22 in '22, Wolverines to Watch: No. 4 EDGE Mike Morris

Each week until the season begins, MBR will count down the 22 Wolverines to Watch in 2022. These are the twenty-two players with the best chance to make an impact ranked by their potential impact.

THE LIST: #22 DB Will Johnson | #21 OL Zak Zinter | #20 DL Kris Jenkins | #19 DB/WR Mike Sainristil | #18 WR Darrius Clemons | #17 EDGE Jaylen Harrell | #16 WR AJ Henning | #15 DE Taylor Upshaw | #14 TE Erick All | #13 DB Rod Moore | #12 C Olu Oluwatimi | #11 WR Andrel Anthony | #10 LB Junior Colson | #9 WR Ronnie Bell | #8 S RJ Moten | #7 WR Cornelius Johnson | #6 DT Mazi Smith | #5 CB DJ Turner | No. 4 EDGE Mike Morris

Michael Morris was a top 20 4-star defensive end prospect from Florida. He was a long-time commit to Florida State, where his father played offensive line. The Seminole coaching staff wanted younger Mike to follow in his footsteps in every way and switch to the offensive side of the ball. The pressure to change positions had Morris looking at other schools, and after a trip to the Michigan BBQ, the Wolverines were in the driver's seat.

Morris was a menace in opposing backfields throughout high school. He had 56 tackles for loss in two seasons, nine sacks, and even a blocked punt he returned for a touchdown. The U-M staff viewed him as a future anchor in Don Brown's defense or even someone who could move inside.

Morris was a redshirt freshman who didn't see the field as the coaching staff worked to develop him physically and skill-wise. His sophomore season was the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, where he only saw the field once, making a tackle against Wisconsin.

2021 brought many changes to the Wolverines, most notably for Morris, a new defensive scheme from new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Morris was a player that seemed lost in the two-deep under Don Brown, but a clear role was developing for him in Michigan's multiple front schemes.

Morris would appear in all 14 games for the Big Ten Champions, backing up Aidan Hutchinson and often appearing as the extra end when Michigan would go with their NASCAR package. Morris didn't rack up the stats in '21, with 17 tackles and one sack, but he was an integral part of Michigan's scheme and rotations.

Morris has always been on a long-term development path, pointing towards his senior year. Now a senior, Morris looks ready to take on the challenge of replacing Aidan Hutchinson.

Morris isn't likely going to get the sack production of Hutchinson. Off the field, the Florida native expects to be the level of leader Hutchinson was as a lynchpin of a culture rebuild in Ann Arbor. But Morris can help fill the shoes of Hutch by just being himself. He is a versatile EDGE player at 6-6 292. Like Hutch, Morris will be a standing rusher, hand in the dirt end, or even move to 3-tech and push from the inside.

From the start of the offseason, the coaching staff has challenged Morris, almost anointing him as the replacement for Hutchinson. To his credit, he has run with the role and hasn't shied from the moniker of next man up.

Morris doesn't have the pure edge rush talent of Hutchinson, but he has a skill set that will be very useful for the Wolverines. He reminds me more of Michigan's bigger ends in 2016, with Chris Wormley and Taco Charlton. Guys could play defensive tackle but had the athletic ability to be rush ends. Morris will have to get after the quarterback when called upon, but he will be one of many in a committee this staff will lean on.

Throughout the game, Morris will need to be a grinder. An edge player who can stop the run, eat up double teams, and set the edge allowing the rest of the "no star defense" to eat. Maybe Morris' biggest challenge will be establishing himself as a leader in the shadow of Hutch. Along with Mazi Smith, Morris will have to be the one to maintain the culture that Michigan established last season. The defense has the talent to replace departing stars, but Morris must bring the group together. No doubt, at season's end, he can be one of the biggest stars that emerge from this "no star defense."

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