The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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118 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Predicted Order Of Finish East Division 1. Michigan (12-0 overall, 9-0 Big Ten) After exorcising demons in 2021, Michigan ran back last season en route to an undefeated mark in Big Ten play, another conference title and a repeat trip to the College Football Playoff. That is the bare minimum expectation for a team that returns a ton of production while it builds toward national title contention. Almost every position group on the roster is as good or better than last year, other than perhaps the wide receivers and cornerbacks. Those rooms still have their fair share of question marks, but there are intriguing young pieces for both. Junior QB J.J. McCarthy, RB duo Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards and another stout offensive line lead the way, while plenty of top performers from last year's "no-star defense" return. The schedule has some tough road games and ends with a home date vs. Ohio State Nov. 25. 2. Ohio State (11-1 overall, 8-1 Big Ten) Head coach Ryan Day is 45-6 overall and 31-2 in the Big Ten with three trips to the College Football Playoff in four full seasons on the job. Those two conference losses have come in consecutive years to Michigan, and the OSU fanbase is fixated on that glaring concern heading into 2023. The good news for OSU is that when it recruits as well as it does, every year is a chance at a fresh start and every week it will take the field with more talent than its opponent. For Ohio State, it is about getting tougher and putting it together in the biggest moments. The Buckeyes have 12 of Pro Football Focus' top-100 2024 NFL Draft prospects and are loaded in that regard, but they have major questions at quarterback. Junior Kyle McCord is expected to get the first crack, but sophomore Devin Brown will compete. 3. Penn State (10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten) Looking up at Michigan and Ohio State in the stand- ings is a frustration that Penn State fans would like to get rid of during the 2023 campaign. The Nittany Lions went 11-2 last season, with their only losses coming at the hands of the Wolverines and Buckeyes. A win against either of them could put PSU in the driver's seat in the Big Ten East, depending on the scenarios in play. Penn State is hoping to ride the big arm of sopho- more quarterback Drew Allar, a strong run game led by tailbacks Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, a good offensive line and an aggressive defense led by coordinator Manny Diaz. But the season comes down to the showdowns with U-M and OSU — the Nittany Lions have lost to both schools in five of nine seasons under James Franklin. 4. Maryland (8-4 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) The Terrapins have seemed like a program on the cusp of making some noise in the Big Ten East for a few seasons now, given the way the program recruits under head coach Mike Locksley. However, it has not mate- rialized into making a push on the conference's elite. Getting quarterback Taulia Tagavailoa back for the 2023 campaign is huge after he was a second-team All-Big Ten performer last year. Locksley added a pair of accomplished assistants to his staff in former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin and former Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. They might not win the big ones, but this is another bowl squad. 5. Michigan State (5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten) Things have changed quickly in East Lansing. Two seasons ago, the Spartans went 11-2 and head coach Mel Tucker was given a mega-contract that tied him to the program for a decade. Things went south last year without transfer portal star running back Kenneth Walker, and MSU stumbled to 5-7 with six losses in Big Ten play. The roster has not improved in the offseason, with star wide receiver Keon Coleman and former starting quarterback Payton Thorne having departed via the transfer portal. Heading into Year 4 of the Tucker era, we are about to get a sense of the type of program he has built as Mark Dantonio-era players transition out of the MSU program. It does not seem likely that MSU will recapture the lightning in a bottle it had in 2021. 6. Rutgers (3-9 overall, 1-8 Big Ten) Greg Schiano was brought back to Piscataway to restore Rutgers to what it was in his Big East days with the program. Of course, the competition has proven to be much more difficult in the Big Ten, but there is some optimism that better times are ahead. The Scar- let Knights have the personnel to be a top-half of the Offense Pos. Returning Honorees QB Jr. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan – 3rd, coaches; 2nd, media Gr. Taulia Tagavailoa, Maryland – 2nd, coaches RB Sr. Blake Corum, Michigan – 1st, coaches and media Jr. Braelon Allen, Wisconsin – 2nd, coaches and media So. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State – 3rd, coaches and media Sr. Miyan Williams, Ohio State – 3rd, coaches and media WR Jr. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State – 1st, coaches and media Jr. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State – 2nd, coaches and media TE Gr. Cade Stover, Ohio State – 3rd, media G Sr. Zak Zinter, Michigan – 1st, coaches and media Gr. Trevor Keegan, Michigan – 1st, coaches; 2nd, media Jr. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State – 2nd, coaches; 1st, media Gr. Matt Jones, Ohio State – 2nd, coaches and media Sr. Isaiah Adams, Illinois – 3rd, media T Sr. Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State – 2nd, coaches; 3rd, media Defense Pos. Returning Honorees DL Sr. Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois – 1st, coaches and media Jr. J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State – 1st, coaches; 2nd, media Gr. Joe Evans, Iowa – 2nd, media Jr. Keith Randolph, Illinois – 3rd, coaches and media Sr. Adisa Isaac, Penn State – 3rd, coaches Jr. Aaron Lewis, Rutgers – 3rd, coaches Jr. Mike Hall Jr., Ohio State – 3rd, media LB Gr. Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State – 1st, coaches and media Sr. Cal Haladay, Michigan State – 2nd, coaches and media Jr. Junior Colson, Michigan – 2nd, coaches; 3rd, media So. Abdul Carter, Penn State – 3rd, coaches; 2nd, media Gr. Michael Barrett, Michigan – 3rd, coaches Jr. Bryce Gallagher, Northwestern – 3rd, media Gr. Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin – 3rd, media DB Jr. Cooper DeJean, Iowa – 2nd, coaches; 3rd, media Gr. Tyler Nubin, Minnesota – 2nd, coaches and media Jr. Kobe King, Penn State – 3rd, coaches and media Special Teams Pos. Returning Honorees K So. Drew Stevens, Iowa – 3rd, coaches; 2nd, media P Sr. Tory Taylor, Iowa – 3rd, coaches; 1st, media RS So. Jaylin Lucas, Indiana – 1st, coaches and media Sr. A.J. Henning, Michigan* – 2nd, coaches and media So. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State – 2nd, media *Transferred to Northwestern this offseason Excitement is high at Penn State for former five- star recruit and projected quarterback starter Drew Allar. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Returning All-Big Ten Players From 2022