Two Wolverines skill players listed as breakout candidates by PFF
According to Pro Football Focus, two different Michigan football skill players will be breakout players in 2022.
Listed second on PFF's 31-player breakdown is running back Donovan Edwards, a sophomore from West Bloomfield who showed flashes of greatness in limited opportunity last season.
Edwards' coming-out party came late in the season against Maryland, where he totaled 170 yards and a touchdown as a receiver despite only eight yards on the ground.
His dynamic and versatile profile, combined with Hassan Haskins' exit, opens the door for a massive season from Edwards in 2022.
"Edwards was the Wolverines' second-highest-ranked recruit in 2021 after quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The running back first emerged onto the scene in Week 12's win at Maryland, when he caught 10 targets for 170 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield en route to a 92.0 receiving grade. Edwards finished with 3.79 yards per route run and a 74.3 receiving grade on 70 routes for the season." -- PFF
Noting "several breakout candidates" on Michigan's roster this year, PFF decided on wide receiver A.J. Henning as the second and final Wolverine to make its breakout candidates list.
Henning is an electrifying wideout who, in his short time in Ann Arbor, has made a difference in the air and through various jet sweeps designed around him as a ball carrier. He's also expected to be one of the best return men in the country following a promising debut at the position in 2021.
As a return man, the Illinois native earned All-Big Ten third-team honors from the coaches and media. Henning scored one touchdown returning a kickoff against Maryland.
As a wideout/ball carrier, Henning caught 10 passes for 79 yards and carried the ball nine times for 162 yards with two touchdowns, including Michigan's first of six against Ohio State.
"There are several breakout candidates on this year's talented Wolverines team, but Henning is among the best, as the 2020 fringe top-100 recruit has the skill set to be an elite, dynamic weapon for the Blue. Henning showed flashes on end-arounds and sweeps last season, taking nine end-arounds/reverses for 162 yards and two touchdowns in addition to three sweeps for 39 yards. He also took a trick kick return to the house and averaged 9.4 yards per punt return across 29 such attempts. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound weapon is a slippery athlete and is a threat to convert a big gain anytime the ball is in his hands. Head coach Jim Harbaugh actually said during the spring that they envision a Deebo Samuel-esque role for Henning in 2022, including reps at running back. Henning is a pure gadget player until he can expand on his route tree, but either way, he’s destined to be a valuable weapon for Michigan’s offense in 2022." -- PFF
Henning enters 2022 a bit different than Edwards in that his path to playing time isn't so simple. Each starting wideout from last season returns on top of No. 1 wideout Ronnie Bell returning from injury.
Still, Henning has proven himself enough to secure the starting return man job, and he'll likely see an expanded role in the passing game despite the loaded room of receivers.
To read the full list, click here.
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