The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 23 BY JOHN BORTON J im Harbaugh said "this feels like the beginning" following Michi- gan's breakthrough victory over Ohio State in November. U-M fans were still watching carefully as of The Wolverine press time Jan. 19 to make sure it wasn't the ending. Harbaugh injected his "enthusiasm unknown to mankind" into the normal postseason work. He hired a defensive line coach, Mike Elston, away from Notre Dame. He threw himself into the recruit- ing process. He gave signals to players, coaches and others that things were status quo, full speed ahead around Schembechler Hall. But the contract revision and extension many anticipated had yet to be signed or announced, and that left a lingering sense of uncertainty around the process. Various reports about NFL interest in Harbaugh bubbled up following Michi- gan's 12-2 season. Some particularly cited the Las Vegas Raiders, whom sources es- timated could throw as much as $12 mil- lion per season at the U-M head coach. As mid-January passed, it became a waiting game, with news outlets and everyday onlookers grabbing onto every shred of talk available. Harbaugh him- self stayed silent, other than to quip at one point the speculation this offseason felt significantly preferable to that fol- lowing last year's 2-4, COVID-affected plummet. Obviously, if Harbaugh opted to give the NFL another shot, much changes. If he remains in place, there's still the task of recapturing Michigan's offsea- son drive, leadership and intangibles that made 2021 so special. We touched base with two individuals bearing serious Michigan credentials to get their thoughts about what's ahead for another Harbaugh-led U-M squad. Here are their views, as well as some fac- tors that remain regardless of a change at the top. NUTS AND BOLTS, WITH AN ATTITUDE TO LOCK IT TOGETHER The Wolverines face a major job of re- decorating the two-deep, particularly on the defensive side of the football. All of that gets detailed elsewhere in this is- sue, but the mere list of stalwarts to be replaced appears daunting. Start with the edge rushing duo of Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, who terrorized quarterbacks all year long. Hutchinson finished second in the Heis- man Trophy balloting and garnered Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, while both players made first-team All- Big Ten. All-Big Ten first-team defensive back Daxton Hill declared his intention to also leave with eligibility remaining. All-Big Ten third-team performers Josh Ross, a mainstay at middle linebacker, and Brad Hawkins, a veteran starter at safety, are also moving on. Veteran defensive tackle Christopher Hinton opted to try his hand at professional football, and so did start- ing cornerback Vincent Gray. In terms of defensive backups, line- backer Anthony Solomon, along with cornerbacks Darion Green-Warren, George Johnson and Andre Seldon all hit the transfer portal. On offense, 1,000-yard running back Hassan Haskins is hurdling his remain- ing eligibility to head for the NFL, and so is a fellow first-team All-Big Ten per- former — offensive line starter Andrew Stueber. Veteran center Andrew Vas- tardis is out of eligibility, and transfer wideout Daylen Baldwin declared for the NFL. Backup quarterback Dan Villari and veteran offensive lineman Chuck Filiaga are taking the transfer portal route out of Ann Arbor. While the offense will be populated by a host of familiar names, the defense must extensively retool. The latter situ- ation screams opportunity for veterans, younger players and incoming freshman standouts. Still, it wasn't just talent that carried the Wolverines to a Big Ten champion- ship and their first College Football Play- off berth this year. The intangibles soared for Harbaugh's crew, from Hutchinson's fiery leadership to the togetherness and dominance of the offensive line, to a young quarterback completely unintimi- dated by the challenge. All offseason, Michigan players — if they even mentioned the 2020 season — used the 2-4 COVID-year nadir as a springboard for what they promised was coming. They kept their promise, launching into a 12-2 campaign featur- ing road wins over Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State and Maryland, capped by the rousing, surreal, snow globe victory over Ohio State. The Wolverines demonstrated the new attitude and energy they claimed in the offseason wasn't just talk. They backed it up from the opening game, to the wild scene in the night game win over Washington in The Big House and right through the 42-27 beat back of the Buckeyes. The end of the road wasn't easy. But a little over a week later, national cham- pion Georgia demonstrated why it was so tough. The appearance in the playoff, and another level to reach, should motivate and instruct returning players who form the heart of the 2022 crew. Astute observers pay particular atten- tion to what it took to fashion the break- through season 2021 represents. They're keenly attuned to what it will take to re- capture the magic going forward. INTANGIBLES THAT CAN LEAD TO CHAMPIONSHIPS Few get closer to the action than Mich- igan radio sideline reporter Doug Karsch. He's witnessed and reported on Michi- gan football for decades, and knows what goes into the Wolverines' best teams, in- cluding the 2021 squad. Karsch identified the top three items on Michigan's winning checklist for 2022. WHAT'S NEXT? Michigan Works Toward An Encore After No. 3 Finish Head coach Jim Harbaugh's unsettled con- tract situation following a 12-2 season and College Football Playoff berth created an air of uncertainty around the program in January. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL