1 Purdue 1 0 1 Redshirt junior Tyler Biadasz, who was rated as the nation's top center (88.7 grade) in 2018 by Pro Foot- ball Focus, is the lone returning starter on the offen- sive line for a Wisconsin team that will be looking to bounce back from last year's 8-5 campaign. PHOTO BY TOM LYNN/WISCONSIN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 125