3 things we love about Michigan football's offense

It's Valentine's Day evening so why not talk love?
There is plenty to love about the loaded roster Michigan football returns in 2023. The Wolverines will enter 2023 with high expectations as they look to beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten, and return to the playoff for a third straight season. Of course the next step is winning a playoff game and potentially a National Championship. Michigan has the potential to do it. These are three things we love about the Michigan offense.

Michigan enters 2023 with two of the five best running backs in the nation in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. CJ Stokes will look to take the sophomore leap and turn the lightning and lightning duo into a trio. Players like Kalel Mullings, Tavierre Dunlap, Benjamin Hall and possibly Alex Orji will be fighting for short yardage opportunities. Michigan also has a quarterback that can run with JJ McCarthy.

That loaded backfield will be behind an offensive line looking to win the Joe Moore Award for a third consecutive season. Zak Zinter, Trevor Keegan, Karsen Barnhart, and Trente Jones all return. The loss of Olu Oluwatimi and Ryan Hayes is huge, but Michigan went out and added experience via the transfer portal in LaDarius Henderson, Drake Nugent, and Myles Hinton. Along with Giovanni El Hadi and Jeffrey Persi, that makes NINE offensive linemen with starting experience.

The Michigan run game isn't slowing down and may be looking at its best season yet in 2023.

Michigan reshaped its roster in a way after the 2020 season. Recruiting for a speed in space system that never materialized and was essentially trashed starting in 2021. The Wolverines have built their identity on running the ball but the roster is now built with playmakers that fit in the offense and can turn any play into a big one.

Donovan Edwards has become the big play king with touchdown runs of 85, 75, 60, and 54 in just Michigan's three last games in 2022. Returning receivers Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson are no stranger to a deep throw touchdown or taking a short route upfield. Sophomore tight end Colston Loveland showed his receiver skills towards the end of last season and will be a big play threat as TE1 in 2023. AJ Henning was a home run hitter in 2021 but saw his role limited in 2022. Will he get his chance to breakout next season?

What's exciting is what's next. Michigan is bringing back firepower but those recruits we talked about our ready to contribute. At receiver, Darrius Clemons and Tyler Morris will be fighting for the chance to crack the top 3 of Michigan's wide receiver group. Fellow "freak show" recruit Amorion Walker could become Michigan's next best deep threat if he doesn't end up on the defensive side of the ball. Michigan lost Luke Schoonmaker but added AJ Barner in the transfer portal. A tight end that can block with the best of them but also can go deep and has the ups to win contested catches over defenders.

One thing is clear, JJ McCarthy will have a plethora of playmakers all around him next year.

For all the talk of the risk reward of JJ McCarthy, the sophomore quarterback did an excellent job of controlling the offense and not turning the ball over, at least before the college football playoff. Michigan finished with 6 interceptions on the season, 1 coming from Cade McNamara early in the season and 2 coming from McCarthy in the CFP.

Ball carriers did an excellent job holding onto the ball as well with only 4 fumbles lost on the season. 1 of those fumbles came from CJ Stokes in his first Big Ten game against Maryland. Stokes never had fumble troubles in high school, and every one believes it was more of a fluke than a sign of trouble. Blake Corum's only fumble of the year came when he suffered his knee injury against Illinois.

The Michigan offense has the ability to dictate and control with its run game, and explode and take over with its playmakers. The ability to maintain possession and maximize output really gives Michigan a formula for success that we love in 2023.

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