The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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118 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Predicted Order of Finish 1. Oregon (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) The top of the Big Ten is going to be a dogfight, and most pundits have Ohio State at the top of their preseason power rankings. New conference addition Oregon might be the most well-rounded, and head coach Dan Lanning has built a program that mirrors some of what the Big Ten and SEC elite look like while retaining the offensive firepower and swagger that vintage Ducks teams have had. Oregon replaces Bo Nix with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback after throwing for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, finishing fourth in the na- tion in QBR at 87.0 on the year. The Ducks are going to have to earn their place in the Big Ten hierarchy this year with games at home against Ohio State (Oct. 12) and at Michigan (Nov. 2). Those two contests are likely to decide one of the spots in the conference title game. Lanning brings a loaded roaster into the mix, and the quarterback situation might give the Ducks a leg up on their competition. 2. Ohio State (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) The Buckeyes have put together the best team money can buy in terms of retaining key members of their last few teams on both sides of the ball and landing a few high-impact transfers in run- ning back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss) and defensive back Caleb Downs (Alabama). Coach Ryan Day is feeling the pressure of three straight losses to Michigan and a Big Ten title drought. The program is betting it all on turning it around this season. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will helm one of the best units in the nation, and that might be enough to keep the Buckeyes in the national title hunt and in the mix for a top-four seed in the Col- lege Football Playoff. Chip Kelly left his head coaching gig at UCLA to coordinate a hopeful national title contender on offense, but is Will Howard anything more than a marginal upgrade over Kyle McCord at quarterback? OSU has built a team it feels can get the Michigan monkey off its back, but all the pressure is on the Buckeyes to turn it around in 2024. Pressure has created some noticeable cracks over the last few seasons. 3. Michigan (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) The offseason has been a roller coaster of emotions coming off a national title, but first-year head coach Sherrone Moore has the Wolverines positioned for success after taking the baton from Jim Harbaugh, who is back in the NFL with the Los Angeles Char- gers. Moore brings continuity from the Harbaugh era but also flipped his entire de- fensive coaching staff out of necessity and replaces all but one starter on the offense. That said, Michigan is built to make a fourth straight College Football Playoff ap- pearance, and the first of the 12-team CFP era. The defense will be elite, led by coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale, and it has three potential first-round picks in cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. Another potential first-rounder exists on offense in tight end Colston Loveland, but who will throw him the football? Junior Alex Orji is the leader heading into the season, and what U-M gets from its signal-caller will deter- mine if this is an 8- or 9-win team or one that wins 10-plus games. Running backs Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings will lead the ground game behind a new-look offensive line. 4. USC (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) The pressure on Lincoln Riley is cranked up a bit heading into his third season at USC, and he will have to find a way to navigate the shift to the Big Ten without No. 1 NFL Draft pick Caleb Williams at quarterback. Miller Moss is expected to start for the Trojans, and Riley has shown a knack for squeezing video game-like numbers out of just about whoever takes the reins at QB1 in his coaching career. The biggest question mark for USC is on the defensive side of the ball and how it will hold up physically in a smashmouth Big Ten. The Trojans were punched in the mouth by a number of Pac-12 teams last season, a few of which will be joining them in the Big Ten. Games against LSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, Wash- ington and Notre Dame create an uphill battle for the Trojans, but Riley has won at least nine games in six of his seven seasons as a collegiate head coach. Hosting Penn State on Oct. 12 is a major pecking order tilt in the Big Ten standings. Offense Pos. Returning Honorees RB Sr. Kyle Monangai, Rutgers – 2nd, coaches and media Jr. Kaytron Allen, Penn State – 2nd, coaches; 3rd, media Jr. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State – 3rd, coaches and media WR Sr. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State – 3rd, coaches Sr. Will Pauling, Wisconsin – 3rd, coaches Sr. Tai Felton, Maryland – 3rd, media TE Jr. Colston Loveland, Michigan – 1st, coaches; 2nd, media Sr. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon – 2nd* Gr. Tyler Warren, Penn State – 3rd, coaches C Sr. Logan Jones, Iowa – 3rd, coaches G Sr. Connor Colby, Iowa – 3rd, coaches and media Gr. Nick DeJong, Iowa – 3rd, coaches T Gr. Josh Fryar, Ohio State – 1st, media; 3rd, coaches Sr. Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota – 2nd, coaches and media Defense Pos. Returning Honorees DL Sr. J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State – 1st, coaches and media Jr. Mason Graham, Michigan – 1st, coaches; 3rd, media Jr. Kenneth Grant, Michigan – 2nd, coaches; 3rd, media Sr. Jack Sawyer, Ohio State – 3rd, coaches; 2nd, media Sr. Tyleik Williams, Ohio State – 3rd, coaches; 2nd, media Jr. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State – 3rd, coaches LB Sr. Jay Higgins, Iowa – 1st, coaches and media Sr. Abdul Carter, Penn State – 1st, coaches; 2nd, media Sr. Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon – 2nd* Gr. Ruben Hyppolite II, Maryland – 3rd, coaches Gr. Nick Jackson, Iowa – 3rd, media Gr. Xander Mueller – 3rd, media DB Jr. Will Johnson, Michigan – 1st, coaches and media Sr. Denzel Burke, Ohio State – 1st, coaches; 2nd, media So. Dillon Thieneman, Purdue – 2nd, coaches; 3rd, media Sr. Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin – 3rd, coaches; 2nd, media Sr. Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon – 2nd (at Washington)* Gr. Sebastian Castro, Iowa – 2nd, media Sr. Rod Moore, Michigan – 3rd, coaches Sr. Ricardo Hallman, Wisconsin – 3rd, media Special Teams Pos. Returning Honorees K Gr. Dragan Kesich, Minnesota – 1st, coaches and media Sr. Jayden Fielding, Ohio State – 2nd, coaches Sr. Drew Stevens, Iowa – 3rd, coaches Jr. Jai Patel, Rutgers – 3rd, media P Jr. Ryan Eckley, Michigan State – 2nd, coaches and media Sr. Tommy Doman, Michigan – 3rd, coaches Sr. James Evans, Indiana – 3rd, media RS So. Zachariah Branch, USC – 1st* *All Pac-12 selections voted by league coaches Returning All-Big Ten Players From 2023 USC wide receiver Zachariah Branch is an all-purpose threat who earned first-team All-America honors as a return specialist last year, with 774 total return yards and 2 touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY USC ATHLETICS