Five Players To Watch: Michigan Wolverines At Minnesota Golden Gophers

No. 18 Michigan kicks off its season on the road at No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers for a primetime battle for the Little Brown Jug.

Here are the top players to watch on Saturday night.

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There's no more Shea Patterson (graduated) or even Dylan McCaffrey (transferring) for Michigan football. The Wolverines' quarterback spot is all Milton's, after winning the starting job throughout summer workouts and voluntary practices. Milton completed 3 of 7 pass attempts for 59 yards and one touchdown last season in reserve duty. He also ran the ball five times for 16 yards and a score.

There's perhaps no player in this game that will have more impact on who wins than Milton.

He will not just be making his first start since high school behind a revamped offensive line, but the Pahokee, Fla., native will also have to face the winter weather that comes with playing at Minnesota.

Known for his big arm, Milton has improved his intermediate throws and has mastered the playbook, based on what his coaches and teammates have said recently. Putting it all together in a game, on the road, is a whole different beast than impressing in practice, so the world will learn a lot about Milton on Saturday. He'll need to command the offense, make the correct reads, and know when to tuck it and run.

The Big Ten's reigning Wide Receiver of the Year is the headliner of the Minnesota offense. The 6-2, 210-pounder reeled in 60 catches for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns, giving redshirt junior quarterback Tanner Morgan a more-than-proven and reliable threat to connect with.

The Gophers lost All-Big Ten receiver Tyler Johnson, who set single-season program records for receptions (86), receiving yards (1,318) and receiving touchdowns (13) last season, to the NFL. It's Bateman's time to show he can duplicate what he did in 2019 while being the primary focal point for opposing defenses.

Bateman is physical and makes tough catches. Look for his name to be called plenty in the game.

Following the departure of cornerback Ambry Thomas to the NFL Draft, Gray has been thrust into the No. 1 corner spot for Michigan.

Gray is facing a huge challenge in week one, going up against Bateman. While Michigan will likely give him help over the top, the matchup is Gray's, senior safety Brad Hawkins said Tuesday.

"Look out for him on Saturday," Hawkins said of Gray. "It’ll be his task [to slow Bateman down]. I know he’ll compete and come out on top because I believe in him. He’s ready for this battle.”

It's especially important to not give Bateman any room, considering his catches typically go for big yardage. Last year, he burned opponents with the big play, averaging over 20 yards per reception.

Ibrahim ran for 604 yards and seven touchdowns last season, with a 5.3 yards-per-carry average, but he wasn't even the full-time starter. In 2018, he played in just 10 games, but churned out 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns on 202 carries. He has experience and, like Bateman, has the opportunity to take complete control of his position group.

At 5-10, 210 pounds, Ibrahim is shifty and makes defenders miss in the open field, and he almost always falls forward. He will be tough to stop and will most certainly move the chains for the Gophers if given big enough holes to run through.

The Minnesota front seven returns just two starters from a year ago, with one of them being Sori-Marin. He notched 42 tackles (18 solo) with two for loss in seven appearances last season, which aren't gaudy numbers. But with more on his plate this season and inexperienced players around him, he will be more crucial than ever, especially in run defense.

The Gophers finished seventh in the Big Ten a year ago in rushing yards allowed per game (122.4). If Minnesota's front, led by Sori-Marin, can have success stopping Michigan's run game, Milton could be forced into uncomfortable situations. If not, the Wolverine offense may have its way with the Gophers at the line of scrimmage and on the second level.

• Minnesota redshirt junior quarterback Tanner Morgan — Completed 66 percent of his passes last season and threw for 3,253 yards and 30 touchdowns. He is 15-4 as a starter in Minneapolis.

• Michigan fifth-year senior tight end Nick Eubanks — With the Wolverines losing a plethora of pass catchers from last season in Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Sean McKeon and Tarik Black, somebody will have to step up as Milton's primary target in the red zone. All four of Eubanks' touchdowns in 2019 came on plays that started inside the 20, and he's the most proven at finding the end zone out of any other receiver on the roster.

• Minnesota junior right tackle Daniel Faalele — There is some question about his status with the team, after the two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention lineman reportedly opted out of the season at one point. He's a player to watch in that he may or may not play — if he does, he'll be expected to make a significant impact.

• Michigan fifth-year senior center Andrew Vastardis — After being a reserve for his entire career, the former walk-on will be making his first start for the Wolverines. On an offensive line replacing four starters from last season, the captain will be looked at to lead the group.

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