The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 123 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE New head coach Barry Odom, Arkan- sas' assistant head coach and defensive coordinator the last three years, was tapped to lead the Runnin' Rebels after a disastrous seven-game stretch cost for- mer head man Marcus Arroyo his job. UNLV won four of its first five games last season, before dropping six of its last seven. The program has made just one bowl game this century and hasn't earned a bid since 2013. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has some talent to work with, highlighted by junior quarterback Doug Brumfield and junior wide receiver Ricky White. Marion was the wide receivers coach at Pittsburgh in 2021, where he mentored Biletnikoff Award-winner Jordan Addi- son, and was the pass game coordinator at Texas last fall. Brumfield ranked tied for fourth in the Mountain West with 7.5 yards per pass attempt last season. The 6-foot-6 lefty completed 65 percent of his throws for 1,898 yards and 10 touchdowns with 5 interceptions, adding 261 rushing yards and 6 scores. White, a Michigan State transfer, will make his return to The Big House in Week 2. In stunning fashion, he torched the Wolverines to the tune of 8 catches, 196 yards and 1 touchdown in a 27-24 Spartan victory in 2020. His MSU career was quiet otherwise, before transferring to UNLV ahead of the 2022 campaign, when he reeled in 51 grabs for 619 yards and 4 scores. He's a preseason first-team All-Mountain West honoree, per Athlon Sports. The Runnin' Rebels made a pair of big transfer portal pickups on offense this offseason. Former Pittsburgh running back Vincent Davis — who totaled 2,226 yards from scrimmage and 17 touch- downs in three seasons — is a great re- placement for 1,000-yard rusher Aidan Robbins. And Jack Hasz, a senior who started 12 games at Buffalo a year ago, should help shore up the middle of an offensive line that allowed 3.1 sacks and 6.8 tackles for loss per game in 2022, with both of those marks ranking worse than 100th in the country. Two starters return on the offensive line. Odom deployed a 3-2-6 base defense at Arkansas — to varying degrees of success — and that look may work in the pass- happy Mountain West. Coincidentally, linebacker Austin Aji- ake, who led the conference with 132 tackles last season, transferred to Arkan- sas. He and edge rusher Adam Plant Jr. (8 sacks in 2022) no longer headline the front seven. Odom and Co. added a pair of SEC transfers. Former four-star, top- 250 recruit Zavier Carter is an outside linebacker who made a minimal impact (2 TFLs, 1 sack) in a pair of seasons at LSU, but is looking to break out this fall. Odom also brought junior linebacker Jackson Woodard with him from Arkansas, and he is expected to be the quarterback of the defense. Six defensive starters are back from a unit that slotted eighth or worse in the conference in scoring defense (ninth), rushing defense (eighth), passing defense (11th) and total defense (ninth). The Run- nin' Rebels do have a strong safety duo with juniors Jonathan Baldwin and Jor- dyn Morgan. Each recorded 56 tackles last season, and they combined for 13 pass breakups and 3 interceptions. Senior outside linebacker Elijah Shel- ton taking a step forward would help mitigate the loss of Plant. Shelton tal- lied 25 pressures, 5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks last season. The Runnin' Rebels were solid with 2.3 sacks per contest in 2022, ranking 49th in the land and fourth in the conference, which helped lead to 21 caused turnovers. Notes UNLV checked in 72nd in the country in total de- fense last season, the first time it ranked top 100 in the category since 2016 (80th) … In 2022, UNLV had a plus-6 turnover margin, with that 0.5 per game av- erage slotting 24th in the land … The Runnin' Rebels open with Bryant University from Rhode Island (with a student body of just 3,200) on Sept. 2 before trav- eling to Ann Arbor … Odom compiled a 25-25 record in four seasons in the SEC as head coach at Missouri from 2016-19. ❑ Barry Odom Brought In To Boost Struggling UNLV Program 2023 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2022 Result Sept. 2 Bryant — Sept. 9 at Michigan — Sept. 16 Vanderbilt — Sept. 23 at UTEP — Sept. 30 Hawai'i L, 31-25 Oct. 14 at Nevada W, 27-22 Oct. 21 Colorado State — Oct. 28 at Fresno State L, 37-30 Nov. 4 at New Mexico W, 31-20 Nov. 11 Wyoming — Nov. 18 at Air Force L, 42-7 Nov. 25 San Jose State L, 40-7 PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Ricky White, Jr., WR — White posted 619 receiving yards in 2022 to rank ninth in the Mountain West, and his 6.4 yards after catch per reception slotted 11th among Group of Five wideouts with 80 or more targets, per Pro Foot- ball Focus. Defense: Jonathan Baldwin, Jr., S — Named a preseason third-team All-Mountain West selec- tion per Athlon Sports, his 56 tackles are tied for the second most among returning UNLV players. Junior quarterback Doug Brumfield was named third-team All-Mountain West by Pro Football Focus in 2022. PHOTO COURTESY UNLV ATHLETICS GAME 2 • UNLV RUNNIN' REBELS • SEPT. 9 • 3:30 P.M. (CBS) QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 1-0 First/Last Meeting: U-M 28, UNLV 7 (Sept. 19, 2015, in Ann Arbor, Mich.) Head Coach: Barry Odom, 0-0 (1st year) at UNLV, 25-25 overall (5th year) 2022 In Review: 5-7, 3-5 Mountain West (4th, West) Final 2022 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 12 (5 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2013 (Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. North Texas, L 36-14) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Doug Brumfield (1,898 yards, 10 TD) Rushing: Courtney Reese (372 yards) Receiving: Ricky White (51 receptions, 619 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: Fred Thompkins (59) Sacks: Jalen Dixon (3) Interceptions: Cameron Oliver (3)