Beyond the Depth Chart: Five players to watch

Michigan's roster is loaded and has some of the most returning production in all of college football in 2023. It will be hard for a player currently on the outside of the depth chart looking in to find their way into rotations this season, but every year players grind their way into a bigger role as the season progresses.

Last season's Beyond the Depth Chart included freshmen like CJ Stokes and Colston Loveland. This year's group is also freshmen heavy, but despite the deep positions group they play in, should not be counted out and could find their way to serious reps this season.

By the time the season begins Semaj Morgan may not part of the "beyond" of the depth chart. It was a stellar spring camp for the early enrollee who earned praise throughout camp and looked the part during the Maize & Blue Spring Game. Morgan has two big chances to contribute to the Wolverines in 2023 with the departure of AJ Henning to Northwestern. Morgan is a dynamic athlete, explosive, and could be the answer in to replace Henning in the return game. At WR, it would not be surprising to see Morgan get looks on end arounds, jet sweeps, and screens. Morgan could find himself in the two-deep If Roman Wilson slides outside and Tyler Morris becomes the leading slot receiver. Morgan would likely be the backup slot and one of the top 6 WRs heading into the season.

Another explosive playmaker in the 2023 freshman class is Cole Cabana. Similar to Morgan, his path to the field early will be with special teams. Cabana has a chance to find the end zone every time he touches the ball. As a returner last season, Cabana had 3 touchdowns and 444 return yards. That contributed to his absurd 2,424 all-purpose yards. Cabana was dinged up early in spring but is back to full health. While Morgan has a path to playing time at WR, the route will be much tougher for Cabana. Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards lead the group, and CJ Stokes could have RB3 locked down with a sophomore season bump. Kalel Mullings and Tavierre Dunlap will hope to carve out a role, while freshman Benjamin Hall got a jump this spring, getting extra reps with so many running backs out with injuries.

Another freshman makes an appearance, this time on the defensive side of the ball. Will Johnson has CB1 locked down and Mike Sainristil will be the second most utilized corner at nickel and on the outside. Behind them is a long list of talented players hoping to make their way into rotations. Jyaire Hill was a late add to the 2023 recruiting class and could prove to be one of the more valuable. Hill was always earmarked as an underrated prospect, but a big spring camp has people talking about Hill contributing this season. Hill does everything coach Steve Clinkscale wants his corners to do. A senior season that saw Hill get 42 tackles, including five tackles for loss with two sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions shows the all-around player he can be. Hill likely isn't fighting for CB2 currently, but there will be rotations in the two-deep and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has said he wouldn't be shocked to see Hill have a similar rise to last year's freshman star receiver Will Johnson.

The linebacker room has gone from thin to loaded in just one offseason. Junior Colson and Michael Barrett return to start, while talented sophomores Ernest Hausmann and Jimmy Rolder will round the two-deep, each expected to get serious playing time in 2023. With Nikhai Hill-Green transferring to Charlotte and RJ Moten transferring to Florida an opportunity has opened up for sophomore Micah Pollard. Pollard played in 12 games last season, one of the better special teams players on the team. He will no doubt lead that group again, but you should expect to get lots of run at linebacker. The son of former NFL player Marcus Pollard and nephew of Michigan legend Braylon Edwards, Pollard has the tools to contribute this season and will likely be an important piece of the defense in 2024. With Chris Partridge back in Ann Arbor, Pollard could carve out a Viper like role similar to what Moten played at the end of last season.

In last season's Beyond the Depth Chart, I listed Colston Loveland as a player I thought could climb his way and contribute by season's end. While injuries accelerated Loveland's growth, it was simply his ability as a receiver that was too good to keep of the field. For similar reasons, I am listing Zack Marshall this season. Like Loveland, Marshall is a former receiver who grew into a tight end. Marshall was also an early enrollee like Loveland, which gives him a head start over fellow freshman tight end Deakon Tonielli. The tight end group is deep with Loveland and AJ Barner at the top, and Matthew Hibner and Marlin Klein battling for TE3. Max Bredeson is taking on a fullback role this season and will be used for blocking. While Hibner or Klein could take hold of the role, Marshall's ability to stretch the field could see him jump in front of the upperclassmen, much like Loveland last season.

---

Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards

Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer

Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink

Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube

Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram