Team Position Group Rankings:
1. Defensive Tackle
Arguably the most loaded position on the team, the interior of the D-line has the ability to set the tone early in the season for this team. There are four guys with starting experience and lots of playing time that will be competing among the two-deep at the two tackle spots. Chris Wormley, Willie Henry, Ryan Glasgow, and Bryan Mone all played well last year while leading the 15th best rushing defense in the nation. They will all be back and they are all prepped for a big campaign in 2015. Maurice Hurst Jr. and Mathew Godin also got some playing time last year and both allow this group to legitimately run three-deep. With all the depth here the line should hold strong late in games and should be quite healthy later in the season, and some of the guys will also get a lot of time out at end too (Wormley and Godin). And
IF this team is going to beat Utah on September 3rd, it needs these guys to show up in a big way.
Note: It appears that Bryan Mone broke his ankle in the first week of fall practice and may miss the entire season.
Expected 2015 Grade: A-
2. Linebackers
Another deep group that is expected to win a lot of battles this fall, the linebackers have five guys with a lot of good experience under their belts. In good I actually mean great, as they lead the defense to being ranked 7th best in the nation in yards allowed last year. A lack of turnovers and complete ineptitude on offense really overshadowed the work these guys did game in and game out, and that was after losing three-year starter Desmond Morgan before the season even really got started. Now Morgan is back, and he joins Joe Bolden and James Ross III as returning senior starters. Bolden should lead the team in total tackles after collecting 102 last season. Ben Gedeon will also get a lot of action once again. He is one of the most athletic guys at the position and will probably be used in a number of different ways under Coach Durkin. Royce Jenkins-Stone and Mike McCray II will both find a way to get PT as well, so this group will run a strong two-deep overall.
Expected 2015 Grade: B+
3. Safety
With the Jabrill Peppers moving over to safety last winter, this position not only returns as one of the deepest on the team, but it also is one with the most star potential. Senior Jarrod Wilson is a steady senior that should start opposite Peppers, but Delano Hill, Jeremy Clark, and Dymonte Thomas will all vie for playing time again too. This group did not play poorly last year, but there was a complete lack of turnovers. That has to change in order for this defense to take a step up this year. Having Peppers, who has all the makings of an All-American-type player, should help improve that drastically. Although, opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers might start avoiding them altogether very early in the season, which could put a damper on their opportunities to make splash plays. If that happens though, expect to start seeing Peppers being used some on offense as the coaches do not want to waste an opportunity to utilize his tremendous speed and athleticism.
Expected 2015 Grade: B
4. Defensive End
Both starters from last year are gone, but the group should actually be better as whole in 2015. Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, and Mario Ojemudia all have started games and all possess extensive game experience on their respective resumes. Redshirt freshman Lawrence Marshall also appears ready to break into the game day lineup as well. He was singled out by Harbaugh in the spring and could be the team's best pure pass-rusher. There is a chance that he could play the "Buck" linebacker position that is so important in this defense. Tom Strobel, Matt Godin, and true freshman Shelton Johnson all could get snaps too.
Expected 2015 Grade: B-
5. Cornerback
The loss of Blake Countess really hurts the overall depth of the position, but it is not a complete game-changer for the Wolverines. Wayne Lyons, a graduate transfer from Stanford, and Jourdan Lewis, who returns as one of the best overall players from last season, were probably the most-likely to start in this defense anyway, with Countess being the guy who comes in when the defense is running nickel schemes. However, Jabrill Peppers has been the guy that shifts over to become the nickel-backer, so it is highly probable that we will be seeing the coaches utilizing the depth at safety to fill any voids. 6'2" Channing Stribling will be the top backup at corner now. Terry Richardson, Brandon Watson, Reon Dawson, and true freshman Tyree Kinnel, who was recruited as a safety but can play corner, could all get opportunities to play very early. There will be at least three newcomers in the 2016 class as well.
Expected 2015 Grade: B-
6. Tight End
Jake Butt is a First Team All-Big Ten candidate going into his third season on the team and he is expected to see opportunity knock on his door quite often this fall if he stays healthy. 50-plus catches and double digit touchdowns are a possibility for him. Kahlid Hill, A.J. Williams, Ian Bunting, freshman Tyrone Wheatley will compete for time. There is enough raw talent to run three or four-deep here, but one or two injuries could spell disaster.
Expected 2015 Grade: B-
7. Running Back
There is ton of depth here with Derrick Green, DeVeon Smith, and Drake Johnson all returning with starting experience. Ty Isaac, who transferred from USC last year, will also be in the mix. Any four of these guys could start for the Wolverines this fall. They all bring something a little different to the table, so a committee approach could be utilized. Though the coaches are hoping that one of them separates himself from the pack and gives the team a strong shoulder to lean on when the going gets tough.
Expected 2015 Grade: B-
8. Fullback
5th-year senior Joe Kerridge is a fan favorite after earning a scholarship as a walk-on. He should be a team leader in the locker room and should do a lot of dirty work on the field after seeing his overall production continue to increase the last couple years. Sione Houma is another senior that provides that decent depth at the position. Brady Pallante (6'1", 270 lbs!) was moved over here in the winter but he still got reps at defensive tackle in the spring game. Former linebacker Chase Winovich is also being tried out here as well as at tight end. Both guys could challenge for a starting spot in 2016 if they show significant improvement in the next 12 months. There are several recruits committed for the 2016 class that who could play fullback as well, including RB/FB Kingston Davis, LB/FB David Reese, and QB/ATH Victor Viramontes.
Expected 2015 Grade: B-
9. Offensive Line
We all know the story here. When you get down to it there is simply a load of raw talent and experience coming back this season. Considering the struggles over the last couple years though, that might not mean much to a lot of fans. However, all those freshmen and sophomores that started games over the last two years under former line coach Darrell Funk, as well as offensive coordinators Al Borges and Doug Nussmeier, will have a lot of knowledge in the well to draw from this fall as we step into a new era. New line coach and offensive coordinator Tim Drevno could be the guy that gets the most out of this group. He has a proven track record and brings a tougher attitude to the job, and he will find the best guys to help the offense run the ball, period. Right guard Kyle Kalis and left tackle Mason Cole both look like
All-Conference candidates, while left guard Ben Braden and right tackle Erik Magnusson both should be solid starters too. Center could see some shakeup with redshirt sophomore Patrick Kugler apparently ready to win the job. That would make returning starter Graham Glasgow the top backup along the interior of the line. The fact that Glasgow has been one of the more consistent starters the last two seasons and he is in jeopardy of losing his job tells me that all that highly-recruited talent from the 2012 and 2013 classes is starting to rise along the front line. Logan Tuley-Tillman and Juwann Bushell-Beaty will fill the backup tackle spots. Both of them are in the 6'6" 320 lbs range and turned some heads in the spring. Of all the position groups on the team, the O-line has the most riding on it being able to take that next step in their collective development. This group has played a lot of football together already. Mind you, most of it was not very good football, but it's not hard to see enough things finally coming together to make dramatic improvements in their overall production. At the very least, I do not see this position as being as much of a weakness as it has been over the last few years. And as they improve, so will every other offensive position.
Expected 2015 Grade: C+
10. Kicking
Graduate transfer Blake O'neill, a former "Australian rules" football player from Melbourne (Australia), was the sixth best punter in the nation at Weber State last year. Expect him to be one of the best in the Big Ten and an improvement over Will Hagerup. Freshman kicker Andrew David will battle senior Kenny Allen for field goal duties, with David having a slight edge in raw ability. Allen will be the backup punter too. The coverage units weren't very good last year but it wasn't for a lack of athletes. Their struggles were more due to a lack of experience and quality coaching. I expect a dramatic improvement overall on special teams.
Expected 2015 Grade: C+
11. Wide Receiver
No other position group on the team is loaded with as much talent but remains as big of a question mark as receiver. Amara Darboh is the closest player to a sure-thing after he caught 36 passes as a sophomore last year. He looked great in the spring and should be the team's number one target on the outside. Jehu Chesson has a lot of game experience too (24 games/7 starts) with 29 catches and one TD in two years. Freddy Canteen has shown a lot of promise during the past two springs but hasn't put it all together on Saturdays yet. Many are expecting a huge leap in production from him in the slot, but he could play out wide at the X or Z positions too. Mo' Ways and Drake Harris are a couple of redshirt freshman that could turn out to be real difference-makers some day, but they have a lot of work to do before getting any game day nods. Bo Dever, Jaron Dukes, and Da'Mario Jones will all be backups that might get a few snaps per game apiece, but they haven't done much thus far in their careers. True freshman Brian Cole, who is one of the better pure athletes at the position, could break into the game day lineup if he has actually learned how to play the position over the summer.
Expected 2015 Grade: C
12. Quarterback
Unless you are a Michigan football fan that has been stuck under a rock the last several years, you know everything there is to know about the downfall of the program. For those of you that might not know specifically what I am talking about let me just say that it isn't rocket science; you don't have to be genius to figure it out. And in case you just didn't know, I will let you in on a not-so-well-kept secret that has somehow avoided you:
the Wolverines haven't been very good at quarterback. Yes, the defense was also abysmal under Rich Rod, often placing near the bottom of the national rankings in every major defensive category. While the offense ranked among the best in the Big Ten, Wolverine Nation was never quite sold on the style of play, period. Things improved drastically under Hoke and company, but the QB position never really improved. And that alone has been the bane of the Wolverine's respective existence over the last seven years. That will change under Harbaugh, no matter who is starting. My money is going on Shane Morris to win the job, but I would be stupid to count
5th-year senior and Big Ten vet Jake Rudock out of the equation. Both guys have talent and both seem to be poised for the job. I am willing to bet that either one of them is better than 50% of the starting QB's in the entire FBS. Redshirt freshman Wilton Speight, along with true freshmen Alex Malzone and Zach Gentry, make the situation a lot more interesting than it has been in a long time. In my opinion, I believe this position will be drastically improved. Enough so that the team can get to 10 wins again. Hoke did it with less talent in 2011 - when they beat Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl to go 11-2. Harbuagh can do it again (and then some) with a roster that is more talented overall and a depth chart that is a lot deeper than most of the country realizes. The Quarterback doesn't have to be
great in this offense. He just has to keep the ball from going to the other team in Michigan territory so easily.
Expected 2015 Grade: C
In Conclusion:
This team is actually built to win a lot sooner than most people think. The nation seems to be fixated on proven offensive fire-power, but those that have been around the game enough know that a very good defense, a bruising rushing attack, and solid special teams play can get you in a good position to win the conference. Again, this isn't rocket science. The best running game and defenses have the best chances of winning games in the Big Ten. Just look at all the championship teams of the last decade and you will see that they all had that in common. In fact, you would be pretty hard pressed to find a Big Ten Championship team that didn't do any of those things well. When looking at the roster and considering the coaching staff, I just don't know how anybody can honestly think this team is not capable of reaching the over in wins (The line is 7.5 on the season).
