The Michigan Wolverines' football team appears to be in outstanding shape at linebacker with an expected starting trio of redshirt sophomore Michael Barrett, redshirt junior Josh Ross and redshirt sophomore Cam McGrone, but has nothing but inexperience and youth behind the trifecta.
Is the depth at linebacker a bigger concern than at any other position, or is the depth at another spot more of a question mark?
TheWolverine's Clayton Sayfie and Austin Fox provide their takes below:
Clayton Sayfie — Buy
It's good to have depth. Case in point: Redshirt sophomore middle linebacker Cam McGrone stepping in for an injured Josh Ross (who is now a redshirt junior) at Wisconsin last season, taking the starting job and running with it until season's end.
Now, it's McGrone and Ross manning the middle of the linebacking corps after key departures of Jordan Glasgow, Josh Uche and Khaleke Hudson make the Wolverines' situation at the position group just a tad murky behind the aforementioned household names. Redshirt sophomore Michael Barrett is expected to step in as the starter at viper, and should fare well, with sophomore Anthony Solomon a more than capable backup at the spot even though he's never taken an in-game snap at linebacker (he did excel on special teams last season, however).
But, even as much as a quick glance at the depth chart shows there's not much experience behind the trio of likely starters, most especially on the interior. Let's say — hypothetically — McGrone or Ross goes down with an injury, and in line to be the replacement would be a true freshman (one of Kalel Mullings, Nikhai Hill-Green or Cornell Wheeler). All three have bright futures ahead, but it's a tall order to play 'backer for Michigan in year one (even Devin Bush only played 75 defensive snaps in his freshman campaign).
There's concern in the secondary with the depth there, too, but not quite as much as linebacker — due to the sheer fact that the top (projected) backups in the two-deep have never even participated in a fall practice, let alone a game.
Additionally, Uche's outside linebacker / edge rusher position doesn't even have a clear replacement, and may not even be used this season by coordinator Don Brown. How Brown and head coach Jim Harbaugh decide to proceed in regards to personnel groupings will be an interesting development in its own right.
Austin Fox — Sell
Though there is nothing but inexperience behind Ross, McGrone and Barrett at linebacker, there is talent waiting in the wings. Freshman Kalel Mullings was a top-100 prospect out of high school and the highest-rated recruit the Wolverines signed in their 2020 class, and is expected by some to crack the two-deep this fall.
Freshmen Cornell Wheeler, William Mohan and Osman Savage were all four-stars during their prep days, and it would not be shocking to see any of them crack the two-deep in 2020 as well.
Sophomore Anthony Solomon, meanwhile, is viewed as the backup viper behind Barrett, and appears to have a bright future ahead after the coaches played him in 11 games on special teams last year as a freshman.
An inexperienced player would likely be thrown into the fire if one of the starters were to go down with injury, but again, the talent is at least there. This is why the depth at a few other spots for U-M are more concerning than at linebacker.
Cornerback, for example, would have more question marks surrounding it if one of the two starters — senior Ambry Thomas and redshirt sophomore Vincent Gray — were to go down with injury.
Redshirt freshman D.J. Turner and a pair of freshmen in Andre Seldon and Darion Green-Warren appear to be the next players in line at the position; again, the depth is talented at the spot, but is also young and inexperienced.
The narrative is the exact same at safety behind starters senior Brad Hawkins and sophomore Daxton Hill, where redshirt sophomore Sammy Faustin, redshirt freshman Quinten Johnson (assuming he's healthy after missing all of last year with injury) and any of the three freshmen (Jordan Morant, Makari Paige or R.J. Moten) could be the next in line.
The storyline is similar along the defensive interior as well, a spot where the Wolverines can ill afford to suffer an injury to fifth-year senior Carlo Kemp or sophomore Chris Hinton.
With all that in mind, depth is more of a concern at cornerback and defensive tackle than it is at linebacker. There is youth that would be forced into action at the latter come injury to a starter, but that narrative can be used for several spots on Michigan's defense.
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