Projecting Michigan's Entire Depth Chart For Tonight's Game (And Beyond)
Here are the 22 starters (and special teamers) we expect to start the game for the Michigan Wolverines' football team against Middle Tennessee State tonight, with a complete breakdown of every position.
The projected starter at each spot is listed as the headliner below, with the top backups named underneath the photo:
Quarterback — Shea Patterson (senior)
Top Backups: Dylan McCaffrey (redshirt sophomore), Joe Milton (redshirt freshman) and Cade McNamara (freshman)
Senior quarterback Shea Patterson will likely be the signal caller who takes the first snaps on Saturday night, though it's fair to expect redshirt sophomore Dylan McCaffrey to see meaningful time as well.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh said at Big Ten Media Days in July that he plans on playing both quarterbacks in every game, and first-year offensive coordinator Josh Gattis took it a step further earlier this week when he said he'd like to see McCaffrey and redshirt freshman Joe Milton appear in every game.
How the entire situation is handled obviously remains to be seen, but we may not get many answers on Saturday night against the Blue Raiders (assuming it's a blowout).
Patterson threw for 2,600 yards and 22 touchdown passes last year, and will attempt to become the first signal caller in school history to post those statistics in two separate seasons.
Running Back — Christian Turner (redshirt freshman)
Top Backups: Zach Charbonnet (freshman), Tru Wilson (senior), Ben VanSumeren (redshirt freshman) and Hassan Haskins (redshirt freshman)
We only tabbed redshirt freshman Christian Turner as the starter here simply because we had to put somebody in the top slot, but senior Tru Wilson or freshman Zach Charbonnet could have been placed there as well.
The trio seem to be on equal footing heading into the first game, with position coach Jay Harbaugh showing no interest this week in naming a starter prior to kickoff.
Recent comments surrounding Charbonnet (coming on like a 'freight train,' according to Jim Harbaugh, and 'pushing the envelope forward' per Josh Gattis) have led many to believe he has separated himself from the others, but that notion may be a bit premature.
It's safe to assume that all three of them will receive substantial playing time against the Blue Raiders tonight, with redshirt freshmen Hassan Haskins and Ben VanSumeren perhaps even joining the party as well (assuming U-M has the game well in hand).
Wide Receiver — Donovan Peoples-Jones (junior), Nico Collins (junior) and Tarik Black (redshirt sophomore)
Top Backups: Ronnie Bell (sophomore), Mike Sainristil (freshman), Giles Jackson (freshman) and Cornelius Johnson (freshman)
The starting wideouts could potentially look different than the names listed above (freshman Mike Sainristil could start in the slot, for example, if U-M comes out in the appropriate set, etc.), depending on which package U-M chooses to open the game in.
Sophomore wideout Ronnie Bell admitted this week that the Wolverines have been employing more three and four-receiver sets than last year, which also means we'll see a heavier rotation at the position.
Juniors Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones each racked up over 600 yards last season in a system that ranked 104th nationally in passing attempts per game, so it's fair to expect the duo to at least replicate those numbers once again.
Redshirt sophomore Tarik Black appeared in the final six games of 2018 after missing the first seven with injury, but was never able to regain his freshman form; having him healthy this time around will obviously be a huge boost for the unit.
Speedster Mike Sainristil has been here since the spring and has a leg up on fellow freshmen Cornelius Johnson, Giles Jackson and George Johnson, so expect him to see plenty of action on Saturday night (and throughout the year) as well.
Tight end — Sean McKeon (senior)
Top Backups: Nick Eubanks (redshirt junior), Erick All (freshman), Mustapha Muhammad (redshirt freshman) and Luke Schoonmaker (redshirt freshman)
Just like at running back above, we only listed senior Sean McKeon as the starter here because a single name had to go in the top spot — redshirt junior Nick Eubanks' name could just as easily have been inserted, as the two are expected to be co-starters.
Eubanks demonstrated his big play potential last season by averaging 19.6 yards per catch, and at 6-5, 256 pounds, could be a mismatch nightmare in Gattis' new wide open offense.
Freshman Erick All, meanwhile, impressed in both spring and fall camps with his play-making abilities, and looks to have potentially leapt redshirt freshmen Mustapha Muhammad and Luke Schoonmaker on the depth chart.
Harbaugh made it clear this offseason that All will see time on the field this year as a freshman.
Whether or not the tight ends rotate as deeply in Gattis' offense as they have during Harbaugh's first four years on the job remains to be seen, but if they do, Muhammad and Schoonmaker would be the next tight ends in line to see the field.
Offensive Line — LT Jalen Mayfield (redshirt freshman), LG Ben Bredeson (senior), C Cesar Ruiz (junior), RG Mike Onwenu (senior) and RT Ryan Hayes (redshirt freshman)
Top Backups: LG Chuck Filiaga (redshirt sophomore), C Stephen Spanellis (redshirt junior), RG Andrew Vastardis (redshirt junior) and RT Joel Honigford (redshirt sophomore)
This lineup may look odd to some, but that is because we're assuming fifth-year senior left tackle Jon Runyan misses the game with a minor injury (more in our Inside the Fort).
Assuming that's the case, redshirt freshman Jalen Mayfield will slide over to left tackle and fellow redshirt freshman Ryan Hayes will man the starting right tackle spot.
The interior will obviously remain the same, with senior left guard Ben Bredeson, junior center Cesar Ruiz and senior right guard Mike Onwenu forming the middle.
The starting lineup listed above is not expected to be the one U-M employs all season, as a healthy Runyan would/will undoubtedly man the left tackle spot and Mayfield the right tackle gig, forcing Hayes back to the bench.
Michigan's unit as a whole — with Runyan present — is expected to be the best offensive line the Wolverines have had since Lloyd Carr's final years on the job, with Gattis even calling it the best group he's ever been around as a coach (which is obviously noteworthy when considering he was with the Alabama club that made the National Title last season and the Penn State squad who won the Big Ten in 2016).
Defensive Line — DE Kwity Paye (junior), DT Carlo Kemp (senior), Donovan Jeter (redshirt sophomore) and DE Aidan Hutchinson (sophomore)
Top DE Backups: Mike Danna (fifth-year senior), Luiji Vilain (redshirt sophomore), David Ojabo (freshman) and Taylor Upshaw (redshirt freshman)
Top DT Backups: Michael Dwumfour (redshirt junior), Ben Mason (junior), Mazi Smith (freshman) and Chris Hinton (freshman)
Junior defensive end Kwity Paye, senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp and sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson have seemingly all locked up starting spots up front, while it remains to be seen whether redshirt sophomore Donovan Jeter or redshirt junior Michael Dwumfour will start alongside Kemp (we went with Jeter due to Dwumfour being banged up in camp).
A unit that was once thought to be a huge concern has been shored up nicely, thanks in large part to the arrival of fifth-year senior CMU transfer Mike Danna (who posted 15 tackles for loss last year with the Chippewas) and junior Ben Mason from the offensive side of the ball.
Several of the freshmen have progressed faster than expected as well, most notably defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
It's unlikely that he or fellow freshman tackle Chris Hinton will earn starting jobs, but expect to see at least one (or both) of them as regulars in the rotation this fall.
Linebacker — Josh Ross (junior), Devin Gil (redshirt junior) and Khaleke Hudson (senior)
Top Backups: Josh Uche (senior), Jordan Glasgow (fifth-year senior), Cam McGrone (redshirt freshman), Jordan Anthony (redshirt sophomore) and Michael Barrett (redshirt freshman)
The starting spots are all but locked up in the linebacking unit, with senior Khaleke Hudson, junior Josh Ross and redshirt junior Devin Gil expected to be the primary contributors.
The real intrigue at the position, however, lies with how the coaches choose to utilize senior Josh Uche (who led the team with seven sacks last year), and which young linebacker will make the biggest impact.
Redshirt freshman Cam McGrone and redshirt sophomore Jordan Anthony both appear to be coming into their own, and odds are that at least one of them will contribute significantly in 2019 — our money is on the former.
Fifth-year senior Jordan Glasgow (who position coach Anthony Campanile called his Swiss army knife on Wednesday), meanwhile, will be taken advantage of in more than just his viper role, as he confirmed earlier this week that he is practicing at multiple linebacker spots.
Cornerback — Lavert Hill (senior) and Vincent Gray (redshirt freshman)
Top Backups: Jaylen Kelly-Powell (junior), D.J. Turner (freshman) and Gemon Green (redshirt freshman)
Note: this is assuming junior Ambry Thomas won't play
If junior Ambry Thomas isn't ready to go tonight (colitis), then redshirt freshman Vincent Gray will start opposite senior Lavert Hill.
Although plenty of intrigue surrounds Gray and how he'll perform, the real question marks reside with the depth at the position.
Who the third corner is remains a mystery, with junior Jaylen Kelly-Powell, redshirt freshman Gemon Green and even freshman D.J. Turner appearing to be the most likely candidates.
Safeties/special teams coach Chris Partridge revealed this past week that junior safety Brad Hawkins is still seeing reps at nickelback, so U-M may wind up sliding him down at times when MTSU comes out in four and five-receiver sets.
Hawkins' presence will help ease the depth concerns at cornerback slightly, but getting Thomas back to full health in a timely manner will be crucial.
Safety — Josh Metellus (senior) and Brad Hawkins (junior)
Top Backups: J'Marick Woods (junior) and Daxton Hill (freshman)
Junior safety Brad Hawkins has all but locked up the starting spot alongside senior Josh Metellus, with position coach Chris Partridge confirming earlier this week that junior J'Marick Woods is No. 3 on the depth chart and freshman Daxton Hill is No. 4.
It would not be a surprise to see both Woods and Hill play at times this season, especially if/when Hawkins moves down into the nickelback role in certain packages.
The Wolverines are in good shape at the spot barring injury, but a lack of experienced depth could be an issue if anybody were to go down with an ailment.
This is why Hill's continued progression is vital, and by the sounds of it, he has already ascended at a fast rate in fall camp.
Special Teams — K Jake Moody (sophomore), P Will Hart (redshirt junior), KR Ronnie Bell (sophomore) and PR Donovan Peoples-Jones (junior)
The kicking competition between sophomore Jake Moody and redshirt junior Quinn Nordin legitimately seems to be neck-and-neck, with the winner unlikely to be known until the Wolverines line up to actually kick a field goal.
Redshirt junior Will Hart has re-earned his starting punting duties after averaging 47 yards per boot last season, though it should be noted that redshirt sophomore Brad Robbins is finally healthy once again as well.
Junior cornerback Ambry Thomas doesn't appear to be have re-claimed his kick returning duties, with sophomore wideout Ronnie Bell and freshman receiver Mike Sainristil (and perhaps redshirt freshman running back Christian Turner) likely taking over that role for him.
Junior wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones is back once again to serve as the team's punt returner, though Sainristil and Bell have also been mentioned by the coaches as having received plenty of reps there as well.
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