The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1460661
APRIL 2022 THE WOLVERINE 19 Michigan's front line, which won the Joe Moore Award last year as the nation's top offensive line, returns three starters, led by left tackle Ryan Hayes, who earned All-Big Ten second-team honors in 2021. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL BY JOHN BORTON M ichigan's 2022 offense looks loaded, featuring a host of returners from a Big Ten champion crew that put up 35.8 points per game in 2021. But one of the most ballyhooed bul- lets won't be in the chamber for a while. Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy — expected to challenge redshirt soph- omore Cade McNamara for the start- ing job — came up with a sore throwing shoulder. He's out for the immediate future, at least throwing the football. He's taking practice snaps in spring ball, learning whatever tweaks head coach Jim Har- baugh and new co-offensive coordina- tors Matt Weiss and Sherrone Moore throw at the QBs. It could be a while, though, until Mc- Carthy begins firing passes to Michigan's receivers. That's okay with Harbaugh, who knows the throws don't really begin to count for another five months or so. "It will be the plan the experts have put in place," Harbaugh said. "The longer the better, for me. It's March 8. [We'll] make sure everything is done in the best interests of J.J." Harbaugh described the injury as "lin- gering arm soreness from the season." He noted U-M checked with top medical experts around the nation with regard to the shoulder, and said he did not know whether a hit in a game or just the nor- mal wear and tear of the season precipi- tated the down time. Harbaugh did make certain to note the plan for recovery doesn't involve any- thing invasive. "No surgery … it's a non-surgical plan," Harbaugh said. "I can't say when he's going to throw, but we're not having him throw right now." That means any direct challenge to the starting QB spot manned capably by Mc- Namara last year will have to wait. That's a disappointment for fans wishing to see the upstart build on his rookie year, and a delay in getting McCarthy to a higher level of synchronization in connecting with U-M's new and veteran receivers. Clearly, though, it's better now than in September. For a crew that features great returning talent and depth, there's no big hurry. Here's a look at the quarterback spot as it stands, and the rest of Harbaugh's re- doubtable position weaponry on offense. QUARTERBACKS McNamara didn't enter spring ball looking to give ground anyway. He guided the Wolverines to a dozen wins a year ago, including the smack-down in the snow against Ohio State and the Big Ten Championship Game rout over Iowa. He connected on 64.2 percent (210 of 327) of his passes, with only six intercep- tions on the season. McNamara's com- pletions turned into 2,576 yards passing, with 15 touchdowns. McCarthy (34 of 59, 57.6 percent, 516 yards, five TDs, two interceptions) dem- onstrated a greater capacity for escap- ability, run-pass option plays and the spectacular scrambling connection. But McNamara remained Steady Ed- die when it came to knowing where to go with the football, when to throw it away and leading the team. None of that went away in the early spring practices. "Cade's looked good," Harbaugh con- firmed. "He's really been just sharp. It's been a nice continuation from the sea- son. "J.J. is getting reps, then all the other quarterbacks — Alan Bowman, the two freshmen. We get a lot of reps in practice. Our practices consist of a lot of reps, and they all work in there." Bowman transferred in a year ago, and the redshirt junior has been able to absorb plenty in the Michigan offense, under QBs coach Weiss. He'll be looking for a larger role after appearing in three games and connecting on a pair of passes in four attempts in 2021. Alex Orji comes in as a 6-2, 226-pound early entry freshman out of Sachse, Texas. Orji threw for 2,064 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior at Sachse High, while posing a huge threat to run, with 24 additional TDs on 1,187 rushing yards. Fellow freshman Jayden Denegal stands 6-4, 215 out of Apple Valley, Calif. He completed 69.1 percent of his throws for 1,545 yards as a senior with 24 touch- downs. Clearly, many eyes will scrutinize Mc- Carthy's recovery and reentry into the QB battle. In the meantime, a veteran Big Ten champion quarterback will continue running the show, with more opportuni- ties for younger hopefuls to make a mark. OFFENSIVE LINE Here's a comfort for whomever lines up behind center for Michigan in 2022. Yes, the Wolverines lost a pair of strong starters off the crew that earned the Joe Moore Award as the nation's best of- fensive line. But one of those spots could be plugged by a 2021 Rimington Award fi- nalist who transferred in, and the other by a hungry veteran. This looks very much like a reload rather than a rebuild. Harbaugh essentially laid out the frontrunners for the starting spots in his March 8 meeting with the media. "Across the board, there are some real veteran players there," he said. "Keegan, Hayes, Zinter — those are all veteran guys right now. At center, Crippen [and] Olu look to be extremely good." Redshirt sophomore left guard Trevor STOCKED, BUT SET BACK An Injury Casts A Temporary Cloud Over A Strong Offense