The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1386887
THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 21 Lindy's went on to note that Hill "seems poised to become the best player on defense," and admitted that while "he and strong safety Brad Hawkins were inconsistent last year … the new defense should highlight both players well." "Not void of talent by any means, the de- fensive side of the ball is looking to be vastly different from 2020," Athlon concluded of the U-M defense, while Lindy's stated "the rebuilt defense can only go one direction: Up." B1G Newcomers Lindy's had high praise for incoming running back Donovan Edwards, who in it dubbed the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year. They technically rated him lower (No. 9) in their listing of the league's top incoming rookies than classmate and quarterback J.J. McCarthy (No. 7), among others, but noted Edwards is going to have the best chance to make a splash in year one. "Edwards will have a big opportunity to make an early impact at Michigan," they wrote. "Zach Charbonnet transferred out, and while Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum return, Edwards is coming off a huge senior season and is physically ready to compete at the college level. "He is also a willing blocker and good pass catcher. With new running backs coach Mike Hart coming in, expect the competition at that spot to be open and Edwards to have a chance for many touches." Lindy's called him the "most versatile player on the roster," while Athlon raved that Edwards would provide the U-M attack with "another injection of explosive talent." He combined with Tavierre Dunlap to form the nation's fifth-best running back haul in last year's recruiting class per Lindy's, while fellow classmate J.J. McCarthy was enough at quarterback to give the Wolverines the fifth-best recruiting class under center. Athlon ranked McCarthy the nation's No. 24 overall recruit, while Edwards checked in at No. 41. Both were listed fourth at their positions, and ranked eighth and 10th overall, respectively, among the Big Ten's incoming freshmen. The Bottom Line Both magazines mention Michigan taking care of business when they're supposed to this fall — "Wolverines don't scream elite, but they'll beat the teams they should," was how Lindy's termed it. According to the magazine's 1-130 national rankings that would mean U-M should beat everybody ex- cept Ohio State (No. 5 nationally), Wisconsin (No. 13) and maybe Washington (No. 17), while Indiana (No. 20), Penn State (No. 21) and Northwestern (No. 34) probably fall into toss-up territory for the No. 28 Wolverines. Athlon said outside of the season finale against Ohio State, "every other game on the schedule is winnable, including a tone- setter vs. Washington. If the defense reverts back to form, the Wolverines could be a stable QB away from a dark-horse run in the Big Ten East." That's about as bold as either publication was willing to get. Lindy's concluded with a phrase that is probably worse than nails on a chalkboard for Wolverine fans: "Michigan will beat who it's supposed to beat and lose to elite teams. Sound familiar?" ❏ Preseason All-Big Ten Honorees By School Lindy's School 1st Team 2nd Team 3rd Team Total Ohio State 5 6 2 13 Iowa 4 2 3 9 Indiana 3 2 1 6 Wisconsin 3 2 0 5 Michigan 2 5 0 7 Northwestern 2 0 2 4 Rutgers 2 0 2 4 Penn State 1 2 4 7 Purdue 1 1 3 5 Nebraska 1 1 2 4 Minnesota 1 2 0 3 Illinois 0 1 3 4 Michigan State 0 1 2 3 Maryland 0 0 1 1 Athlon School 1st Team 2nd Team 3rd Team Total Ohio State 6 4 1 11 Iowa 4 4 2 10 Indiana 4 2 3 9 Penn State 3 2 4 9 Wisconsin 2 2 2 6 Rutgers 2 1 2 5 Northwestern 2 2 0 4 Michigan 1 0 4 5 Nebraska 1 2 1 4 Purdue 1 2 0 3 Illinois 0 2 3 5 Maryland 0 1 1 2 Michigan State 0 1 1 2 Michigan In Athlon's Big Ten Unit Rankings Bowl Projections As of June 6 Athlon: Music City Bowl vs. Tennessee 247Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Ole Miss Preseason Magazines Predict The Big Ten Athlon East 1. Ohio State (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) 2. Penn State (8-4, 6-3) 3. Indiana (8-4, 6-3) 4. Michigan (7-4, 5-4) 5. Maryland (6-6, 4-5) 6. Rutgers (4-8, 2-7) 7. Michigan State (4-8, 2-7) West 1. Wisconsin (9-4, 7-2) 2. Iowa (8-4, 6-3) 3. Minnesota (7-5, 4-5) 4. Northwestern (7-5, 4-5) 5. Nebraska (6-6, 4-5) 6. Purdue (5-7, 3-6) 7. Illinois (3-9, 1-8) Championship Game: Ohio State over Wisconsin Michigan's Big Ten rank (overall): Sixth Michigan's national rank: 32nd Lindy's East 1. Ohio State (no records given) 2. Indiana 3. Penn State 4. Michigan 5. Rutgers 6. Maryland 7. Michigan State West 1. Wisconsin 2. Iowa 3. Northwestern 4. Minnesota 5. Nebraska 6. Purdue 7. Illinois Championship Game: Ohio State over Wisconsin Michigan's Big Ten rank (overall): Sixth Michigan's national rank: 28th QB — 8th RB — 6th WR/TE — 6th OL — 7th DL — 2nd LB — 9th DB — 9th Lindy's dubbed running back Donovan Edwards as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, noting he would receive plenty of opportunities in his debut campaign. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN