Michigan Football Preview 2018

2018 Michigan Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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1 Defensive Line — The D-line secures the top spot for the fourth straight year even after losing All-American Maurice Hurst to the NFL (Oakland Raiders). Junior end Rashan Gary has made many preseason All-America teams, while fifth- year senior end Chase Winovich is coming off a season in which he finished second in the Big Ten (to teammate Khaleke Hudson) with 18 tackles for loss. It's a loaded interior, too. Fifth-year senior Bryan Mone has plenty of experience, redshirt sophomore tackle Michael Dwumfour had an incredible spring, sophomore Aubrey Solomon is a rising star (18 tackles, two for loss, in playing all 13 games last year) and fifth-year senior Lawrence Marshall will add depth inside. Junior Carlo Kemp and sophomore Kwity Paye should provide valuable depth on the edges. 2 Linebacker — Junior Devin Bush Jr. and fellow junior Khaleke Hudson are both All-America candidates, and there are two extremely talented options to re- place the graduated Mike McCray in redshirt sophomore Devin Gil and sophomore Josh Ross. Junior Josh Uche is coming into his own, as well. This could well be the deepest position on the team, and it's possibly one of the most athletic groups of linebackers Michigan has ever seen. Coordinator Don Brown will have fun trying different blitz combinations with this unit. 3 Secondary — There's experience and talent in the back four — but more than anything, there's an elite pair of cornerbacks in juniors Lavert Hill and David Long. Hill battled injury this spring but was immediately in 'wow' mode when he returned, Brown reported, and he and Long were among the best cover corner tandems in the country last year statistically, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Sophomore Ambry Thomas is a rising star and can play some nickel back, while senior Tyree Kinnel and junior Josh Metellus have combined to appear in 55 games at safety with 26 starts; both were also honorable mention All-Big Ten last year. Depth is the only real question mark, but the freshman class added five newcom- ers to the mix. 4 Wide Receivers — There's only one senior in slot receiver Grant Perry, but there's a lot of potential star power in the group. Redshirt freshman Tarik Black and sophomore Donovan Peoples-Jones have a chance to be an incredible tandem — it's usually the second year when even the best of the best take off (Anthony Carter, Derrick Alexander, Braylon Edwards, etc.). Recruiting classmates like sophomore Nico Collins and redshirt freshman Oliver Martin are great talents ready to contribute. Junior Eddie McDoom and the rest of the group will have their work cut out to earn playing time. 5 Quarterbacks — Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson, a former five-star and now a junior, bumps this group into the top five. The NCAA ruled him immediately eligible, and he really came on at the end of spring. He's a playmaker and many say a difference-maker, having thrown for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns in only seven games last year — which put him on pace for 12-game totals of 3,873 yards and 29 touchdowns, numbers that have never been seen in Ann Arbor. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Peters has experience, redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey is a leader and true frosh Joe Milton is a big-armed future star. Top Five Players To Watch Top Five Strongest Position Groups 1 Redshirt sophomore nose tackle Michael Dwumfour — The former three-star prospect worked his body into great shape in the winter and entered spring ball with something to prove. He earned comparisons to recently graduated All-American Maurice Hurst with his quickness off the ball and his relentless pursuit. Though he's only played 10 games and notched six total tackles, Dwumfour is one the coaches are counting on this fall. 2 Sophomore cornerback AMBRY THOMAS — The svelte sophomore showed his skills on special teams a year ago, notching 396 kick return yards, and even forcing and recovering a fumble in the season opener. Corners coach Mike Zordich said his standout became a sticky cover corner this spring. He'll be an outstanding third option with juniors Lavert Hill and David Long proven as two of the league's best, and provides a great potential nickel back. 3 Sophomore center Cesar Ruiz — The youngster has been highly thought of since he came in as the nation's No. 1 prep center — and at No. 41 overall, he was Rivals.com's highest-rated center since 2002. After working with Ruiz for one spring, noted offensive line guru Ed Warinner has claimed the 6-4, 316-pounder was right there with some of the centers he's coached that ended up starting in the NFL as rookies — he's been that good. Junior guard Ben Bredeson, another spring standout, said Ruiz has everything you're looking for physically in a center, and that he's also got the smarts to make the calls. 4 Redshirt junior right tackle Jon Runyan Jr. — The son of the 1999 All-Pro and congressman of the same name has always had the physical ability, but he struggled last year with some of his assignments in the nine games he played (one start). That changed this spring. He was one of the pleasant surprises on a line that made nice strides. 5 Sophomore receiver Nico Collins — The big, sure-handed target started to come on at the end of last season, catching two passes for 15 yards in the Outback Bowl loss to South Carolina, and he made a huge leap this spring. At a listed 6-4 and 206 pounds, he's a physically imposing target who could be a matchup nightmare for opponents in the red zone. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN

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