Cal Poly offensive lineman Brady Norton committed to Michigan on Monday. He picked the Wolverines over an offer from Ohio State.
Norton was listed at 6'3" and 275 pounds while at Cal Poly as a redshirt freshman this past season, but commitment reports list him at 6'4" and 290 pounds. He graded out as Pro Football Focus's top FCS offensive lineman for the 2024 season.
With limited film from the FCS level, I don't have a lot of insights into Norton. I've watched a few clips here and there, and I'm impressed by his quickness. I think Michigan fans might be impressed by how well he moves once he puts on a winged helmet. We'll also be waiting to see how he measures up when he arrives on campus. Even if he is indeed 290 pounds, that's a little bit light to expect much of a contribution upon arrival. He might need a year to comfortably get in the 300-310 pound range to make him a little more playable.
Norton reportedly has long arms, which could make him an option at tackle; I like his feet for the tackle position, but those can also be put to good use if the coaches plan to pull him from the guard spot. Again, the athletic ability is there, but the size might be more of the determining factor for which position he plays.
Norton has played just one season of college football after redshirting in 2023, so he has three years of eligibility remaining. The last FCS transfer Michigan took was cornerback Aamir Hall prior to the 2024 season, and Hall ended up making a couple interceptions and being a de facto starter with Will Johnson missing half the season. I don't expect such an immediate impact from Norton, but he could be a solid player down the road.
T.J. Metcalf (image via Hank Layton/NWA Democrat Gazette)
Arkansas safety T.J. Metcalf, a cousin of NFL wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, committed to Michigan on Monday night after visiting over the weekend. He and his younger brother Tevis are both now Wolverines. (I'll address Tevis in a separate post.)
T.J. is a 6'1", 200 lb. safety who made 57 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 3 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups playing a deep safety role for the Razorbacks. He made 2 interceptions against Auburn, which made Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze tear his hair out and publicly call out (former Michigan State) quarterback Peyton Thorne. One interception was a tipped ball that bounced up into the air, and the other was a diving catch. Metcalf's other interception was against UAB.
Metcalf has a strong build and should be an asset both as a tackler and a coverage guy down the road. While his performances have been up and down, he should get better coaching at Michigan than he got at Arkansas. With Michigan losing both Quinten Johnson and Makari Paige to graduation, along with key backup Wesley Walker, there's room for immediate help. I would probably pencil in Metcalf as a starter at free safety, though there is potential for Rod Moore to return in 2025, which could shake up the lineup or the depth chart.
Metcalf was a 3-star, the #51 safety, and #541 overall in the class of 2023. Michigan had offered him out of Pinson (AL) Valley, along with Florida State, Miami, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others.
Former Indiana wide receiver Donaven McCulley has committed to Michigan.
McCulley is a 6'5", 200 lb. player who started his career at quarterback in 2021 before switching to wide receiver for the past three seasons. He was just the third true freshman quarterback to start a game for Indiana, completing 35/82 passes for 475 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in 2021; he also ran 64 times for 135 yards and 2 scores. He caught 18 passes for 184 yards and 1 touchdown in 2022 and then made 48 catches for 644 yards and 6 touchdowns as a junior in 2023.
McCulley entered the transfer portal following the 2023 season and had interest in Michigan, but he was convinced to return to Indiana with new head coach Curt Cignetti coming to Bloomington. Unfortunately for McCulley, Cignetti brought some of his own transfers from JMU, who ended up winning out and leaving McCulley mostly on the bench. He caught just 2 passes for 21 yards while playing in four games. If he had continued to play beyond four games, he would have lost the ability to play in 2025 and presumably finished his college career as a backup for the Hoosiers. Instead, he announced he would enter the transfer portal after four games, which allows him to play one more year.
Michigan needs help at the receiver position with top receiver Tyler Morris entering the portal and not much size on the roster. The "big" target on the squad is 6'3", 182 lb. Amorion Walker, who was injured for much of the 2024 season, so McCulley immediately becomes the biggest target for incoming freshman Bryce Underwood and whoever else Michigan can land in the portal.
McCulley is the third transfer to come from Indiana to Michigan in recent years, joining TE A.J. Barner and QB Jack Tuttle, both of whom joined the Wolverines prior to the 2023 national championship season.
A part of the class of 2021, McCulley was a 4-star, the #24 quarterback, and #223 overall in the class of 2021.
Michigan has reportedly found its new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Kirk Campbell. Reports are coming out that head coach Sherrone Moore has hired North Carolina offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.
Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier quarterback Chase Herbstreit committed to Michigan on Sunday. Michigan appears to have been his only FBS offer.
Herbstreit is listed at 6'2" and 185 pounds on 247 Sports. As a senior in 2024, he threw for 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also ran for 649 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Rising fifth year senior Raheem Anderson II announced he would be entering the transfer portal. Anderson spent the past four seasons at Michigan, redshirting as a freshman in 2021 and playing in seventeen games altogether.
Anderson was a 4-star, the #15 interior offensive lineman, and #215 overall in the class of 2021. At the time, I remember Sam Webb saying he was a four-year starter and an obvious captain selection at Detroit (MI) Cass Tech, one of those high-character players who would be a program guy.
Anderson fought for the starting center position this past off-season and was supposedly neck-and-neck with Greg Crippen for a good chunk of practice before Dominick Giudice swooped in and took the spot, pushing Anderson back to #3 on the depth chart. How that position battled played out is curious to me, and I have to wonder if something just wasn't connecting between Anderson and the coaching staff.
Crippen has one year of eligibility remaining, and Michigan recruited 2024 signee Jake Guarnera and 2025 signee Kaden Strayhorn to play center down the road. The Wolverines may also be exploring transfer portal options to shore up the interior offensive line.
Anyway, Anderson entered the transfer portal with one season left. Incidentally, his brother Khamari Anderson, a 2023 high school graduate from Cass Tech who went to Kentucky, has also entered the portal. It will be interesting to see if they both end up playing together somewhere in 2025. Khamari played in eleven games this past season, making 5 catches for 29 yards in his backup tight end role.
Other 2021 signees to transfer out of the program include WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma), OT Tristan Bounds (destination TBD), WR Cristian Dixon (Central Missouri), RB Tavierre Dunlap (destination TBD), TE Louis Hansen (UConn), and DT George Rooks (Boston College).
Head coach Sherrone Moore announced on Tuesday that he relieved offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell from his duties. Campbell was in his first year as offensive coordinator after being co-offensive coordinator in 2023.
With National Signing Day looming in a couple days - and lots of recruiting movement - I wanted to catch up on some of the most recent happenings as Michigan tries to fill out its 2025 recruiting class. If you want a look at offensive recruiting, check it out HERE.
EDGE
COMMIT: Michigan gained the re-commitment of Oak Park (IL) Fenwick defensive end Nathaniel Marshall (LINK) earlier today. There has been some talk that Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta edge Julius Holly might flip elsewhere, but as of this writing, he's still committed to the Wolverines.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central's Damien Shanklin was reportedly contacted once Bryce Underwood went public with his flip from LSU to Michigan, but Shanklin has since said he's solid with LSU. Michigan threw out an offer to Warner Robins (GA) Warner Robins edge Isaiah Gibson, a top-10 player and Georgia commit who surprisingly didn't have an offer from the Wolverines until the last couple weeks. Michigan has also stepped up its pursuit of Houston (TX) Mayde Creek edge Tobi Haastrup, a raw prospect who has taken official visits to Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, Texas Tech, and USC during the month of November. Ohio State decommit Zahir Mathis from Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep has also been contacted since he backed off his pledge to Ryan Day.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I underestimated Michigan again. I really should know better by now when it comes to the Ohio State game, but I just thought the #2 team that was 10-1 going into The Game would be good enough to beat the 6-5 team with no hope of a Big Ten Championship, no hope of a playoff, and a barely achieved realization of bowl eligibility. The 6-5 team was missing its best offensive player (Colston Loveland) and best defensive player (Will Johnson), not to mention a great senior safety (Rod Moore) who sealed a former iteration of The Game with an interception. By the day of the game, it was a 19.5-point spread and the only people picking Michigan were homer TV personalities like Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. OHIO STATE RUSH DEFENSE Michigan had a solid rushing effort last week against Northwestern and still ranks just #71 nationally (159.6 yards/game) and #62 in yards per carry (4.47). Kalel Mullings (12 carries, 92 yards, 3 touchdowns against Northwestern) is now up to 11 scores on the year, while Donovan Edwards (10 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD last week) had his second-highest rushing average of the year. Backup quarterback Alex Orji has 50 carries for 228 yards and 1 touchdown this year, but has two DNPs in the past five weeks, including against Northwestern. I would think Orji would get a few snaps just to give Davis Warren a breather from what will probably be a tough day of avoiding the pass rush, but maybe not. Meanwhile, Ohio State is #3 in rush defense (90 yards allowed/game) and yards allowed per carry (2.7). They have allowed more than 3.75 yards/carry to just two teams, Iowa and #1 Oregon. Junior LB Sonny Styles (6'4", 235) leads the team with 71 tackles, followed by senior LB Cody Simon (6'2", 235) with 65. Senior DT Tyleik Williams (6'3", 327) is a force in the middle of the defense with 25 tackles and 5 tackles for loss, and senior DE J.T. Tuimoloau (6'5", 269) leads the team with 11 TFL. Northwestern did a good job of stopping the run in the first half last week, but they ran out of steam in the second half and gave up. I don't think Ohio State is going to do that this year. Advantage: Ohio State
With National Signing Day looming in early December - and lots of recruiting movement - I wanted to catch up on some of the most recent happenings as Michigan tries to fill out its 2025 recruiting class.
QUARTERBACK
COMMIT: Belleville (MI) Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood committed to Michigan (LINK). It seems as if Fort Myers (FL) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith at least suspected that was going to happen, and he decommitted beforehand; Smith recently committed to Wisconsin and will be a Badger instead, perhaps with eyes on getting a bit of revenge against the Wolverines down the road.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Michigan will also be looking to add a quarterback through the transfer portal, and USC transfer Miller Moss has been rumored to be a possible candidate.
Here's a roundup of the former Michigan player, former commits, and former coaches (or players-turned-coaches). NOTE: I will not regularly post updates about offensive linemen since stats are minimal and just posting PFF grades is kind of boring, but I did this week just to show who's playing where and what their opening day role was.
FORMER PLAYERS
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony has not played since week one due to an injury.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Beasley made 2 tackles in a 39-20 win over Mississippi State.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman did not play in a 56-48 loss to Texas Tech.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman has not recorded any stats yet this year for MSU.
I'm happy for the seniors. FS1 put up a stat box at one point talking about the seniors on Michigan's team and their accomplishments. Over the past 3+ seasons, they have won a national championship, won the Big Ten three times, and gone 3-0 against Ohio State. We also saw senior Tavierre Dunlap score his first career touchdown on senior night at home. We saw Donovan Edwards get in the end zone for just the fourth time this year, which has been a disappointing season relative to expectations. There was Kalel Mullings scoring a career-high 3 touchdowns. We also saw transplanted players like Josaiah Stewart getting 2 sacks and Aamir Hall getting his first career interception in a Michigan uniform. This year has not gone according to plan overall, but at least senior night went well.
Belleville (MI) Belleville QB Bryce Underwood (image via Yahoo!)
Belleville (MI) Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood flipped from LSU to Michigan on Thursday night. He picked the Wolverines over . . . everyone.
Underwood is listed at 6'3" and 205 pounds. As a junior he completed 179/276 passes (64.8%) for 3,329 yards, 44 touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions. Altogether, he has been responsible for over 165 touchdowns as a four-year starter at quarterback for the Tigers.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. NORTHWESTERN RUSH DEFENSE Michigan ranks #73 nationally in rushing offense (155.5 yards/game) and #74 in yards per carry (4.34). Indiana largely shut down the rushing game two weeks ago in a disappointing effort from the offensive line. Kalel Mullings (141 carries, 740 yards, 8 TD) still leads the team in rushing, but he has ceded carries lately to Donovan Edwards (114 carries, 513 yards, 3 TD) and even Benjamin Hall (4 carries, 9 yards against Indiana). Head coach Sherrone Moore hinted that a couple other backs could see playing time this week, including freshmen Micah Ka'apana and Jordan Marshall. The offensive line should see the return of starting RG Giovanni El-Hadi this week, but with RT Andrew Gentry out for the season and backup OT Jeffrey Persi working back from an injury, the right tackle spot will be manned by Evan Link. Northwestern is #28 in rush defense (114.6 yards allowed/game) and #28 in yards allowed per carry (3.59). The general trend is that the solid teams have run the ball well against the Wildcats, and the bad teams haven't; Washington, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio State have all gone for 144+ yards on the ground. Michigan hasn't been greatly effective at running the ball, but they are pretty committed to hammering away until they clearly can't do it. Junior weakside LB Mac Uihlein (6'1", 230) leads the team with 65 tackles, followed by redshirt junior CB (yikes!) Theran Johnson (5'11", 182) and redshirt sophomore nickel Robert Fitzgerald (6'0", 208) with 44 stops each. The defensive front is made up of fourth-year or older players, with 6'3", 310 lb. DT R.J. Pearson and 6'2", 297 lb. DT Carmine Bastone in the middle; one defensive end is Aidan Hubbard (6'4", 252), the brother of former Ohio State and current NFL defensive end Sam Hubbard. Hubbard and 6'3", 272 lb. DE Jaylen Pate lead the team with 5 tackles for loss each. I don't think Michigan will run over Northwestern, but I do think they will be able to keep the chains moving, especially if they can incorporate QB Alex Orji in some +1 runs. Advantage: Michigan
Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil recently finished one of the greatest defensive seasons in school history, notching 6 interceptions and returning them for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns. Altogether, he finished with 7 interceptions and 240 yards for his career. Where does that rank historically?
431 yards on 25 interceptions - Tom Curtis (1967-1969)
240 yards on 7 interceptions - Mike Sainristil (2022-2023)
237 yards on 9 interceptions - Will Johnson (2022-2024)
202 yards on 9 interceptions - David Brown (1972-1974)
182 yards on 8 interceptions - Thomas Darden (1969-1971)
169 yards on 10 interceptions - Marcus Ray (1995-1998)
169 yards on 6 interceptions - Blake Countess (2013)
145 yards on 6 interceptions - Raymon Taylor (2012-2013)
141 yards on 8 interceptions - Tony Jackson (1980-1981)
132 yards on 10 interceptions - Keith Bostic (1980-1982)
RUSH OFFENSE vs. INDIANA RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #62 in rushing offense (165 yards/game) and #62 in yards per carry (4.59). Hooray for consistency! Unfortunately, the Wolverines have not topped 4.0 yards per carry in any of the last three games. Last week they managed just 105 yards on 28 carries against Oregon, and that's with quarterback Davis Warren not taking any sacks. The Ducks had Michigan's running game downloaded last week and the Wolverines got just 16 yards from Kalel Mullings and 52 yards from Donovan Edwards, as Michigan started the game by trying to run laterally without much success. Both RT Andrew Gentry (lost for the season against Michigan State) and backup OT Jeffrey Persi (left last week's game due to a leg injury) are presumably out, meaning Michigan had to revert to struggling redshirt freshman RT Evan Link. Indiana is #1 in the country in rush defense (72.6 yards/game) and #2 in yards allowed per carry (2.52). They shut down Michigan State's rushing offense completely last week, holding the Spartans to -36 rushing yards on 32 overall attempts. Junior JMU transfer Aiden Fisher (6'1", 233) leads the team with 84 tackles from his linebacker position, and senior JMU transfer Jailin Walker (6'1", 218) is second with 52. They're #11 in tackles for loss per game (7.67). Michigan's run game has been struggling for the past couple weeks, so unless they figure out how to use RPOs with Davis Warren, I think it's going to be tough sledding. Advantage: Indiana
Fulshear (TX) Katy Jordan wide receiver Andrew Marsh committed to Michigan on August 20, 2024. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Texas, USC, and Washington, among others.
Marsh is listed at 6'1" and 175 pounds. As a junior in 2024, he caught 65 passes for 1,158 yards and 15 touchdowns. He high-jumps 6'4" and ran a 50.50 in the 400 meters.
Chester (VA) Thomas Dale cornerback Shamari Earls flipped from Georgia to Michigan. He picked the Wolverines over other offers from Alabama, Miami, Tennessee, and USC, among others.
Earls is listed at 6'2" and 180 pounds on 247 Sports, although I have heard he's closer to 200 pounds now; an article on 247 Sports says he's 203 pounds. As a junior in 2023, he caught 29 passes for 715 yards and 8 touchdowns; he also made 25 tackles and 3 interceptions. He runs a 10.8 in the meters and a 21.78 in the 200 meters, and both his high jump (6'2") and long jump (23'10 3/4") numbers are pretty good.
Well, the coaching stunk. Where do you start? And where do you stop? Michigan lost a possession because Oregon lined up in a funky punt formation, and it's illegal to line up over the snapper. Michigan's best 4th-and-5 call toward the end of the game was an end around pass with Semaj Morgan, and he threw the ball to Alex Orji, who had run out of bounds. The best thing about the entire offense was Davis Warren-to-Colston Loveland, and when it came down to crunch time, Michigan put the ball in Alex Orji's and Semaj Morgan's hands. Coaches always talk about "players, not plays" and Michigan very clearly went for "plays, not players." Gross. Michigan had no answers in the run game, whether on options or RPOs. They challenged a Colston Loveland dropped pass for no reason, which cost them a timeout. I don't want to say coaching cost them the game, because Oregon is clearly a better team. But it probably wouldn't have been a 21-point loss.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. OREGON RUSH DEFENSE Michigan didn't help itself too much last week, but they rank #52 nationally in rush offense (172.6 yards/game) and #61 in yards per carry (4.67). Both Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards were held under 2.5 yards/carry, but backup QB Alex Orji rotated in with starter Davis Warren to average 10.7 yards/carry on 6 attempts and score 1 touchdown. The offensive line also suffered a loss with new starting RT Andrew Gentry suffering a non-contact injury, which message board rumors suggest is a season-ender. Oregon is #40 in rush defense (123.5 yards allowed/game) and #68 in yards allowed per carry (4.05). They have shut down some of the bad teams on their schedule, but teams like Purdue, Boise State, Ohio State, and Illinois have run the ball decently. Star DT Jordan Burch (6'6", 295) has been out with a knee injury but might return this week; he has 19 tackles and 7 tackles for loss in five games this season. Otherwise, redshirt junior DT Derrick Harmon (6'5", 310) is a Michigan State transfer who has 27 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Fifth year senior MLB Bryce Boettcher (6'2", 225) leads the team with 46 tackles, followed by senior Ole Miss transfer Tysheem Johnson (5'10", 200) with 39. Another player to note is sophomore OLB Matayo Uiagalelei (6'5", 270), who has 27 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. I think Michigan is going to struggle to run the ball against a quick Oregon defense, especially if Burch returns and is in good form. Advantage: Oregon
Fort Myers (FL) Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith (image via SI)
Fort Myers (FL) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith decommitted from Michigan on Wednesday. He had been committed to the Wolverines since June and was doing a good job of spearheading the 2025 class, but circumstances have changed since he pledged to the Wolverines.
Overland Park (KS) Blue Valley Northwest OT Andrew Babalola (image via On3)
Overland Park (KS) Blue Valley Northwest offensive tackle Andrew Babalola committed to Michigan on October 21. He picked the Wolverines over Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Stanford, among others.
All hail Davis Warren! I'm not going to pretend that Davis Warren is on track to be J.J. McCarthy, but Warren played his best game of the year in going 13/19 for 123 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. He did not take any sacks and scrambled once for 7 yards. I mentioned on Twitter (before I knew Jack Tuttle would miss the game) that if I were Michigan's coaching staff, I would start Warren and mix in Alex Orji on every third series. Warren got a bad rap early in the year when he made mistakes while other people (Donovan Edwards, Evan Link, Colston Loveland, etc.) were screwing up; Warren took the blame for the team being bad. Now that the offensive line has improved some and other players have adjusted, Warren looks okay. He's not a world-beater, but the kid can play a little bit. I'm happy for him that he got a little bit of redemption. Nobody will ever be able to take away the fact that he quarterbacked Michigan to a rivalry victory over Michigan State.
Michigan State WR Nick Marsh (image via Yahoo! Sports)
RUSH OFFENSE vs. MSU RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is a disappointing 45th in rushing offense (180.3 yards/game) despite being unable to do the whole passing thing well. They average 4.76 yards/carry, which ties them for 54th nationally. Kalel Mullings (110 carries, 676 yards, 7 TD) is the leader in the backfield, while backup Donovan Edwards (80 carries, 391 yards, 3 TD) gave up his second fumble of the season last Saturday. It might be worth mentioning QB Alex Orji, too, who has not played for the majority of the past two games (he played three series against Washington) but who has 35 carries for 124 yards this year. With the turnovers given up by QB Jack Tuttle over the past couple weeks, the staff may work in Orji a little more. Michigan had three new starters on the offensive line last week with Jeff Persi at LT, Greg Crippen at C, and Andrew Gentry at RT, but starting LT Myles Hinton - Michigan's best lineman - may return on Saturday. Defensively, Michigan State is #53 in rushing defense (131.1 yards/game) and #46 in yards allowed per carry (3.78). The last three teams MSU has played have averaged over 5.2 yards/carry, but two of those are top-five teams in Ohio State and Oregon, and the third was Iowa, which has a pretty solid running back in Kaleb Johnson; Johnson had 14 carries for 98 yards and 1 score, but one of those carries was a 75-yard touchdown, so his other 13 attempts went for 23 yards. The leading tackler is senior Wisconsin transfer Jordan Turner, a Farmington High School product, who is a 6'1", 231 lb. middle linebacker with 43 stops. Next is fifth year senior LB Cal Haladay (6'1", 233) with 34 tackles and then junior UCF transfer strong safety Nikai Martinez (5'11", 191) with 31. Former Michigan DT commit Alex Van Sumeren (6'3", 300) and fifth year senior D'Quan Douse (6'2", 300) start at defensive tackle, but the Spartans rotate a lot of players in the front seven to keep them fresh. I do think Michigan can have success on the ground . . . if they use Kalel Mullings and Alex Orji appropriately, which is unfortunately a question mark. Advantage: Michigan
Monroe (NC) Monroe DB Jordan Young (image via 247 Sports)
TRANSFER PORTAL
Donaven McCulley - WR - Indiana: McCulley is a 6'5", 203 lb. former quarterback who transitioned to receiver at Indiana. He entered the transfer portal in the off-season and was courted by Michigan, but he was convinced to rejoin Indiana's squad. After not being a major factor early in the year (2 catches, 21 yards, 1 TD in the first five weeks), he decided to re-enter the transfer portal and is now considering Michigan again.
2025
Andrew Babalola - OT - Overland Park (KS) Blue Valley Northwest: Babalola (5-star, #2 OT, #11 overall) committed to Michigan.
Avery Gach - OT - Franklin (MI) Groves: Gach is committed to Michigan (LINK).
Quante Gillians - DE - Rochester (NY) Aquinas Institute: Gillians is a 6'3", 278 lb. prospect who has been committed to Syracuse since June 2024. Michigan offered him in the last month, and he also has offers from Boston College and Pitt, among others. He's a 3-star, the #101 defensive lineman, and #978 overall.
Bad game plans are the norm. After Saturday's 21-7 loss to Illinois, Sherrone Moore said he needs to re-evaluate himself as a head coach. I'm not ready to throw Moore out after half a season with no functional quarterback, but I am very disappointed in him and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell. There are all kinds of glaring issues with this offense:
If ground-and-pound is your identity, stick with it. Michigan needs to be a run-first team. That's the only way they're going to win. Everybody has known that the entire off-season, even when we had higher hopes for Alex Orji or Jack Tuttle or Davis Warren or whoever. Early in the game, Michigan was using the passing game and Donovan Edwards. How are you going to wear down a team down the stretch by throwing the ball with a weak passing game and running Donovan Edwards? The bulls in the backfield are Kalel Mullings, Benjamin Hall, and Alex Orji. Pound the ball!
Speaking of Alex Orji, he should be on the field. Probably the most frustrating thing about Michigan's offensive personnel decisions is that Alex Orji - who played last year while J.J. McCarthy was here and who was deemed "one of the best 11" by Campbell in the off-season - has disappeared from the offense for the past two games. How do you go from one of the best 11 to a guy who doesn't see the field at all? I was not a fan of Orji as a starting quarterback who played the entire game, but he can be used as a mooseback runner. Hell, Michigan used Hassan Haskins in a wildcat role. You can put a 6'3", 235 lb. guy back there with Mullings and/or Hall and/or Edwards and still do some things. Orji just can't be playing an entire game as the only option.
Donovan Edwards is both underused and frustrating. How did Michigan take one of the better receiving backs in the country and turn him into a guy who has 9 catches for 46 yards through seven games? He also had zero receptions in this game. Michigan needs to figure out ways to get him the ball. And then, of course, he had a very frustrating fumble on Michigan's longest run of the day, a 19-yarder where the ball was punched out. He had 7 carries for 38 yards, but with the 19-yarder ending in a fumble, that's basically 6 carries for 19 yards . . . which is nothing special.
Plan for Jack Tuttle. Tuttle isn't a guy who can do straight dropback stuff to win the game. He's a game manager type who needs to be a complement to the run game. The offensive line can't pass block - although I feel like they did slightly better in this game - and the receivers can't get open with regularity. Michigan's coaching staff should be using for Tuttle the game plan they used with Alex Orji, while occasionally mixing in a downfield/intermediate shot, maybe once a quarter.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. ILLINOIS RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #39 in rushing offense (191.3 yards/game) and #44 in yards per carry (5.06). Kalel Mullings has emerged as the #1 back for the offense (589 yards, 6.5 yards/carry, 6 TD) because of his ability to break tackles and move the chains, but he and Donovan Edwards (353 yards, 4.8 yards/carry, 3 TD) split carries in the last game with 14 each. There may be a shakeup on the offensive line: injured LT Myles Hinton is expected to return, which could allow fill-in tackle Jeff Persi to get a shot at right tackle; and it sounds like Greg Crippen will get a start at center over Dominick Giudice. Defensively, Illinois is #77 against the run (149.2 yards allowed/game) and #96 in yards allowed per carry (4.54). The last two opponents, Penn State and Purdue, have both run for 239 yards. The leading tackler is redshirt sophomore safety Matthew Bailey (6'2", 215) with 38 stops; following him are redshirt junior MLB Dylan Rosiek (6'1", 235) with 35 and redshirt junior free safety Miles Scott (5'11", 210) with 33. The Illini don't have a ton of size up front - their biggest regulars are two 305 pound nose tackles - but they do have a 6'3", 275-pounder at OLB in Gabe Jacas who leads the team with 5 tackles for loss. Michigan should have an advantage when running the ball, especially if Crippen and/or Persi can be improvements over Giudice and redshirt freshman RT Evan Link. Advantage: Michigan
Saint Louis (MO) Christian Brothers defensive end Triston Abram, an Indiana commit, was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 225-pounder who also has offers from Boston College, Kansas State, and Memphis, among others. He's a 3-star, the #58 edge, and #782 overall.
Lake Worth (FL) Santaluces wide receiver Jamar Browder, a North Carolina State commit, was offered by Michigan. Browder is a 3-star, the #119 wide receiver, and #782 overall. He committed to NCSU back in June. The Wolfpack are having a rough season, and Browder recently visited Michigan's campus for an unofficial visit. He's planning to return in early November for an official.
Massillon (OH) Washington offensive tackle Nolan Davenport, a Wisconsin commit, was offered by Michigan. Davenport is a 6'6", 260-pounder with offers from Missouri and Penn State, along with the Badgers. He's a 3-star, the #54 offensive tackle, and #716 overall in the 247 Composite. He has been committed to Wisconsin since June 2024.
Here's a roundup of the former Michigan player, former commits, and former coaches (or players-turned-coaches). NOTE: I will not regularly post updates about offensive linemen since stats are minimal and just posting PFF grades is kind of boring, but I did this week just to show who's playing where and what their opening day role was.
FORMER PLAYERS
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony has not played since week one due to an injury.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Beasley made 1 tackle in a 45-3 win over UMass.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Oklahoma State (3-3) had a bye following their third straight loss. So far this season, Bowman is completing 59.3% of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman has not recorded any stats yet this year for MSU.
NOTE: I meant to post this mid-week but somehow it slipped through the cracks, so this is for the games from eight days ago, not yesterday.
Here's a roundup of the former Michigan player, former commits, and former coaches (or players-turned-coaches). NOTE: I will not regularly post updates about offensive linemen since stats are minimal and just posting PFF grades is kind of boring, but I did this week just to show who's playing where and what their opening day role was.
FORMER PLAYERS
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony has not played since week one due to an injury.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Beasley did not record any stats in a 41-10 loss to Texas A&M.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 10/19 passes for 116 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions in a a 38-14 loss to West Virginia.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman did not record any stats in a 31-10 loss to Oregon.
I guess it's Tuttle time. After a couple drives of Alex Orji's version of the offense doing nothing (0 points), Michigan surprisingly inserted seventh year Utah/Indiana transfer backup Jack Tuttle. The offense immediately got a boost as Washington tried to adjust. Michigan rather quickly put up 17 points across the second and third quarters before doing nothing in the fourth. Tuttle completed 10/18 passes for 98 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He also ran 5 times for 14 yards and lost a fumble. Orji completed 3/7 passes for 15 yards and ran 3 times for 11 yards before departing. The offense looked more cohesive and calmer with Tuttle behind center, at least until the end of the game, when Michigan was down a couple scores in hurry-up mode. I would imagine Tuttle's time on task has not been significant running a two-minute offense since he's been hurt for the past several months, but the game was out of hand at that point. Michigan was not going to get two scores in the span of a minute or so.
Washington (and former Michigan) WR Giles Jackson (image via SI)
RUSH OFFENSE vs. WASHINGTON RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #34 in rush offense (194.8 yards/game) and #44 in yards per carry (5.13). Kalel Mullings has emerged as the top running back (77 carries, 540 yards, 6 TD) with Donovan Edwards (59 carries, 258 yards, 2 TD) still playing a big role as a backup. QB Alex Orji is the third-leading rusher, but he has just 55 yards on 22 carries since taking over as the starter two weeks ago. LT Myles Hinton is likely to miss the game due to injury, and naturally, he's Michigan's best lineman, so fifth year senior Jeffrey Persi will likely get the start on the left side. According to PFF, Persi is the second best run blocker of the linemen, so perhaps the drop-off there will not be too significant. The rest of the line has been overwhelming, but it will be interesting to see if Michigan's platoon of Dominick Giudice and Greg Crippen continues at center. Defensively, Washington is #51 in rush defense (121.8 yards allowed/game) and #58 in yards allowed per carry (3.74). Last week they gave up 184 yards on 33 carries to Rutgers, including 25 attempts for 132 yards and 1 touchdown by Kyle Monongai. The leading tackler is senior MLB Carson Bruener (6'2", 226) with 30 tackles, followed by fifth year senior WLB Alphonzo Tuputala (6'2", 230) with 25. The Huskies start five transfers, including two on the defensive line; head coach Jedd Fisch brought with him from Arizona a redshirt sophomore DE/OLB Isaiah Ward (6'5", 227), who is quite clearly undersized. Senior DT Sebastian Valdez (6'4", 305) is in his first season at the FBS level after transferring from Montana State. Advantage: Michigan
Here's a roundup of the former Michigan player, former commits, and former coaches (or players-turned-coaches). NOTE: I will not regularly post updates about offensive linemen since stats are minimal and just posting PFF grades is kind of boring, but I did this week just to show who's playing where and what their opening day role was.
FORMER PLAYERS
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony did not play in a 27-21 win over Auburn.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Missouri (4-0) had a bye. Beasley has 2 tackles this season.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 26/50 passes for 364 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions in a 42-20 loss to Kansas State.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman did not record any stats in a 38-7 loss to Ohio State.
That's an ugly score. I didn't mind writing about a 27-24 victory when it came to the USC game, but I do have a problem with it after playing the Minnesota Gophers. In the game preview, I predicted a 38-13 victory. I had heard that Colston Loveland was likely to play, but I also assumed Will Johnson would play and I had no idea that Josaiah Stewart would miss the game. Regardless, Michigan has had some injury issues in past years against lesser Big Ten programs, and it didn't have a huge effect. Michigan had to hang on in a nail-biter here, and that doesn't bode well for the rest of the season.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. MINNESOTA RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is now #31 in rushing offense (205 yards/game) and tied for #33 in yards per carry (5.57) with UNLV. The breakout star of this year's team has been RB Kalel Mullings, who had 17 carries for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns against USC last week, including a 53-yard touchdown, a 63-yard run to set up the winning score, and the game-winning 2-yard score on 4th down. Those numbers are made even more impressive by the fact that the all-new offensive line has struggled. Michigan received just a 57.5 run blocking grade against the Trojans. There has been some platooning going on at center between Dominick Giudice and Greg Crippen, but the personnel at the other spots has been steady. RB Donovan Edwards broke out with a 41-yard touchdown last week, and new starting QB Alex Orji ran 13 times for 43 yards and averages 4.4 yards/carry for the year. Defensively, Minnesota is #56 in rushing defense (123.5 yrds allowed/game) and #62 in yards allowed per carry (3.81). Last week Iowa's Kaleb Johnson ran 21 times for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns, and North Carolina's Omarion Hampton put up 129 yards in week one, albeit on 30 carries for a so-so 4.3 yards/carry clip. Redshirt sophomore MLB Maverick Baranowski (6'2", 230) leads the team with 27 tackles, followed closely by fifth year senior WLB Cody Lindenberg (6'3", 240) with 26 stops. Baranowski and fifth year senior nickel Jack Henderson (6'2", 215) lead the team with 2.5 tackles for loss each, chased by fifth year senior OLB Danny Striggow (6'5", 255) with 2.0 TFLs. The middle of the line features fifth year senior DT Jalen Logan-Redding (6'4", 290) and redshirt junior NT Deven Eastern (6'6", 310); Eastern has only graded out on PFF higher than 57.0 when he played against FCS Rhode Island, while Logan-Redding has a couple grades in the 70s balanced with sub-60 scores against the two Power 4 opponents. Advantage: Michigan
Here's a roundup of the former Michigan player, former commits, and former coaches (or players-turned-coaches). NOTE: I will not regularly post updates about offensive linemen since stats are minimal and just posting PFF grades is kind of boring, but I did this week just to show who's playing where and what their opening day role was.
FORMER PLAYERS
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony did not play in a 25-15 loss to Tennessee.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Beasley did not record any stats in a 30-27 win over Vanderbilt.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 16/33 passes for 206 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in a 22-19 loss to Utah. He was benched at halftime.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman did not record any stats in a 23-19 loss to Boston College.
A win is a win. I always try to keep things in perspective. Herm Edwards famously said "You play to win the game," and Michigan won the game. The Wolverines are 3-1 and their primary goals are still within play: win the Big Ten, beat your rivals, make the College Football Playoff, and win a national championship. Sometimes you win ugly, and sometimes you win pretty. It might help put things in perspective that star tight end Colston Loveland missed the entire game with an arm injury and Will Johnson was absent at the end of the game. This just happened to be an ugly victory, but oh well.
NOTE:Unfortunately, I ran out of time to finish the preview this week due to an unexpectedly busy Thursday night and Friday. So I'm posting what I had already written, plus a prediction for the outcome.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. USC RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #50 in rush offense (176.3 yards/game) after a big week last week against Arkansas State, totaling 301 yards on the ground. The big gainer was RB Kalel Mullings, who had 15 carries for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Wolverines are #42 in yards per carry (5.24), and Mullings is gaining 7.5 yards every time he touches the ball. Meanwhile, Donovan Edwards seemed to run a little harder last week and gained 82 yards on 17 carries with 1 touchdown. The offensive line seemed to gel a little bit against the Red Wolves with RG Giovanni El-Hadi notching the highest PFF run blocking grade. Michigan also introduced its six-lineman package, inserting Andrew Gentry as the extra man. It's rumored there will be a change at center, where Greg Crippen will likely replace Dominick Giudice. Michigan also announced they would be making a change at QB, where 6'3", 235 lb. Alex Orji will put to use his skills that have allowed him to run 10 times for 58 yards so far this year. USC is allowing 100 yards/game on the ground, which is good enough for #33 nationally, but they're #77 in yards allowed per carry (4.17). The leading tacklers are senior LB Eric Gentry (6'6", 215) with 14 tackles, senior LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (6'0", 231), and redshirt sophomore S Kamari Ramsey (6'0", 204) with 14, 13, and 12 stops, respectively. Mascarenas-Arnold (Oregon State) and Ramsey (UCLA) were both poached this past off-season, with Ramsey having come from defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn's prior stop with the Bruins. In fact, six of USC's defensive starters were playing for other teams last year, including fifth year senior DT Gavin Meyer (6'3", 290) and fifth year senior DT Nate Clifton (6'4", 295). Lynn is from the Ravens coaching tree, just like Wink Martindale, Mike Macdonald, and Jesse Minter. Advantage: Michigan
PASS OFFENSE vs. USC PASS DEFENSE We don't really know what the pass offense will look like this week, because Orji is taking over. Orji has not thrown the ball much, completing just 3/6 passes for 15 yards and 2 touchdowns. Michigan needs to take some shots downfield to keep the defense honest, but it remains to be seen whether Orji can complete any passes that are farther than about three yards downfield. Both touchdowns have come to players leaking out of the backfield in Edwards and TE Hogan Hansen. The pass blocking looked better last week, but it was against Arkansas State, so I'm not sure how much that translates. USC is #72 in pass defense (205.5 yards allowed/game) and #51 in yards allowed per attempt (6.2). They're #81 in passing efficiency defense. Both of their opponents have completed at least 66% of their passes, and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier completed 30/39 throws for 308 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Both of USC's interceptions have come from linebackers, and no defensive back has recorded a pass breakup except for third-string CB Marcelles Williams, playing late in a 48-0 blowout win over Utah State. I have questions about how well their secondary can hold up, but I also have questions about whether Michigan can effectively pass the ball. The Trojans are #94 in sacks per game (1.5) with Gentry and Ramsey notching one each.
ROSTER NOTES
USC players recruited by Michigan include: DT Bear Alexander, WR Zachariah Branch, S Zion Branch, LB Raesjon Davis, WR Kyle Ford, S Marquis Gallegos, WR Makai Lemon, DE Anthony Lucas, OL Jonah Monheim, OL Mason Murphy, DT Kobe Pepe, OL Makai Saina,
USC players from the state of Michigan include: LB Desman Stephens (Clarkston)
Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Kalel Mullings. I respect Michigan's 1-2 punch at running back, and they've done a good job (for the most part) of keeping guys fresh over the past several years and having at least two very good running backs. From Charbonnet/Haskins to Haskins/Corum to Corum/Edwards, the Wolverines have garnered a lot of respect. A couple games ago, though, the "Thunder" in this year's thunder/lightning duo only had 6 carries. That's not enough. Mullings had 15 carries for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns against Arkansas State, and he deserves to have just as many carries as Donovan Edwards, if not more. Michigan has a big game coming up this weekend, and Mullings should be getting the rock.
Michigan played Arkansas State for the first time last Saturday. Here's a look at the ten longest plays of the day for the Wolverines. (Okay, there are thirteen since there's a six-way tie at 13 yards.)
Kalel Mullings 38-yard run (2024)
Davis Warren 33-yard pass to Marlin Klein (2024)
Kalel Mullings 30-yard touchdown run (2024)
Kalel Mullings 30-yard run (2024)
Davis Warren 20-yard pass to Colston Loveland (2024)
Davis Warren 17-yard pass to Fredrick Moore (2024)
Benjamin Hall 14-yard run (2024)
Keshaun Harris 13-yard kickoff return
Semaj Morgan 13-yard run (2024)
Alex Orji 13-yard run (2024)
Davis Warren 13-yard run (2024)
Davis Warren 13-yard pass to Colston Loveland (2024)
Davis Warren 13-yard pass to Fredrick Moore (2024)
Just go away already, Red Wolves. I just wanted Arkansas State to quit. Michigan kept gashing them in the run game. Michigan kept stuffing their run game. And yet . . . Arkansas State wouldn't quit. It was 28-3. And then it was 28-10. And then it was 28-18 after a touchdown and a two-point conversion against Michigan's third- and fourth-stringers. So the final was closer than it should have been, because Michigan was trying to get its top players a rest going into the USC game next week. Those two teams are not just a 10-point differential away from each other. But the situation will be forgotten shortly and people will just look at the score. Good for Arkansas State for not quitting, but I wish they would have.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. ARKANSAS STATE RUSH DEFENSE After two games, Michigan is in unfamiliar territory as the #101 rushing team in the country (114 yards/game) and the #87 team in yards per carry (4.0). The Wolverines are one of just eleven teams in the country with zero rushing touchdowns at this point. Michigan is also tied for #114 in rushing attempts per game (28.0), and that signifies the biggest issue. They have been unable to sustain drives, and Donovan Edwards (8) and Kalel Mullings (6) managed just 14 carries between them against Texas last week. That's not enough touches for two of the three best athletes on the offense. Pro Football Focus ranks Michigan as the #47 run blocking team in the country. LG Josh Priebe and LT Myles Hinton rank as the top two blockers on the line, but there have been some major struggles opening holes. Starting running back Donovan Edwards has managed just 68 yards on 19 carries (3.58 yards/carry) so far this year. Arkansas State is #115 in rushing defense (199 yards allowed/game) and they're #131 in yards allowed per carry (6.22). They've squeaked by Central Arkansas and Tulsa by a combined seven points, but they've given up 235 and 163 yards rushing, respectively, and 5 total rushing touchdowns. Senior hybrid safety Justin Parks (6'0", 197 lbs.) and fifth year senior LB Charles Willekes (6'1", 225) - a former Michigan State linebacker and the brother of former MSU DE Kenny Willekes - are tied for the team lead with 17 tackles, followed by fifth year senior LB Marvin Ham (6'1", 231), a Colorado transfer, with 14 stops. The starting defensive tackles are 288 and 294 pounds, and some of the key backups are in the 270s. If Michigan is going to get back to playing smashmouth football, it needs to start this week against an undersized and less talented defense. Advantage: Michigan
Here's a roundup of the former Michigan player, former commits, and former coaches (or players-turned-coaches). NOTE: I will not regularly post updates about offensive linemen since stats are minimal and just posting PFF grades is kind of boring, but I did this week just to show who's playing where and what their opening day role was.
FORMER PLAYERS
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony did not play in a 16-12 win over Houston.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Beasley made 1 tackle in a 38-0 win over Buffalo.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 27/48 passes for 326 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He also ran 5 times for 7 yards.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman did not record any stats in a 27-24 win over Maryland.
What's Michigan's offensive identity? Obviously, Michigan is still trying to feel out what it's good at besides hoping a tight end can make a play. With a walk-on quarterback, it needs to be a run-oriented program. With that being said, Michigan needs to commit to more creativity in the run game. This team can't subsist on 14 total rushing attempts from its top two running backs. Donovan Edwards (8 carries, 41 yards) and Kalel Mullings (6 carries, 25 yards) may not have had great days, but the offensive coordinator (and the offensive-minded head coach) need to figure out creative ways to get them the ball, get them going in the run game, and play complementary offensive football. The offense seems to be very disjointed as the staff appears to be relying on an odd mix of runs and straight dropback passing. They need more misdirection in the run game and they need to get Warren moving a little bit. I don't think the coaching staff has done a good job of adjusting to its personnel this year.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. TEXAS RUSH DEFENSE After one week of the 2024 season, Michigan is tied for #79 in yards per game (148.0) and #72 in yards per carry (4.35). Kalel Mullings kinda sorta seemed to take the lead running back role with 15 carries for 92 yards against Fresno State, passing up #1 RB Donovan Edwards (11 carries, 27 yards) in both attempts and yards. Michigan finished #22 in run blocking according to Pro Football Focus, but there were definitely some struggles. New LG Josh Priebe scored the highest in run blocking among offensive linemen (69.9) while new starting center Dominick Giudice was the lowest graded run blocker on the entire team (57.4). On the Texas side, fifth year senior DT Vernon Broughton (6'4", 305) graded out the highest among defenders against Colorado State with a grade of 89.8, but he was just a 56.8 against the run and made 2 tackles. Junior nickel Jaylon Guilbeau (6'0", 190) led the team with 8 tackles, followed by sophomore LB Anthony Hill, Jr. (6'3", 235) with 5 stops. Texas allowed 118 yards on the ground (#66 in the country) and ranked #70 in yards allowed per carry (3.69). I think Michigan will be able to run the ball, but the speed and size on defense is going to limit big plays. Advantage: Michigan
NOTE: I want to acknowledge that this post is coming out after Michigan's first game. I usually get this post done prior to the season - for obvious reasons - but I was scrambling to finish the countdown and just couldn't get it all wrapped up. Some of these predictions were already shared in the season countdown posts, but some were not addressed.
LEADING RUSHER I'm not sure how well this prediction holds up after watching game one against Fresno State, in which Kalel Mullings outgained Donovan Edwards. But I believed Edwards would be the lead back and put up a good chunk of yards. Prediction: Donovan Edwards, 1100 yards
Hit the jump for the rest of the prognostications.
Derek Jeter - SS - Kalamazoo (MI) Central: Jeter was committed to Michigan as a baseball player in the class of 1992 but chose to sign with the New York Yankees instead. The Hall of Famer will serve as an honorary captain for the game against Texas.
2025
Avery Gach - OG - Franklin (MI) Groves: Gach is committed to Michigan (LINK).
Julius Holly - DE - Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta: Holly is committed to Michigan (LINK).
Bobby Kanka - DT - Howell (MI) Howell: Kanka is committed to Michigan.
Andrew Marsh - WR - Fulshear (TX) Katy Jordan: Marsh is committed to Michigan.
Eli Owens - TE - Alcoa (TN) Alcoa: Owens is committed to Michigan (LINK).
Ivan Taylor - S - Winter Garden (FL) West Orange: Taylor is committed to Michigan (LINK).
