STOCK REPORT will be a season-long feature where we rank and rate Michigan football players within their position groups. This is more than a depth chart as we consider the player's impact and potential. After each game, we will reassess the rankings as players see their stock rise while others may see their stock fall.
READ: COLUMN: Michigan served the humble pie it needed against Maryland
Not the best game for JJ McCarthy, but also not something I am prepared to freak out about.
READ: J.J. McCarthy admits to better days but is pleased with team's response
If you just look at the stat line, McCarthy had a good day.
18/26 220 Yards 2 touchdowns.
McCarthy came away without any interceptions but he had two turnover-worthy plays. He only faced four pressures, but two of those turned into sacks and one a near turnover. McCarthy had time most of the day, averaging 3.37 seconds in the pocket.
What stuck out was McCarthy's inaccuracy on deep throws, overthrowing open receivers all day. The coaching staff stuck with McCarthy's arm, paying off with a deep ball late to Ronnie Bell.
McCarthy suggested in the post-game presser that his arm was feeling so good he is going to have to spend time in practice this week "dialing back" on the deep throws. McCarthy thrived taking what the defense gave him, going 16/17 for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns on intermediate throws. We know McCarthy's arm talent, so not going to be concerned with one bad day throwing deep.
A tight game late meant we didn't get to see Davis Warren taking snaps as the backup.
With Donovan Edwards being held out once again, Blake Corum was once again RB1 for Michigan.
READ: Against hometown Maryland, Corum shows he's Michigan's star
CJ Stokes finally showed he is a freshman with an early fumble that got him in the dog house for the rest of the game, meaning Corum would get the chance to show he can be the bell cow type back Hassan Haskins was in 2021 when Corum was injured.
Corum just went out and had one of the best days ever for a Michigan running back. 29 carries for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had 6 runs go for more than 10 yards, with 148 yards coming on breakaways, and 10 of his runs went for first downs.
Edwards will likely be back this week, giving Michigan a hefty 1-2 punch, but Corum has shown he can be the lead back when called upon.
Not the best day for Michigan's WR room. JJ's 1/8 on deep throws obviously impacted the receivers ability to make an impact in the game.
Just not a lot of movement here.
Roman Wilson was targeted 5 times with an average depth of target of 24 yards. Wilson has been the home run hitter early for Michigan, but McCarthy wasn't able to connect with his deep threat until their early 4th quarter touchdown.
Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson continue to lead the group but haven't been overly impressive either for upperclassmen with their level of experience. Johnson in particular has not been himself. With only 13 targets and a 58% catch rate, CJ has 117 yards and a touchdown through 4 games after leading the Wolverines in receiving in 2021.
It was nice to see the Michigan offense try to get Andrel Anthony involved after a slow start to the season. He only came down with 1 catch for 9 yards but was targeted on deep throws for an average of 29 yards. Have to assume Michigan goes back to him against Iowa as Michigan tries to find another threat alongside Roman Wilson.
Erick All did not play as expected. I am not going to address his injury here. Josh has been providing updates in The Den, but until Harbaugh or the team makes any official announcements, we will let it be.
It was a breakout day for Luke Schoonmaker getting significant TE1 reps in All's absence. Schoon graded out as Michigan's best receiver on the day, getting 7 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. He has also been one of Michigan's best run blockers, particularly on the outside in gap scheme.
Joel Honigford continues to do Honigford things playing basically a slimmed down 6th OL in 2TE sets.
Last week's stock up player who will continue to see increased action is Max Bredeson. Bredeson has been the Wolverine's best run blocking tight end and the coaches clearly have trust in him to serve the H-Back/FB type role in the offense.
The other name to watch in this group is Colston Loveland. He only saw 4 snaps against Maryland, but blocked well in those opportunities. Strong blocking is always the path to the field in Ann Arbor. Loveland's freak talent as a receiving tight end has been well documented, and with All missing time, it is only going to accelerate Loveland's growth in reps.
Possibly Michigan's best game in pass protection. Once again the group was down at starter with Trevor Keegan out, but Giovanni El-Hadi continues to perform well. He graded out as Michigan's 3rd best in pass protection, but the worst run blocker among the starters.
Pretty average days from Ryan Hayes and Olu Oluwatimi, who have been Michigan's best OL at times this season. Hayes and Olu were the bottom two lineman in pass protection against Maryland and the middle of the pack against the run.
STOCK UP: Trente Jones unsurprisingly continues to improve with more playing time. Against Maryland, he was the Wolverine's second-best pass blocker and first in run blocking. He gets the highest offense score in the season among all starting offensive linemen. After giving up pressure and sacks to start the year, Jones appears to be settling in.
Zak Zinter had a rough start the year as well, but he as quickly ascended to being Michigan's highest-rated OL. He posted a ridiculous 84.9 pass rating against Maryland. He now rates as Michigan's best pass protector on the season, and third in run blocking behind Haye and Jones. Zinter has serious NFL potential and could hold on to the top spot for the rest of the season.
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