The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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30 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2018 BY JOHN BORTON J im Harbaugh cranked Michi- gan's offense into a higher than expected gear his first two years back in Ann Arbor. That level of immediate success might have intensi- fied the shock of a 2017 shortfall. Harbaugh's first year back, he brought in quarterback Jake Rudock from Iowa and mentored him to 10 wins and 3,017 passing yards. A year later, Harbaugh inserted redshirt soph- omore Wilton Speight and produced an offense averaging 40.3 points per game, one play (or proper call) away from the College Football Playoff. Last fall, the train somehow went off the rails. Harbaugh's QBs went to the hospital instead of the end zone. They threw to the other team too of- ten, and for touchdowns only nine times, Michigan's worst effort since Rick Leach pulled on the winged hel- met as a freshman. Change seemed inevitable, and it happened. Veteran offensive line coach Ed Warinner took over the blockers up front, while former Flor- ida head coach Jim McElwain signed on as wide receivers coach and maybe more, having served as Alabama of- fensive coordinator in the past. Harbaugh snagged another free agent quarterback, rising junior trans- fer Shea Patterson from the NCAA- afflicted Mississippi program. Some say Patterson alone could lift the Wol- verines from also-rans to Big Ten and playoff contenders. Former Michigan All-American and current radio broadcast crew member Jon Jansen says not so fast. There's way more to it than the man behind center. "What's going to make the differ- ence isn't who is at quarterback," Jansen insisted. "If you put [redshirt sophomore] Brandon Peters in there or Shea Patterson in there, what's going to make the difference is, how have the receivers developed? How has the running game improved? "It's all of the pieces around that quarterback position that are going to make the difference. Where the big- gest development needs to be is on the offensive line." There's little doubt on that score. Michigan's blockers saw one quarter- back hauled away with fractured verte- brae and another leave with a concus- sion during the 2017 season. They also saw the Wolverines plummet to 91st nationally in tackles for loss allowed with an average of 6.38 per game. That has to stop, noted Jansen, who once teamed with other standouts to block out any losses in the 1997 sea- son. He knows quarterback is a big question mark — the biggest heading into the spring — but offensive line isn't far behind. Jansen insists the key to Michigan's 2018 offensive line involves getting the center spot right, then settling on some tackles to bookend already capable guard play. He expects sophomore Ce- sar Ruiz to move to the tip of the spear. The 6-4, 316-pound Ruiz performed admirably as a true freshman, appear- ing in 10 games and starting five at right guard. He could begin a three- year sojourn at center this spring, and let Warinner focus his concerns else- where — like tackle. Redshirt junior Grant Newsome (6- 7, 314) appeared on his way to four years of starting at left tackle, before a devastating knee injury in 2016 nearly cost him his leg. He's battled back for another shot, but questions remain. "If he is available, what level will he be able to play at?" Jansen mused. "Hopefully we get that answered in the spring game. Can he move? Does he have power?" Other possibilities at the tackle spots are veterans like fifth-year senior Ju- wann Bushell-Beatty (6-6, 315) and redshirt junior Jon Runyan (6-4, 298). Junior Ben Bredeson (6-5, 308) has 20 starts in two seasons at left guard, but a move isn't out of the question. Whether it's redshirt sophomore Brandon Peters (pictured) or Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson under center, Michigan has to protect its quarterback better in 2018. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 2018 SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW FAST FIX SOUGHT Michigan's Offense Looks For A Big Move Forward