The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1517673
APRIL 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 25 HOW WILL THE OFFENSIVE LINE SHAKE OUT, AND WILL IT TAKE A STEP BACK? Tackling the second part of that ques- tion first … it would be hard not to, right? The Wolverines boasted some of the na- tion's best lines under Moore the last three years, including two Joe Moore Award winners, and kept many of the same guys together for years. Even when unanimous All-America guard Zak Zinter went down with an injury in the Ohio State game, the line stepped up and played some of its best ball in the postseason in his absence. But there's talent here, starting with projected left tackle Myles Hinton. If the senior plays up to his abilities, Campbell said, he has the ability to be one of the nation's best. "Last year, early in the season, he dis- played a lot of potential," Campbell noted. "We moved him around. Right now, he's at left tackle. I think we can have a staple there as he continues to improve that. "The sky is the limit for him. If he goes out there and pushes himself to achieve what he wants to achieve, he has the op- portunity to be a first-round pick." Senior Giovanni El-Hadi has shown great potential and is ready to shine at guard — ditto senior center Greg Crippen. Both are more than capable. Northwest- ern transfer Josh Priebe was a third-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago and plays like Zinter, our analyst and former Michi- gan lineman Doug Skene said. "Super excited about him," Campbell said. "He's another one of those where he comes from a school that's high academic, high character. We're excited to have a guy like that enter the program. He's going to be trusted early to see what we can get out of him." They'll need to find another tackle, but junior Andrew Gentry has great potential. We like the pieces and expect this line to improve throughout the season, be more than capable. IS THERE ENOUGH FIREPOWER AT WIDE RECEIVER? Junior tight end Colston Loveland could and maybe should be the go-to pass catcher on this team, reminiscent of Ben- nie Joppru in 2002 when he was second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards. But the wide receivers are going to need to step up here, and it's going to be a young group unless they grab someone from the portal. Junior Tyler Morris showed some flashes and made a huge play in the Rose Bowl, a 38-yard catch and run for touch- down while showing off his speed. He finished with 13 receptions for 197 yards on the season. Sophomore Semaj Mor- gan caught 22 passes for 204 yards and 2 scores. Neither, though, is the big receiver you like to have on the outside — there's no Cornelius Johnson, Nico Collins, etc. — and the young guys aren't in that mold, either. Departing receiver Roman Wilson likes sophomore Fredrick Moore, but he played sparingly as a freshman, catch- ing only 4 passes for 32 yards. He stands 6-foot-1, so he might qualify as a "big" receiver on this team. "Definitely Fredrick Moore," Wilson said of who's next up. "He's got the size, the speed, the work [ethic]. I think he's going to be a dawg this year and next year, and the year after. That's my guy." It's possible we could see senior run- ning back Donovan Edwards split out more, too. Campbell said it was his goal to get the ball in the hands of his playmak- ers, and Edwards has also proven to be valuable as a pass catcher. IS THERE ENOUGH QUALITY DEPTH TO COMPETE FOR A TITLE? Finding a quarterback will be the big- gest key to competing in a tough Big Ten against a nasty schedule, but it's not the only one. Last year's team stayed fresh by being able to rotate players at just about every position without losing quality. It will be a different story in 2024. While there's some outstanding top-end talent, it's going to be tough to replace a dozen and a half players or so who will be on NFL rosters next year. Receiver, tight end, both lines (especially defensive ends), linebackers and corners — these are all positions that need a boost com- ing out of spring. The one we're most interested in — the "other corner" opposite junior All- America candidate Will Johnson. New defensive coordinator Wink Martindale insisted they'd put a great defense on the field in the fall, but he won't know until after several practices what he's got. "That's what spring ball is for," he said. "That's another thing that excites me about coming back. The difference be- tween spring ball and OTAs [organized team activities] is we're actually practic- ing football. I think the only time you can get better at football is practicing foot- ball, and that's what I'm excited about with spring ball." WHO'S THE KICKER? This might be the most overlooked question given its importance in tight games. The Wolverines might not beat Ohio State last year if not for James Turner, and they found him in the portal at the last minute, nabbing him from Louisville. He made three criti- cal field goals in that game, including a 50-yarder and a clutch 38-yarder in the last two minutes that pushed the lead to 30-24 and required the Buckeyes to need a touchdown to win. Senior Tommy Doman has done some kicking, but he's more comfortable as a punter and kickoff specialist. Sopho- more Adam Samaha was highly rated coming out of Ann Arbor Huron, but he doesn't have any game experience. In short, there is no obvious choice here, and some believe the Wolverines will need to head back to the portal again to find the guy for 2024. ❏ Wide receiver Fredrick Moore had just 4 catches for 32 yards as a rookie, but last year's leading receiver Roman Wilson predicts big things ahead for the sophomore in 2024. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF