The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1506222
SEPTEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL tling Stanford transfer Myles Hinton on the right. All are playing on both sides, though, in search of the best combina- tion. "I definitely think you're going to see the 'Michigan method' in play at offen- sive tackle," Harbaugh said. "There are two starters on the left, two on the right … We have four starting [caliber]. It will go through camp. I envision start- ing two tackles the first game, and two tackles the second game." Harbaugh said he could see that hap- pening at defensive end, center and cornerback, too. There's just so much talent at Michigan in 2023 that it's been tough to separate them. Offensive tackle, though, has been particularly tough. "It's just that close. It's just that good. Four starting tackles, and it kills me not to put Andrew Gentry in that category, because he's so good, too," Harbaugh said. "We'll have him playing guard and tackle, find ways to get him on the field. "But if I had to pick the best one right now through 12, 13 days of camp, Karsen Barnhart is having the best camp so far. But … we are only halfway through." All have received the same amount of starter and backup reps and they're continuing to interchange them, Har- baugh added. No final decision will come until the games are played, but it's a good problem to have. "We're interchanging guys. Karsen's ability, his versatility, he can play any position," Harbaugh said. "He can play left, right, guard, and he could even play center. Developing that same versatility with the other guys, as well, is a priority. "We'll flip it again. We have a day off today and will come back tomorrow. Those tackles, Trente and Karsen, will go back to starting tackles as they did the first week. The second segment they became the backups to LD [Henderson] and Myles. "They're playing at a super-high starter level. I predict it will go into the first or second game to find out who exactly the starters will be." Whoever they are, it might take a while before the line is humming like it has been the past few years. There will be a new center, too — probably Stanford transfer Drake Nugent — and it takes time to adjust. "Chemistry is a huge thing," veteran guard Trevor Keegan said. "Last year, I had really good chemistry with Ryan Hayes [at tackle] and Olu [Oluwatimi at center]. You want to build up on it. "After each play, we are talking, figur- ing out what they like, their technique, what they want to do. Communicating and watching film … that's our biggest thing right now. "As long as we're going full go, it's going to take care of itself. We're going to figure out how to play next to each other. It's just going to take some time." — Chris Balas TIGHT END DUO DRAWS PRAISE Michigan's tight end room looks slightly different from last season with a litany of upperclassmen moving on af- ter 2022. Sophomore Colston Loveland has drawn the most praise and excite- ment for what he could be, but Indiana graduate transfer AJ Barner has turned heads. He might also warrant more discus- sion moving forward as someone with a big role in the passing game. Michigan offensive coordinator/of- fensive line coach Sherrone Moore dis- cussed his tight end duo during a ses- sion with the media on Aug. 10. "He's been outstanding," Moore said of Barner. "First of all, he's huge. He's a giant human being. Phenomenal kid, phenomenal person who does every- thing right. He's been outstanding. When you're on the edge and you're blocking Jaylen Harrell and Kris Jenkins and all those other guys, and you can hold up, it's pretty impressive. "In the passing game, he's so big and he's so fluid and so agile, he gives you another threat in the passing game. You can't say, 'He's in the game, they're go- ing to run the ball.' "He's been extremely valuable. It's going to allow multiple things with him. We're very excited about him." Barner had 28 receptions for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns in 10 games last sea- son with Indiana. During the 2021 sea- son, he hauled in 14 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Barner played eight games, mainly on special teams, during the truncated COVID season in 2020, meaning he has two years of college re- maining due to the pandemic-related eligibility pause. Barner has established himself as a solid receiving threat, but he's also adept as a run-blocking tight end. He ranked 10th among Big Ten tight ends who had over 108 run-blocking snaps with a 59.7 grade in that category in 2022 from Pro Football Focus, while the 65.2 rating he had on gap-scheme runs slotted fifth in the conference. Loveland and Barner could combine to be one of the best tight end duos in the country in 2023. So far, it looks like the hype around Loveland's potential break- out season is justified with a strong start to fall camp after a productive offseason. "That dude is a beast," Moore said. "He could be as good as he wants to be. He could be the best one in the country. And I know there's one down in Georgia [Brock Bowers] who's been extremely good and is a phenomenal player. I'm just very excited about where Colston is, his progress and what he's done already in training camp. "He's already gotten bigger. He's al- ready gotten stronger. He's already got- ten faster. He understands where ev- erything is in the offense now. He's not being spoon-fed everything. "You're throwing it all at him and he gets it. He can be as good as anybody in the country. I think he's an extraordinary player, and I'm excited to have the year with him." Loveland recorded 16 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns last season. The two scores came in a few of the most critical games of the season — a 45-yard strike from J.J. McCarthy in the Ohio State game and a jump ball fade toward the end zone in the Big Ten title game. — Anthony Broome 2023 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Sept. 2 EAST CAROLINA (Peacock) 12 p.m. Sept. 9 UNLV (CBS) 3:30 p.m. Sept. 16 BOWLING GREEN (BTN) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 RUTGERS 12 p.m. Sept. 30 at Nebraska TBA Oct. 7 at Minnesota TBA Oct. 14 INDIANA TBA Oct. 21 at Michigan State TBA Oct. 28 BYE — Nov. 4 PURDUE TBA Nov. 11 at Penn State (FOX) 12 p.m. Nov. 18 at Maryland TBA Nov. 25 OHIO STATE (FOX) 12 p.m. Dec. 2 Big Ten Championship (FOX) 8 p.m.