The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 11 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Blake Corum Could Become U-M's Fourth Winner By Chris Balas Quarterbacks have monopolized the Heisman Trophy in recent years, and probably rightfully so. These guys are generally the ones most responsible for their teams' successes, and the most dynamic ones — usually the dual threats — even more so. Michigan junior J.J. McCarthy fits that bill. He's got the arm and the legs, and we wouldn't be surprised if he threw for 3,000 yards this year. At the same time, as Michigan offensive coor- dinator Sherrone Moore said earlier this spring, U-M is going to take what it can, when it can, on the ground. Fans might not like it, but pounding teams into submission (including Ohio State two years in a row) is a great way to win football games if you have the horses. And make no mistake — Michigan does. Moore believes this is his deepest offensive line yet — time will tell if it's his best — and veteran guards Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter are road graders in the middle. Corum is back running and expected to be back to full health by summer after a knee injury sidelined him for most of the Ohio State game and all of the postseason. His weight is up a bit, by design, and he's stronger than ever. He might well have been one of the top two in the voting last year had he not gotten hurt. In short — he's special. And while junior Donovan Edwards will obviously get his carries this year, too, Corum is RB1. Behind this line, that might be enough to get him to New York … and maybe even win the award. J.J. McCarthy — It's A Quarterback Award By Clayton Sayfie The Heisman Trophy is a quarterback's award these days, and it has been for some time. Not only have 19 of the last 23 winners been signal-callers, but since 2016 only three non-quarterbacks were among the 21 players who finished top three in voting (includ- ing U-M's Aidan Hutchinson in 2021). Four quarterbacks from some of the top teams in the nation were selected as finalists last season — award winner Caleb Williams from USC, Geor- gia's Stetson Bennett, TCU's Max Duggan and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. Bennett's inclusion is the most significant when it comes to our argument that Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy has the best chance of anyone on the team to make it to New York for the ceremony. The Wolverines are widely viewed as one of the best squads in the country entering the 2023 campaign, and Mc- Carthy is set to lead the offense. At the time of the Heisman ceremony, Bennett had thrown for 3,426 yards and 20 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. Georgia was 13-0 and No. 1 in the country, though. If Michigan is in a similar spot this December, it'll be hard to keep McCarthy out. The Wolverine starter actually had 19 touchdowns and 4 interceptions to go along with 2,376 yards after the Big Ten Championship Game a year ago — not the same stat line as Bennett, but not that far off, either. Plus, we expect McCarthy to take a step forward in his game. He doesn't have a QB competition to worry about this offseason, and he's healthy unlike a year ago. ❱ POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT ❰ WHICH WOLVERINE IS THE MORE LIKELY HEISMAN CANDIDATE? McCARTHY CORUM Daily updates and analysis from EJ Holland and Zach Libby from their cross-country travels. Go behind the scenes with exclusive coverage from Chris Balas, Clayton Sayfie and Anthony Broome. The best Wolverines message board on the web. A cleaner database with more information than any predecessor. The Premier Michigan Site, Now On The Network! Sign up now at TheWolverine.com! JOIN THEWOLVERINE.COM JOIN THEWOLVERINE.COM ONLY $29.99 ONLY $29.99 FOR YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS! FOR YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS! RECRUITING SCOOP DAILY TEAM COVERAGE STRONG COMMUNITY NEXT-GENERATION PLAYER DATABASE NOTE: TheWolverine.com is the companion site to The Wolverine magazine. It is a separate subscription and is NOT included with the magazine.