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Michigan football: What to look for during Wolverines’ 2022 spring game
By Adam Biggers
Published:
Since Jim Harbaugh arrived in 2015, Michigan’s spring games haven’t really been much of spring games; they’ve been more like glorified practices. This year, though, the Wolverines will have a player draft, pitting Maize vs. Blue for a noon showdown at The Big House this Saturday.
This year, just maybe, could resemble more of a true game-like event. There may actually be something to draw from Saturday’s scrimmage, which is the highest-profile — at least for the general public — of the 15 allowed spring practices. With the departure of supreme Edge men Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, Michigan will be looking to see who fills the void left by the NFL-bound stars.
Keep an eye on that — that’ll be important.
How will the quarterbacks look? Remember, sophomore JJ McCarthy injured his right (throwing) shoulder, so he’s probably not going to be throwing until much later in the spring, or, at the latest, fall camp. So it’s Cade McNamara vs. ???
That situation will command attention, right?
There are some new coaches, so nothing new — but people will want to see how the respective position groups “play” Saturday so that way they can get a feel for the new staff members’ tendencies, etc.
And, of course, Saturday will hype up a fan base that’s looking to see its team repeat as Big Ten champion and College Football Playoff participant.
Depending on your outlook, the spring game — regardless of school — will either show a lot, or it’ll show nothing.
Typically, Harbaugh’s spring games have been quite bland, failing to really offer a true look at overall schemes. But he likes it that way. To Harbaugh, remaining secretive and vague for as long as possible is always the preferred course of action.
Saturday might be different, given the player draft and the Wolverines’ incredible success this past fall; they just might be looking to show off a little bit this weekend for their fans.
The following is what to watch for as the Wolverines embark on the 2022 season.
If you’re interested in seeing the action from Ann Arbor, you can catch it on the Big Ten Network.
New faces
Jesse Minter, formerly of Vanderbilt (and the Baltimore Ravens), is now the defensive coordinator, taking over for Mike Macdonald, who returned to John Harbaugh’s Ravens after a 1-year term at Michigan. Macdonald took over for Don Brown, who took over for Greg Mattison (the DC when Jim Harbaugh arrived).
Regardless of the coach, Michigan’s defense has been solid/rock-solid for about 75% of the time; it’s those games vs. Ohio State, other major opponents and bowl games that have often taken shots at the Wolverines’ overall statistics. With a 42-27 win over Ohio State in 2021, the Wolverines’ defense showed that it could bend and not break when under immense pressure.
Saturday, eyes will be on the defensive unit. This past fall, the secondary made some improvements as the season went along; so it shouldn’t be exposed a lot during the spring game. But then again, it’ll be a mixture of 1s and 2s, failing to really give an accurate look at what Michigan’s first-team defense could look like this fall — again, that’s the purpose of the spring game, to separate starters from reserves.
Along with Minter, the defensive players will see another new coach: Mike Elston, formerly of Notre Dame and former standout at Michigan. Elston, known for his recruiting, brings a new energy to the program in replacing former DL coach Shaun Nua, who, following 2 years at UM, took over as USC’s DL coach.
Josh Gattis bolted for Miami, leaving the Wolverines no other choice but to split the OC duties between Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss — both of whom were already on staff, so it’s not a major move.
Other than the addition of Grant Newsome as the tight ends coach, the other shuffling was merely that — just shuffling. The hiring of a brand-new DC and DL coach were the two headlining coaching changes.
Quarterback is back
As mentioned, McCarthy won’t be throwing Saturday, so it’ll likely be McNamara vs. Alan Bowman/Davis Warren. McNamara is, without a doubt, the leader in the QB race and that won’t change Saturday. He’s a B1G-champ, OSU-beating, consistent field general who is absolutely comfortable in his role; it’ll take a lot for that to change come fall, even if McCarthy is 100% healthy.
If one thing has held true over the years, it’s that Harbaugh is loyal to his starting quarterback. There is no reason to unseat McNamara, regardless of what the super-fan Michigan blogs publish on a daily basis.
Another bad… duo?
It won’t be easy to replace Hutchinson and Ojabo — probably impossible, really.
Hutchinson had 14 sacks and Ojabo had 11, combining for the most by any duo in Michigan history. Both showing promise in 2021, Kris Jenkins and Mike Morris could step up and fill those voids — either directly or indirectly. Just as long as they play to their strengths, they don’t have to be carbon copies of Hutchinson and Ojabo.
Jenkins is an inside DL, while Morris played Edge in 2021.
Edge replacements for Hutchinson and Ojabo appear to be Taylor Upshaw or Jaylen Harrell, among a couple of others.
“They’re going to be their own type of player. You know, you’re not going to have the same player that Aidan was or that Ojabo was. We have guys on the team that have skill sets that are developing and can add the value they added, but it’s not going to look the same,” Elston said earlier this week, per 247Sports.
“It’s going to be a little bit different because Mike Morris and Taylor Upshaw, they’re gonna play different. You hope the production is there. We got young guys coming on like Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell. It’s a great room, but it’s going to be different. For them to go out there and say, ‘I got to play like Aidan and play like Ojabo.’ They’ve got to be their own type of player that they’re going to be.”
Ring the Bell
Ronnie Bell, Michigan’s best receiver entering 2021, is back to full health and ready to show off his speed and hands. Due to a right knee injury (that required surgery) vs. Western Michigan, Bell missed being an on-field part of Michigan’s historic 11-1 regular season.
Super sophs?
Linebacker Junior Colson was a Freshman All-American, so he’ll clearly be a focal point Saturday. He may end up becoming the linchpin of Michigan’s defense this fall.
As for the offense, running back Donovan Edwards and wide receiver Andrel Anthony will command all sorts of attention. Anthony burst onto the scene with a 93-yard touchdown vs. Michigan State, while Edwards made his mark — stat-wise — vs. Northern Illinois and Maryland.
Anthony and Edwards should give Michigan a great run-pass punch this fall.
Adam Biggers brings his expertise on the Michigan beat to Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.