The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2021 "There's a real, real six in terms of guys at the receiver position: Corne- lius Johnson, Ronnie Bell, [sophomore] Mikey Sainristil, [freshman] Roman Wilson, [freshman] A.J. Henning, Daylen Baldwin," Harbaugh noted. "They're all playing really well." Harbaugh also mentioned true fresh- man Andrel Anthony, who fashioned a streak of a big play per practice. "He would do it in spring ball where — wait for it, it's gonna happen, he makes it," Harbaugh said. "There's a play a practice of the big chunk vari- ety. He continues to be really good as well." Anthony is the only one of those top seven that hasn't caught a pass in a col- lege game. Bell enters the 2021 season with 1,304 yards receiving over the course of three years. Baldwin racked up 27 catches for 540 yards and seven touchdowns at Jackson State last year. Meanwhile, Johnson proved Michi- gan's second-leading receiver last year, with 16 catches for 254 yards and a team-leading three touchdown catches. Wilson (nine catches, 122 yards), Sainristil (seven catches, 82 yards) and Henning (six catches, 59 yards) all saw the ball come their way in 2020. McNamara is ready to spread the wealth in 2021, after the bizarre half- season last fall. "Being able to adapt was something huge — for me and for our team," he said. "Everything going on so differ- ently, everything being so foreign to us, was definitely a weird experience. That's what's led to us embracing this year that much more. "It's getting back to a normal sched- ule, a normal spring ball schedule, and attacking everything that's thrown at us right now just because we know what we went through last year." RUNNING BACKS New running backs coach Mike Hart likes what he sees, and for good reason. He has a lead back in redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins who has been described by one onlooker as "a bull." There's 1A back Blake Corum, a second-year freshman who bulked up but retained his considerable speed in the offseason. Then there's blue-chip rookie Dono- van Edwards, one of the top prep run- ning backs in the nation a year ago. The fact that he's No. 3 on the depth chart right now gives a good indica- tion of how solid the Wolverines ap- pear to be at the position. Haskins paced the six-game rushing attack with 61 carries for 375 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. He stands to benefit by Gattis' stated commit- ment to staying with the running game longer in 2021. Corum rushed 26 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns in his first taste of college action last season. He also caught five passes for 73 yards, and should once again be Michigan's top target out of the backfield. Edwards piled up 2,460 rushing yards, 719 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns combined during his fi- nal two seasons at West Bloomfield (Mich.) High School. He's still adjust- ing to the college game, but should see the field early, according to Harbaugh. TIGHT ENDS Sophomore tight end Erick All stands No. 3 on Michigan's list of returning pass catchers from 2020. He hauled in a dozen receptions for 82 yards, and hopes to increase that production in the coming year. Asked why there hadn't been much word coming out of fall camp on the lanky tight end, Harbaugh provided a ready answer. "I just haven't had a chance to talk about him!" Harbaugh said. "Just love him! One of my very favorite players on the team. Competes like a maniac. Continued right back into camp. He's got himself into great shape. "He always stands out the way he blocks. And now he's doing it with a bigger [frame] — it's a bigger Er- ick All. He will just throw his body around. From his freshman year to his sophomore year, he was a skin- nier variety, now he's filling out and really brings some thump. "And he's really good running down the field catching the ball. He's off to a really stellar camp. He sets the tone at that position." While All may set the tone, some- one else began creating a buzz this fall. Redshirt sophomore Luke Schoonmaker is using his length and versatility to help the Wolverines' passing attack and its ground game. Sophomore Cornelius Johnson — a 6-3, 211-pounder who notched 16 receptions for 254 yards and a team-high three touchdowns last year — emerged as a top target during fall camp. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL