The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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are big targets that could stretch the field and add a dimension that the passing game has been lacking in recent years. "Those two freshmen are more in the mold of what we have been recruiting, and they're going to get a great chance this spring," Borges said. "Not that we have anything against shorter receivers. If the kid can make plays, we don't care how tall he is. … But we wanted some bigger guys now. Does it mean we will always have 6-2, 6-3 receivers? Not everyone we recruit will be that, but if you can get a big guy who can run, that is always a nice combination." Quarterback In his five starts last year, Gardner proved that he would be the Wolverines' go-to guy moving forward. He finished the year 75-of-126 passing for 1,219 yards with 11 touchdowns and five picks. And, after his medical redshirt application was accepted, Gardner has two more years to lead the offense. "Now it looks like we have a kid that we can develop for a few years," Borges said. "You always like that. That's nice. Devin is the beneficiary of being here two years and playing the system before he had to get on the field. And he's been on the field with two years still in front of him." The bigger question is who Gardner's backup will be. Redshirt sophomore Russell Bellomy struggled mightily in limited time last year, notching the same number of completions as interceptions on the year (four). "He is working his butt off," Borges said. "He had a good spring last year and a really good fall camp. We just have to get him back on track. The perception of Russell after the Nebraska game — it will change eventually, because Russell is a very capable quarterback. Now he'll practice as the No. 2 quarterback this spring and get a lot of reps. He's a strongminded, competitive kid, and you'll see a steady improvement in his game." Borges would not speculate on incoming freshman Shane Morris and his likelihood to redshirt. Running Back The two running backs that will presumably take the majority of the carries this fall — fifth-year senior Fitzgerald Toussaint and true freshman Derrick Green — will not participate this spring. Toussaint is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained in last year's Northwestern game, and Green won't arrive in Ann Arbor until this summer. But junior Thomas Rawls, redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes and redshirt Drake Johnson have a great opportunity in front of them to stand out and demand playing time. "We want to see if we can find a young tailback come to the surface," Borges said. "We have some kids in the program that still have a lot of skill, and they will get a chance to run the ball. "It's a big spring for Thomas Rawls. It's a big spring for all our tailbacks." — Andy Reid