The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 39 year with J.J. McCarthy. A lot of familiar- ity at receiver with the players that they have there. They've established a little juice at tight end, going from Erick All to Luke Schoonmaker and now to Colston Love- land. I'm excited to see what they can do, and then who emerges at receiver. Can they have a 1,000-yard re- ceiver type, or is it go- ing to be more of a by- committee approach? Offensive line is at a point now where you expect them to be re- ally good, if not elite, every year. That's a good place to be, and that's certainly a testament to Sherrone Moore. Barring injury, it should be a good year up front for Michigan again. What are your expectations for the Michigan defense this season? Bender: There were a couple interest- ing transfer portal defections, but this unit should be solid. Will Johnson ap- pears ready for a full-fledged breakout, and Mike Sainristil and Michael Barrett give that veteran presence through the middle of the field. I love Kris Jenkins and Mason Graham in the interior. Michi- gan gave up 207 points in six games in 2020. Last year, they gave up 225 points in 14 games — and that includes the 51 to TCU. This — as much as any- thing — has led to the turnaround. Fornelli: Another well-coached unit that is difficult to score against! The for- mula is there and has proven to be suc- cessful, so with Jesse Minter back for a second year running the operation, there's no reason to change things up. However, if there's one improvement we could see, I'd wager on Michigan's defense being a bit more disruptive. This was an elite unit at keeping points off the board and limiting explosive plays, but Michigan ranked 88th in defensive havoc rate last year. That's low for the amount of talent on that side of the ball. A rebound should come in 2023. Lassan: Michigan's defense had a strong debut under Jesse Minter last season by holding teams to 4.65 yards per play and al- lowing just one opponent (TCU) to go over 30 points. I expect much of the same and no drop-off in '23. The Wol- verines have a few holes to fill up front, but there are capable replacements for Mazi Smith and Mike Morris, including Derrick Moore, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Kris Jenkins. Filling out the rotation at cornerback op- posite of Will Johnson is one of my big- gest concerns this season, but between a defensive line and linebacker unit that should easily rank among the top 10 in the nation, the Wol- verines can create enough havoc to pro- tect the secondary if needed early in the year. Rittenberg: Generally solid, good core number of guys who have played. The linebacker group is certainly one to lean on. I don't know if there are any superstars among those linebackers, but that helps, when you have that reliable midsection of your defense. Finding an elite pass rusher or two is going to be a really important part of the preseason and going into the year, because you'll miss Morris. Is McGregor going to be that guy, can Jaylen Harrell take a step and be a consistent pass-rush threat? I really like the addition of Ernest Haus- mann from Nebraska. He's going to help from a playmaking standpoint. Will Johnson can be a star. There's absolute star potential around him and some of the other players they have in the secondary. ❑ "Michigan gave up 207 points in six games in 2020. Last year, they gave up 225 points in 14 games — and that includes the 51to TCU. This — as much as anything — has led to the turnaround." SPORTING NEWS' BILL BENDER ON U-M'S DEFENSE College Football Experts' 2023 Predictions For Michigan Name (Media Outlet) U-M Record Big Ten Championship Bill Bender (Sporting News) 11-1 Michigan over Iowa Tom Fornelli (CBS Sports) 11-1 Michigan over Iowa Steven Lassan (Athlon Sports) 11-1 Michigan over Wisconsin Adam Rittenberg (ESPN) 10-2 Ohio State over Iowa The pundits question whether U-M has a 1,000-yard receiver type or if it will be a by-committee approach in 2023. Either way, expect senior Roman Wilson to make his presence felt this season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL