The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 13 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL A total of 25 states plus the District of Columbia, Canada, Germany and Scotland are represented on the 2020 Michigan roster. Here's a breakdown: 1. Michigan (35) Unsurprisingly, it's the Mitten State that claims the most Wolverine players. Offensive tackles Ryan Hayes (from Traverse City) and Jalen Mayfield (Grand Rapids) are expected to be the starting duo that bookends the line, while redshirt freshman Karsen Barnhart (Paw Paw) has a bright future at either tackle or guard. Junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (Plymouth) is a preseason All-American according to Athlon Sports after a breakout sophomore campaign, headlining the in-state products on defense. Redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross (Southfield) is looking to reclaim a starting linebacker job after missing most of last season with injury, while senior Ambry Thomas (Detroit) and redshirt sophomore Vincent Gray (Rochester) are the likely tan- dem that will start at cornerback. Finally, junior kicker Jake Moody (Northville) and fifth- year senior kicker Quinn Nordin (Rockford) will battle it out to handle kickoffs and placekicking duties. 2. Ohio (14) There are plenty of breakout candidates from the state just to the south of Ann Arbor. On offense, redshirt freshman Zach Carpenter (Cincinnati) is looking to take control of the starting center duties after being named the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year in 2019. Sophomore tight end Erick All (Fairfield) is moving up the depth chart and should play a significant amount of snaps. Special teams will feature Ohio natives in fifth-year senior long snapper Camaron Cheeseman (New Albany), as well as the club's top two punters — fifth-year senior Will Hart (Hunting Valley) and redshirt junior Brad Robbins (Westerville). 3. Florida (10) Michigan has a history with having talented players from the Sunshine State, and this year is no different. Redshirt sophomore Joe Milton (Pahokee) is in a competition to win the starting quarterback duties. Fifth-year senior tight end Nick Eubanks (Planta- tion) started 10 games last season and received All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition. 4. California (7) Last season, running back Zach Charbonnet (Ca- marillo) and wide receiver Giles Jackson (Antioch) were Californians who both made huge impacts as true freshmen. The former led U-M in rushing with 726 yards and scored a U-M rookie record 11 touchdowns, while the latter posted nine receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown, and also added a rush- ing score and a 97-yard kick return for six points. 5. Georgia (7) A pair of Georgia natives are looking to take the next step in their careers on defense for coordina- tor Don Brown. Redshirt sophomore Michael Barrett (Valdosta), who was a big-time special teams contributor last season, appears to be the replacement for Khaleke Hudson at the viper position, while soph- omore defensive tackle Chris Hinton (Johns Creek) is a likely starter on the interior of the defensive line after getting more and more playing time as the 2019 season progressed. — Clayton Sayfie Michigan And Ohio Account For Most 2020 Wolverines ESPN.com's Bill Connelly decided to rank the top 25 teams throughout the Associated Press poll era (1935 to present) that didn't end up winning the national title, and two Michigan teams made the cut: Fritz Crisler's 1947 squad and Bo Schembechler's 1976 bunch. The 1947 "Mad Magicians" checked in at No. 25 on the list. The Wolverines were dominant in Crisler's final season as U-M's head man, outscoring opponents by an average of 39-5. The team finished the season with a perfect 10-0 record, including a 49-0 victory over USC in the Rose Bowl. U-M actually claims the 1947 national title after an unofficial postseason poll had the Wolverines No. 1. Notre Dame, however, was voted the national champion by the AP before the bowl season and also claims the title. U-M's 1976 team came in at No. 18 on Connelly's list. The Maize and Blue finished first nationally in scoring offense (36.0 points per game) and second in scoring defense (7.9 points per game). Michi- gan appeared to be the top team in the land and was ranked at No. 1 for most of the campaign before falling 16-14 to Purdue in early November. The Wolverines dismantled Ohio State 22-0 in Colum- bus and won their sixth Big Ten championship in Schembechler's first seven seasons, but fell to USC in the Rose Bowl. Undefeated Pittsburgh took home the national title that season. Schembechler won 13 conference titles, but was never crowned a national champion during his illustrious career. — Clayton Sayfie Two U-M Squads Named Among The 'Best College Football Teams That Failed To Win The National Championship' Bo Schembechler's 1976 team that went 10-2 checked in at No. 18 on ESPN.com's list of the top college football teams that didn't win a na- tional title. PHOTO BY ROBERT KALMBACH/COURTESY BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY Junior Jake Moody, who will compete for the placekicking and kickoff duties this fall, is one of a team-high 35 players from the state of Michigan on this year's roster. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL