Published Jun 15, 2022
20 Questions: Michigan Offense Summer Edition
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Trevor McCue  •  Maize&BlueReview
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Quarterbacks

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Cade McNamara: Talking the talk, Big Ten Champion quarterback. With leaders moving on, will it be his leadership that keeps him the starter?

JJ McCarthy: Healthy and ready to compete. Will JJ challenge Cade in the fall or will he have to win the job on the field when the season begins?

Davis Warren: A nice story turned into a very productive spring for Davis Warren. Will he continue to impress in the fall and assume a true third-string role? With McNamara and McCarthy at minimum 1A and 1B in a 2 QB system, have to think Warren has a chance to see game action.

Running Backs

Blake Corum: Corum started the season off with a bang, arguably the best running back in the country through the non-con part of the schedule. Now back to full health and with plenty of carries available with the departure of Hassan Haskins, can Corum pick up where he started and be one of the best backs in the country?

Donovan Edwards: We all saw what Edwards could do catching the ball last season and although he got limited carries, don't sleep on his ability to be a power back. He and Corum make one of the best duos in the country, but Edwards has a chance to be remarkable. Could Edwards be heading to a 200-touch season?

Kalel Mullings: Could the best replacement for LB/RB recruit in Hassan Haskins be another LB/RB recruit? In an experiment in the spring, will Mullings continue to get snaps at RB in the fall and see short-yardage carries come the fall?

Wide Receivers

Ronnie Bell: It would have been impossible to imagine Michigan beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten Championship when Bell went down against Western. Now fully recovered and cleared for football drills, will Bell take the lead in a loaded WR room?

Cornelius Johnson: Johnson is an old-school workhorse kind of Big Ten receiver. I don't think many fans realize he led the team in receptions, and yards, and tied for touchdowns last season. Heading into his senior year, in peak physical form, can he put it all together and go next level?

AJ Henning: Michigan loves versatility, and not many players have been mentioned more in that category than Henning. Henning made noise eventually taking over return duties for Bell, a role many expect him to resume. He is a weapon in the passing game, but the talk of spring has been getting Henning more touches, even if that means lining up in the backfield. Will Henning get true snaps at RB in fall camp, as well as factor into special teams and the passing game?

Andrel Anthony: Anthony burst onto the scene against the Spartans in his hometown of East Lansing. With playmaker ability above the reliable Bell and Johnson, can Anthony become that dynamic and explosive receiver like the ones who rocked the #1 before him?

Roman Wilson: Wilson is a deep threat and playmaker just like Anthony. Wilson broke out against Wisconsin and then immediately had to deal with an injury. He still made big plays against Ohio State and in the Big Ten Championship game. Wilson will play this season, but with Anthony getting a lot of attention this offseason can he fight his way into the first rotation or will the talented sophomore pass him on the depth chart?

Darrius Clemons: With a WR room this loaded, you wouldn't think we would be talking about a freshman making a big impact, but Clemons is that special. Clemons is physically impressive and coaches and players alike say he has the intangibles. Can he crack the two-deep and factor into the rotations early in the season?

Tight Ends

Erick All: All seemed to shake his drop issues and became an incredible weapon for the Wolverines last season. His ascension was quick, with a season-saving touchdown against Penn State. All returns for his senior season with serious NFL potential. Can he finish his career "one of the best tight ends at Michigan" like his head coach Jim Harbaugh predicted his freshman year?

Luke Schoonmaker: Schoonmaker doesn't get enough attention because of All, but he would be the best tight end on the vast majority of rosters in the Big Ten. Michigan runs a lot of 2TE sets and values them in Lead and Pin and Pull. Schoonmaker also caught three touchdowns last season, will he have a strong enough fall to be an even bigger factor in the offense in 2022?

Offensive Line

Olu Oluwatimi: If you are going to replace your starting center and the heart of your offensive line, a Rimington Trophy Award finalist would probably be the best way to do it. Oluwatimi's talent is indisputable, but the key to a great offensive line is cohesiveness. There aren't many jobs harder on a football field than the guy snapping the ball. Players rave about Oluwatimi, but can he get comfortable in the fall and have the offensive line working as one unit?

Zak Zinter: Zinter might be the best player on Michigan's offensive line. The Wolverines love to pull guards in the run game and release them to the second level. With Zinter's athletic ability, he excels at this. Zinter will be called on to improve in pass pro and help lead the Michigan run game. With new starters on both sides of him, can Zinter not only improve his game but help the guys on his shoulders?

Ryan Hayes: Hayes has been a quiet but successful left tackle for the Wolverines much like Jon Runyan Jr before him. Now, NFL scouts and his head coach think he can take the next step and be one of the best tackles in the Big Ten and all of college football. Already solid, can Hayes elevate his game to elite like some of the legendary left tackles who played before him?

Trevor Keegan: Hard to believe Keegan is a senior already. Projected to be a tackle, at 6'6" 324lbs Keegan is a beast at LG. His footwork and agility allow him to be everything Michigan needs from its guards, as well as form a wall with Ryan Hayes on the left side. Will Keegan show up in the fall physically ready to put his name in the same air as the other "77s"?

Trente Jones: What was expected to be a heated position battle has largely been assumed won by Jones and that is no shot at Karsen Barnhart. Barnhart will still challenge and will play this season no matter what happens at the right tackle spot. Still, Jones seems to have put it all together heading into the season as coaches can't stop raving about the physicality he is showing next to Zinter. Will he hold onto his early lead and nail down the starting role replacing Andrew Steuber?

Karsen Barnhart: As said above, Barnhart needs to be talked about regardless of what happens at the right tackle. Harbaugh called him the "sixth starter" last season and he saw the field often. Barnhart is starting on any other offensive line in the Big Ten, and possibly the country. Can he push Jones for the starting job and change the narrative this fall, and if not will he be the backup for nearly every position on the line?

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