Michigan football's non-conference schedule provided many players with opportunities.

It's also allowed the coaching staff to sort out position battles and find the "next man up" at multiple spots on both sides of the ball.

Through three games, the Wolverines have a few success stories, but five players stand out above the rest, exceeding expectations and arguably being Michigan's five best players so far.

After nearly nine months of debate, J.J. McCarthy put an exclamation point on his case for being the starting quarterback once the season began.

McCarthy has been a balance of efficient and explosive to start the season. His talent and potential were clear, but could he command the offense without making mistakes? Obviously, McCarthy will have to show he can do it in conference play against better opponents, but his growth has been evident.

Statistically, McCarthy has been unreal, completing a ridiculous 88.4% of his passes for 13.9 yards per attempt with four touchdowns, zero turnovers, and the equivalent of a 148.2 NFL QB rating. McCarthy is PFF's second-highest-rated QB in the FBS behind only James Madison's Todd Centeio.

Again, I get the competition, but McCarthy has been near perfect.

Trying to pick the breakout wide receiver in this crowded room felt like a roulette spin. While I pushed all my chips in on Andrel Anthony, I had anticipated Anthony and Roman Wilson would compete for the outside role opposite Cornelius Johnson and be the clear third option in the offense. We know now that the offensive staff made the brilliant choice of putting Wilson in the slot 100 percent of the time.

Slot receivers are no longer just the smallest receiver on the team and have become the go-to spot to exploit matchups for innovative coaches like Michigan has with Matt Weiss.

Wilson has only seven targets, but he has six catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns. That's a ridiculous 28.5 average. Wilson has caught a deep ball, but 23 yards of each reception have come after the catch. He's also made an impact in the run game, with an end around for a touchdown and the second-best PFF blocking grade among the team's wideouts.

His usage should go up as Michigan keeps its starters out and begins to expand the playbook.

Fans went from hoping Ronnie Bell could play in the fall to him again being the clear WR1. While Wilson has had more big plays, Bell has been the most targeted receiver by a wide margin. Bell has 17 targets in Michigan's first three games. That's one more target than Johnson and Wilson combined.

Bell has turned those targets into 14 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown. We mentioned before Wilson has been Michigan's second-best run-blocking WR. Well, Ronnie Bell has been the best.

He's had a couple of drops, and the fumble against Hawaii, but can you blame the guy for maybe being a little extra excited to be on the field again? The truth is, Bell has always been the guy who will have a drop that makes you shake your head and then immediately follows it up with a great catch that makes you cheer.

Even with the change at QB, Bell has been a security blanket of sorts for the quarterbacks, and it will be interesting to see if that continues into conference play.

The biggest question beat to death this offseason after who will play quarterback has been who will replace Hutch and Ojabo? Jaylen Harrell played quite a bit in 2021, most often as the rotation piece for Ojabo in run situations. Harrell's strength as a run defender was well known, but could he make the leap with pass rush? The answer so far has been a resounding yes.

Harrell has been Michigan's best pass rusher, along with Mike Morris, each getting two sacks. Being able to impact the pass rush is one thing, but Harrell leads the team in pressures with 11 and 8 QB hurries. Harrell hasn't taken any steps back in run defense either, where he, Morris, Kris Jenkins, and Taylor Upshaw have nearly identical PFF grades in the run game.

Harrell's balance brings extra value to a defense that thrives on versatility. Earning coaches' trust in all situations will help keep him on the field, especially when teams try to go up-tempo and catch Michigan in substitutions.

Michigan's secondary has arguably been their best group early in the season. There were question marks with three starters departing. Still, the backend of this defense has been solid thanks to a combination of returning starters, experienced players moving up, a 5-star freshman, and a converted WR becoming a star.

The best among all of these players has been Gemon Green. Green lost his starting CB2 job midseason last year to DJ Turner, with both locked into the top 2 corner roles heading into the season. Turner was getting a lot of hype while Green faced a challenge from Will Johnson. Johnson has been excellent in his first season and has pushed Green, but Green has been elite.

He is Michigan's 3rd highest-rated defender, according to PFF. He has been the best coverage corner, facing six targets and giving up 0 receptions. Flexing into the slot and box 14 times while spending most of his time outside, those six targets have come on 49 coverage snaps. So Green has been lockdown, and when a QB does throw his way, it's incomplete.

Green's play is evidence of Jim Harbaugh's philosophy on competition paying dividends. I could have put DJ Turner here, who has been solid with only four receptions for 22 yards allowed. Will Johnson has Michigan's second-best coverage rating, which would be even higher if not for the 34-yard touchdown he allowed against Colorado State. Mike Sainristil, the former wideout who has been solid in coverage but has filled the Dax Hill role nicely with five pass rushes, grading out as Michigan's second-best pass rusher with two pressures, 1 QB hit, and one sack on those five blitzes. Green has just been a little bit better across the board.

Michigan will face its biggest test yet by far this week against Taulia Tagovailoa and the Maryland passing attack. All signs point to this secondary continuing to take significant steps, with Gemon Green currently leading the way.

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