Michigan lost a lot on both sides of the ball, but the Wolverines have plenty of talent remaining to be a factor in the Big Ten race. We weigh in today with our first of many questions heading toward the opener with Florida in Arlington (Texas) … what’s Michigan’s biggest position of strength?
There are a few to choose from, despite the personnel losses. Redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight, for as much grief as he gets from a portion of the fan base, exceeded expectations much of last year and played hurt against the Buckeyes. Having an experienced quarterback is big.
The running backs are led by a sophomore in Chris Evans who averaged 7.0 yards per carry last year, and his backups, junior Karan Higdon and fifth-year senior Ty Isaac, both came back in great shape and are having great camps.
The defensive line, led by fifth-year senior Maurice Hurst, is potentially dominant, and the wide receivers, though young, have star power.
But which group stands out? Our opinions:
Chris Balas: It’s the defensive line, of course … right?
You can’t blame everyone for thinking so. Fifth-year senior Maurice Hurst is Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 interior line pass rushing prospect. He was snubbed for All-Big Ten honors last year, but just might have been U-M’s best lineman. Sophomore Rashan Gary seems primed for a breakout season and has all the potential to be elite.
But there are several unknowns. Can redshirt junior end Chase Winovich be more than just a great pass rusher and hold up against the run? Is redshirt junior Bryan Mone going to stay healthy enough (and be in the right shape) to pick up where Ryan Glasgow left off last year? And while it seems logical to assume Gary will shine, he had only one sack last season. He still has plenty to prove.
That doesn’t even take depth into account. We haven’t seen most of the backups play, and they need them to be good to rotate on defense the way they want to.
Make no mistake … it appears this unit is going to be very good. But just about every group on the field has great potential with something to prove, and for the sake of being different, let’s go with the running backs (including the fullbacks). Fifth-year senior fullback Khalid Hill has proven to be a devastating blocker, and freshman Ben Mason can be even better. Hill will be an asset.
Evans has had a great fall, but so have Higdon and Isaac … and watch out for redshirt frosh Kareem Walker. He’s starting to show the skills that made him an elite back early in his high school career.
When it’s all said and done, fans will look back on this unit as one of the pleasant surprises of the season.
Brandon Brown: “I think most people would say that Michigan’s biggest strength this year is going to be the defensive line, and I’m no different. The starting four up front has the potential to be downright scary with sophomore Rashan Gary and redshirt junior Chase Winovich bringing pressure off of the edge while redshirt junior Bryan Mone and fifth-year senior Mo Hurst take care of the middle. Gary is on preseason award lists all over the country and Hurst might’ve been a first-round pick last year.
Mone is reportedly as healthy as he’s ever been and also looks enormous these days. Winovich is the forgotten man on the line but he racked up 34 tackles last year including eight for a loss and five sacks — he’ll be able to get after it while the other three are being watched closely.
Providing depth is going to be the real challenge for Greg Mattison and his guys, but there are several young players who appear to be up to the task. Freshmen Luiji Vilain, Kwity Paye, Aubrey Solomon, Donovan Jeter and James Hudson have all been solid through camp and may see the field at different times. Second-year man Michael Dwumfour has been talked about a lot through the first half of camp and looks like he’ll be able to provide some depth.
Finally, senior defensive lineman Lawrence Marshall may be ready to contribute as he’s healthy and up to nearly 290 pounds. It all starts up front and luckily for a Michigan defense that replaces all starters except for linebacker Mike McCray, the front four is as good as any group in the country.
Austin Fox: Despite losing Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, Ryan Glasgow and Matt Godin from last year’s unit, Michigan’s defensive line will once again be the strength of the team in 2017 — and it’s not close. Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Mo Hurst should be one of the top run-stuffers in the country, and playing alongside redshirt junior Bryan Mone — who returns from an injury-plagued 2016 — will be a major boost.
Sophomore Rashan Gary and redshirt junior Chase Winovich make up a formidable duo at defensive end. Even though neither of them were technically “starters” last year, both saw plenty of action and were very productive.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the line, though, is the youth on it. Sophomores Michael Dwumfour and Carlo Kemp will be thrust into large roles, despite seeing little time last year as freshmen. The Wolverines will also have a crop of seven new freshmen defensive linemen this fall, and it’s safe to assume that several of them — most notably Aubrey Solomon and Luiji Vilain — will see action.
Although not as experienced as last year’s unit, don’t expect much of a drop-off in production in 2017, as this year’s defensive line should once again be among the nation’s best.
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