The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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but this looks to be a smooth transi- tion. 6. Senior safety Dymonte Thomas — It appears as if Thomas' time has finally arrived in the Michigan second- ary. He played plenty a year ago, but usually as a supplementary defender. Right now, he's solidly in the starting tandem in the deep middle and looks like he's ready for the job. Thomas performed for the Maize team in the spring game and supplied the defensive play of the night, aside from the final goal-line stand. On a Hail Mary toss at the end of the half, Thomas sprinted over from the middle of the field to the right side of Michi- gan's north end zone, leaped up and made a strong interception, keeping the score tied at 7-7. He dropped a potential interception or two along the way last year, but made a big-time catch in this one. 7. Quarterback Shane Morris — Is it quarterback Shane Morris or wide receiver Shane Morris? It was a little tough to tell in the spring game, and plenty of Michigan Stadium denizens no doubt came away with visions of the veteran lefty adding a slash to his job description in the fall. Morris fired the first touchdown pass of the spring game for the Blue, but only after catching the ball from O'Korn. Morris later gathered in a 25- yard pass from O'Korn, setting up the touchdown that brought the Blue within a point. Morris continues com- peting for the QB job but looks like he might have a fallback option. 8. Senior wide receiver Jack Wan- gler — Wangler enjoyed a big spring game for the Blue crew, nearly helping the Wolverines win on the final drive. He gathered in a 26-yard pass from O'Korn to provide a big burst in the 85- yard touchdown drive. He also kept the drive alive, catching a crucial fourth- and-five pass from O'Korn to move the chains. Wangler doesn't figure to be among the featured Wolverine wideouts when the regular season rolls around. But with the wideout corps a bit short- handed (fifth-year senior Jehu Ches- son sat out the entire spring with a leg injury he sustained in the Citrus Bowl), Wangler jumped into action capably. 9. Redshirt sophomore tight end Ian Bunting — The veteran tight end came away leading all receivers in the spring game after posting 53 yards through the air. He started off the 2015 season with a bang, but wasn't heard from as much as the season went along. He's now looking to provide another top target for Michigan's eventual start- ing quarterback, complementing All- America tight end Jake Butt, a senior. 10. Redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Malzone — Malzone is another performer who will have to claw for time on the field come fall at a much deeper quarterback position. But he took advantage of his spring game time to make a big play for the Blue squad, connecting on a short pass that went for 49 yards. Malzone is smart and knows Har- baugh's offense thoroughly now. He's a strong insurance policy if the contend- ers for the starting job should falter. — John Borton