5 burning questions facing Michigan football with the season a month away
The offseason brought plenty of change to Michigan football.
And with it, plenty of intrigue.
This is shaping up to be one of the more fascinating seasons of Jim Harbaugh's tenure in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines return less production than almost any team in college football. They will have new faces scattered along both sides of the ball, including at key positions such as quarterback, receiver and cornerback. Most of the offensive line must be replaced. And two of the team's top pass-rushers from last season are now playing in the NFL.
U-M has plenty of potential. But there also are several pressing questions as Year 6 of the Harbaugh era gets underway. Here are five burning questions facing the roster, with the start of the shortened Big Ten season one month away:
Just how good is Joe Milton?
People within the program only say good things about Milton, the presumed favorite to take over at quarterback. He has a big arm, and his teammates and coaches say he has worked hard to add touch and accuracy. At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, he could also be an imposing force in the run game, after being utilized in that facet during his first two seasons. It's clear Milton has loads of potential, and if you believe the Wolverines, he has improved a lot this offseason. But has he improved enough to become the best quarterback Harbaugh has had at Michigan and immediately elevate the program's ceiling? That's the best-case scenario. Another scenario: Milton struggles, and the offense never gets in full gear. Either way, it's hard to predict. We've never seen Milton start a college game.
[ Why Jim Harbaugh is counting on Joe Milton to be something special ]
Who will catch passes?
Offensive coordinator and receivers coach Josh Gattis had high praise for his receivers this week. "I feel great," he said Wednesday. "It’s one of the most impressive rooms I’ve been around from an overall depth and skill standpoint and I didn’t feel this way last year." On paper, there's plenty of young talent. Ronnie Bell led the team in receiving yards. Giles Jackson, Mike Sainristil and Cornelius Johnson impressed in limited snaps last season. A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson could be among the group's fastest players and have drawn rave reviews.
[ Michigan's Josh Gattis has spoken with Nico Collins about NFL decision ]
And yet, outside of Bell, the lack of returning production is glaring. ESPN's Bill Connelly correlates returning production in the receiving corps with improvement or regression within an offense. And as it stands, the Wolverines will need several young players to replace the production of Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black, who accounted for 96 catches, 1,490 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2019. "Now, we have obviously got to be able to turn this potential into production," Gattis said, "and be able to display it on Saturdays and not just over here at Schembechler Hall."
Can the offensive line jell?
Getting Jalen Mayfield back was huge for Michigan's offensive line, which was staring at the daunting prospect of having to replace all five of last season's starters, including four NFL draft picks. The Wolverines still need to replace the departed draft picks, but the return of Mayfield — a first-round prospect in his own right — at right tackles gives them an anchor to build around. This will be another test of Ed Warinner's coaching prowess after transforming U-M's O-line from a weakness into a strength over the past two seasons. To do it this season, he'll have to rebuild with a mix of veterans who have played sparingly and younger talented players he personally recruited.
Who will generate the pass rush?
Josh Uche was Michigan's top pass-rusher the past two seasons and now is with the New England Patriots. Michael Danna gave the defense a lift as a graduate transfer last season, and also now is in the NFL. The Wolverines return Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson, who combined for 10 sacks last fall, but the rotational depth behind them remains thin. The Wolverines could find themselves calling upon other hybrid players, such as David Ojabo and Luiji Vilain, for pass-rush help this season.
Can the cornerbacks stick in coverage?
If Ambry Thomas sticks with his decision to opt out, the Wolverines will have to replace both of last season's starting cornerbacks. That's quite the task especially for a defense that asks cornerbacks to lock down opponents in man coverage. Defensive backs coach Mike Zordich has a strong track record, but the last time he had to find two starters (in 2017), he had David Long and Lavert Hill, two of the three highest-ranked recruits the Wolverines have signed at this position since Harbaugh's arrival. The third-highest was Thomas, who played well in 2019. There's some experience here — Vincent Gray played a lot last fall — but there could be some growing pains. Will that affect how defensive coordinator Don Brown calls the defense?
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 5 burning questions facing Michigan football with the season a month away
