The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1460661
APRIL 2022 THE WOLVERINE 31 • What Offensive Weapons Are Stepping Up? While 87 percent of its production is returning from last season, per ESPN.com, U-M's offense is going to have a different flavor in 2022. Offen- sive coordinator Josh Gattis is no longer on the staff, and running back Hassan Haskins won't be toting the rock. That doesn't mean it has to take a step back, though. Sophomore backs Blake Co- rum (952 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021) and Dono- van Edwards (174 yards and three scores) are faster and shiftier than Haskins was, and U-M will test the edges more. Edwards, who also caught 20 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown, can line up in the slot and pose matchup problems. Nearly the entire wide receiver room returns, and all should be improved. Sophomores Andrel Anthony (12 grabs for 248 yards and three touchdowns) and Roman Wilson (25 receptions for 420 yards and three scores) both had break- out games last season, and could step into even bigger roles. The improvements they've made over the offseason will be on display in the game. There are also three freshman early enrollee wideouts who will get their first chance to shine in front of the Maize and Blue faithful. Darrius Clemons, Tyler Morris and Amorion Walker were de- scribed by Harbaugh as "freak shows," and Clemons — a 6-3, 205-pound speedster — specifically has received a lot of early spring buzz. Redshirt junior Ronnie Bell, who won't be a full participant as he works back from an ACL injury, and junior Cornelius John- son are proven commodities, but the oth- ers around them have the opportunity to step into the forefront. Junior Mike Sainristil was not only playing offense and defense, but he was lining up at both cornerback and nickel back in addition to his normal wide receiver duties. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL EARLY ENROLLEE TO WATCH • DB Will Johnson — U-M's lone five-star in the freshman class, Johnson is vying for the starting cornerback job opposite of redshirt sophomore DJ Turner, with redshirt junior Gemon Green being the top competition. Green returned for his fifth season with the pro- gram and fully intends on being a full-time starter, a title he held in both 2020 and the first half of the 2021 campaign. He has the leg up in experience, but the nation's No. 18 overall recruit, second-ranked corner and top player in the state of Michigan for 2022 per the On3 Consensus may well have the edge in talent. Johnson has the capability to play both corner and nickel back, and where he lines up in the spring game will be fascinating. How he fares against U-M's loaded receiver group will also be significant. Starting at cornerback is a lot for a freshman to handle — it takes a special mindset and set of skills — but if he performs well in this setting, it might just mean the secondary could outdo expectations in the fall. TOP THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH • OL Olu Oluwatimi — The redshirt sophomore Virginia transfer looks like he's been at U-M for years, head coach Jim Harbaugh said. It won't be the entire starting offensive line together during the spring game, but how he meshes with his fellow men up front bears watching. The same goes for how he controls the line of scrimmage against the Wolverines' nose tackles and moves while pulling out in space. Oluwatimi is known as an elite run blocker, having graded out third in America at his position on PFF last season, but he also slotted 20th among centers in pass protection. The 2021 Rimington Award finalist will likely be one of the top overall picks in the spring game draft. • DB/WR Mike Sainristil — Will the fourth-year junior spend more time at wide receiver or defensive back during the spring game? He's working in at both, having made the transition to defense at the tail end of winter condi- tioning. He's getting reps at both nickel back and tradi- tional cornerback, so he could be all over the field even when on that side of the ball. With U-M losing three starting defensive backs from last year's team, how he acclimates to his new role will be significant in how the defense performs overall in 2022. • LB Junior Colson — Last year, Har- baugh said the longer it takes Colson to find out he's really good, the better. It turned out, Colson was extremely pro- ductive, finishing fourth on the team with 61 tackles despite starting only half the games and playing just the 10th-most snaps on the defense. Now, though, he won't have a fifth- year senior like Josh Ross to command the position group, communicate to the rest of the defense and lead the team in tackles. He's only a sophomore, but Colson will be called upon to become a vocal leader on defense. Many will be watching his body language, how he rallies his teammates and potentially elevated play April 2.