The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1291402
OCTOBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 21 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL after last season he planned to come back for his senior campaign. Redshirt sophomore running back Christian Turner tweeted that he was opting out before the Big Ten's ini- tial postponement, and he is not ex- pected to play this fall either. Finally, senior defensive end Kw- ity Paye — reportedly a 2020 team captain — is now expected back after flirting with opting out. "Let's ride," Paye said on Twitter after Wolverine Sports TV detailed his return. Paye ended his junior campaign with 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. On the latest big board from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., updated Sept. 3, he checked in as the No. 20 overall NFL Draft prospect — the only Wol- verine to make the top 25. — Chris Balas Pos. Starter Backup QB R-So. Joe Milton R-Fr. Cade McNamara Despite only 11 career passes, Milton is the clear-cut starter in the wake of redshirt junior Dylan McCaffrey's transfer. RB So. Zach Charbonnet R-So. Hassan Haskins The Wolverines will likely use a committee approach at run- ning back, with fifth-year senior Chris Evans and freshman Blake Corum also expected to contribute. WR Jr. Ronnie Bell So. Mike Sainristil Bell's 48 catches and 758 receiving yards both led the team in 2019, and he will enter 2020 as the unquestioned leader of the receiving unit. WR So. Giles Jackson Fr. A.J. Henning Jackson is viewed as one of the favorites to earn a starting role in U-M's revamped receiving crew, with 107 of his 142 yards last year coming in the final three games. WR So. Cornelius Johnson Fr. Roman Wilson At 6-3, 205, Johnson will be expected to serve as U-M's big- bodied target in the passing game in the wake of senior Nico Collins' departure. TE 5th-Sr. Nick Eubanks So. Erick All Eubanks compiled 243 receiving yards last year and will once again be the primary option at tight end, though All will take on a much larger role after playing in 12 games last season as a freshman. LT R-So. Ryan Hayes R-Fr. Trente Jones Hayes started the first two contests of 2019 when Jon Runyan Jr. was out with injury, and will now shoulder the responsibility of protecting Milton's blindside. LG R-Jr. Chuck Filiaga R-Fr. Trevor Keegan It's now or never for Filiaga, who came to Michigan as a top- 200 recruit nationally, but has yet to start a game in the winged helmet. C 5th-Sr. Andrew Vastardis R-Fr. Zach Carpenter Vastardis served as Cesar Ruiz's backup last season, and will now compete with Carpenter to earn the starting center job. RG R-Jr. Andrew Stueber R-Fr. Nolan Rumler Stueber missed all of last year with injury, and all but one game in 2017 with an ailment, but is finally healthy and the favorite to earn the right guard spot. RT R-So. Jalen Mayfield R-Fr. Karsen Barnhart Mayfield's decision to return in 2020 after originally opting out is a massive boost for U-M's offensive line, with the Grand Rapids, Mich., native set to be the team's only returning starter up front. DE Sr. Kwity Paye R-So. Taylor Upshaw Paye confirmed Sept. 17 he will be returning to Michigan for the 2020 campaign, after racking up 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last year. DT 5th-Sr. Carlo Kemp R-Jr. Donovan Jeter Expected to serve as just the 15th two-time captain in U-M his- tory, Kemp will once anchor the defensive front after tallying 40 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss last season. Pos. Starter Backup DT So. Chris Hinton R-Fr. Mazi Smith A five-star prospect out of high school, Hinton averaged 32 snaps through Michigan's final three games last year and will now step into a full-time starting role for the first time. DE Jr. Aidan Hutchinson R-Jr. Luiji Vilain The durable Hutchinson played at least 44 snaps in 12 of the Wolverines' 13 games last season, racking up 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. LB R-Jr. Josh Ross R-Fr. David Ojabo Ross started the first three outings of 2019 before missing the next nine with injury, but is fully healthy again and anticipated to re-earn his starting role. LB R-So. Cam McGrone R-So. Ben VanSumeren McGrone opened 10 clashes last year in place of the injured Ross, accumulating 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. LB R-So. Michael Barrett So. Anthony Solomon Though he has never started a tilt, Barrett will take over as U-M's new viper after Khaleke Hudson manned the spot the past three years. CB R-So. Vincent Gray Fr. Andre Seldon Gray will be Michigan's top cornerback following senior Ambry Thomas' departure, after playing 525 defensive snaps in 2019. CB R-Fr. D.J. Turner R-Fr. Jalen Perry A plethora of cornerbacks will vie for the starting role opposite Gray, with Turner — who played in four contests last season as a freshman — the top candidate to win the job. S Sr. Brad Hawkins R-So. Sammy Faustin Hawkins started the first 10 clashes of 2019 before being side- lined with injury, registering 53 tackles and a defended pass. S So. Daxton Hill R-Fr. Quinten Johnson Rated as a five-star recruit out of high school, Hill filled in ad- mirably for an injured Hawkins late last season and concluded his freshman campaign with 36 tackles, one interception and four passes defended. K 5th-Sr. Quinn Nordin Jr. Jake Moody Nordin and Moody have shared the kicking duties over the past two years, though the former concluded 2019 by making his final 10 field goal attempts. P 5th-Sr. Will Hart R-Jr. Brad Robbins Hart averaged a 44.2 yards per punt last season, after posting a 47.0 clip and taking home the Big Ten's Punter of the Year award in 2018. KR So. Giles Jackson R-So. Michael Barrett Jackson excelled as Michigan's primary kick returner in 2019, averaging 25.9 yards (fourth in the Big Ten) on 24 attempts and taking one 97 yards to the house. PR So. Mike Sainristil Jr. Ronnie Bell Donovan Peoples-Jones, who is now in the NFL, served as Michigan's punt returner each of the past three seasons, and Sainristil is the most likely candidate to take over those duties. — Austin Fox The Wolverine's 2020 Projected Depth Chart