The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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30 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2023 SEASON PREVIEW BY CHRIS BALAS T he Michigan football program has accom- plished many incredible feats in the 100-plus years of its existence, but U-M has never won three consecutive outright Big Ten championships. Fielding Yost couldn't pull off such a streak, nor could Fritz Crisler, Bo Schembechler or Lloyd Carr. That gives head coach Jim Harbaugh's ninth team something to shoot for coming off back-to-back Big Ten titles. To do that, Michigan will probably have to knock off Ohio State for a third straight time after thrash- ing the Buckeyes the last two years. Unlike the 2021 and 2022 seasons, however, the Wolverines might well be a favorite given what they've got coming back, some young and talented freshmen added to the mix, and nine highly capable veterans from the transfer portal to bolster the roster. It's no wonder Harbaugh was in such good spirits when he met the media this spring to talk about his team. "I would just say you've got to be in this building [Schembechler Hall] to really feel it," Harbaugh said. "Compare us to perfect and we're going to come up short. In the major areas [though], compare us to any other program and I think you're going to see that it doesn't get any better." As for winning games, 25-3 with one Big Ten loss in two seasons is reminiscent of the glory days of the 1970s, '80s and '90s, including last year's unde- feated regular season. "13-1 was not perfect, but that's what we keep striving for," Harbaugh said. "We keep chasing that perfection." The pieces are in place to make that a possibility this year. Here's our annual look at some of the best and most intriguing players, biggest question marks and more heading into this year's campaign. CHASING CHASING PERFECTION After Back-to-Back Outright Big Ten Titles, Michigan Is On The Precipice Of History Entering Jim Harbaugh's Ninth Season Three of the five players who made this list last year — center Olu Oluwatimi, receiver Ronnie Bell and defensive tackle Mazi Smith — were drafted by NFL teams, and the other two (running back Blake Corum and offensive guard Zak Zinter) would have been had they chosen to enter the draft. Instead, some lucky pro teams will get the chance to take them in 2024. The latter two head our list of best of the best wearing the winged helmet into battle in 2023: 1 Senior running back Blake Corum — We said last year we needed to see Corum get the tough yards after contact. Not only did he manage it, but he also excelled by adding even more strength. The weight room warrior weighed in at 222 pounds in the offseason and is absolutely stacked. Though he's coming off a knee injury that cost him two and a half games and prevented him from making it to New York as a Heisman finalist, Corum managed 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He should be back to 100 percent by June and ready for another run at it. 2 Senior offensive guard Zak Zinter — Harbaugh called Zinter "possibly Michigan's best offensive player" heading into last year, and that was with only six starts under his belt. While injuries limited the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder at the beginning of last year — he had surgery on his hand, which hindered him for weeks — he steadily improved until he became the dominant force most assumed he would be by the end of the year. Zinter is a future early-round NFL Draft pick, and he's probably going to be a first- team All-Big Ten honoree, and possibly an All-America candidate. He has the potential to be Michigan's top player overall. 3 J u n i o r q u a r te r b a c k J.J. M�CARTHY — They used to say first-year quar- terbacks couldn't win Big Ten titles (at least until Ohio State started dominating the league). McCarthy followed Cade McNamara in repeating the feat last year, and he showed off his immense talent in accomplishing it. He's just getting started. The Wolverines' running game carried the offense last year, but Michigan doesn't win last year's game in Columbus without McCarthy's huge showing. He found his touch on the long ball and became an unbelievable leader as a sophomore. Expect him to improve on last year's 2,719 yards passing and 22 touchdowns. He enters the year as the Big Ten's top signal-caller. 4 Junior running back Donovan Edwards — The fact that Edwards is fourth on this list speaks to the overall talent level on the team. He'd be the starting running back on many, if not most, teams around the country, and he's also an outstanding pass catcher. Running backs coach Mike Hart said this spring he believed Edwards could start at slot receiver for most teams in the country. Edwards proved himself with 401 yards rushing combined in wins at Ohio State and versus Purdue in the Big Ten title game, including two long touchdown runs against the Buckeyes. He's primed for a huge season. 5 Senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins — Jenkins was 297 pounds entering May and insisted he'd be up to 305 by the be- ginning of the season. He was one of the Wolverines' most improved players last year, when he led all defensive linemen with 54 tackles (3.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks), and Harbaugh said this spring he was "poten- tially our best player on the defense," and "going to be really good." We expect an All-Big Ten season from the man U-M strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert calls "The Mutant." TOP FIVE PLAYERS HEADING INTO THE SEASON PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER