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).
On the heels of Will Johnson's pick-six last Saturday night against Fresno State, here's a look at the longest interception returns in program history:
94 yards - Brandon Herron (2011 vs. Western Michigan)
92 yards - Thomas Darden (1971 vs. UCLA)
88 yards - Ernest Shazor (2004 vs. Miami-OH)
86 yards - Will Johnson (2024 vs. Fresno State)
81 yards - Mike Rotunno (1955 vs. Missouri)
81 yards - Mike Sainristil (2023 vs. Washington)
80 yards - David Long, Jr. (2017 vs. Maryland)
73 yards - Josh Metellus (2018 vs. SMU)
72 yards - Blake Countess (2013 vs. Minnesota)
72 yards - Mike Sainristil (2023 vs. Michigan State)
Please consider helping out TTB by using this Amazon link (LINK).
PWO QB FTW. Well, it was a mild surprise when it was announced that former walk-on Davis Warren was named the starting quarterback for the season opener over Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle. Orji had received most of the hype in the off-season, and Tuttle is the most experienced. But Tuttle has been dealing with injuries and soreness, so he wasn't really an option. Rumors started coming out a couple days before the game that Warren would be the guy. He finished 15/25 for 118 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception and graded out as Michigan's #4 offensive player (69.7 on Pro Football Focus). Overall, I thought Warren was mostly accurate. He overthrew a deep shot to Tyler Morris, and he underthrew Fredrick Morris on an open post route that could have been a touchdown but turned into an interception. There were a lot of checkdowns and short throws, probably by design to make things easy for Warren in his first start. But overall, I thought Warren looked composed and accurate.
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 caught 1 pass for 4 yards in a 51-3 win over Temple. This was Anthony's first game back after tearing his ACL last season.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Beasley made 1 tackle in a 51-0 win over Murray State.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 25/34 passes for 267 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 44-20 win over South Dakota State.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman did not record any stats in a 16-10 win over FAU.
Name: Will Johnson Height: 6’2″ Weight: 202 lbs. High school: Grosse Pointe (MI) South Position: Cornerback Class: Junior Jersey number: #2 Last year: I ranked Johnson #2 and said he would be a starting cornerback with 50 tackles and 4 interceptions (LINK). He made 27 tackles, 1 tackle, 4 interceptions (for 80 yards and 1 touchdown), and 8 pass breakups. TTB Rating: 91
Johnson went ahead in year two and staked his claim for being one of the top cornerbacks in Michigan history. He was a First Team All-Big Ten corner and an All-American, helping to slow down some of the best receivers in the country. The 6'2", 202-pounder limited Ohio State's Marvin Harrison, Jr. to 5 catches for 98 yards when matched up over the past two seasons, and top-10 pick Rome Odunze for Washington had 5 total catches for 87 yards and 0 touchdowns in the national championship game.
Some of Johnson's highlights include jumping a Harrison slant route for an interception and returning an interception for a touchdown against Minnesota. He's been making highlight-worthy plays since the second half of his freshman year, including a mostly stellar game against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game in 2022. Every player is going to get beaten sometimes, but it seems like challenging Johnson is almost always a poor choice.
I had a tough time picking a #1 player this season. It came down to DT Mason Graham (who was #3), TE Colston Loveland (who was #2), and Johnson. I was recently listening to the Move the Sticks podcast with Daniel Jeremiah, who talked about a study that came out comparing defensive performance between pass rush or coverage. The results of the study showed that good coverage helps out the pass rush more than a good pass rush helps out coverage. On top of that, Michigan has decent backups on the defensive line (T.J. Guy at edge, Rayshaun Benny at DT), but even Michigan's #2 corner Jyaire Hill is unproven. If Johnson were to go down, it would likely be up to Hill and FCS transfer Aamir Hall to hold down the corner spots. Ultimately, if Johnson were to get hurt, games against Texas's Quinn Ewers, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, and the wide receiver talent of Ohio State look a whole lot more difficult.
Name: Colston Loveland Height: 6’5″ Weight: 245 lbs. High school: Gooding (ID) Gooding Position: Tight end Class: Junior Jersey number: #18 Last year: I ranked Loveland #16a and said he would be a starting tight end with 35 catches for 435 yards and 5 touchdowns (LINK). He caught 45 passes for 649 yards and 4 touchdowns. TTB Rating: 85
Loveland took a big leap in 2023 despite the presence of Indiana transfer A.J. Barner, who then got drafted and made the Seahawks roster. Always a talented athlete, I thought he might just play second fiddle to other passing targets, but he was a prime target for quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Loveland finished #3 on the team in receptions, but it was by a thin margin: WR Roman Wilson had 48 and WR Cornelius Johnson had 47. They were a three-headed monster.
Though he has yet to have a 100-yard game, he did top the 70-yard mark four times last season, including a 4-catch, 79-yard, 2-touchdown performance against Michigan State. And he went for 5 receptions and 88 yards against Ohio State.
This year Loveland will be more of a focal point for opposing defenses because no proven receivers return. There's no speedy downfield threat like Wilson who has made plays downfield (though Fredrick Moore and Semaj Morgan have potential), there's no 6'3" target on the outside like Johnson (though Amorion Walker has potential), and there's no other proven tight end like Barner (though Marlin Klein has potential). So until those players show productivity on the field, it just makes sense that other teams would do their best to limit Loveland's catches. He's been talked about as the possible #1 tight end off the board for the 2025 NFL Draft, but with a weaker cast around him, it's likely to be tougher sledding in 2024.
Prediction: Starting tight end; 40 catches for 520 yards and 4 touchdowns
Name: Mason Graham Height: 6’3″ Weight: 320 lbs. High school: Anaheim (CA) Servite Position: Defensive tackle Class: Junior Jersey number: #55 Last year: I ranked Graham #9 and said he would be a starting nose tackle with 45 tackles and 4 sacks (LINK). He started thirteen games and made 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup, and 3 quarterback hurries. TTB Rating: 84
Graham was expected to be a huge impact player in 2023, and he did not disappoint. He was voted by conference coaches as a First Team All-Big Ten player (yeah!), by Big Ten media types as a Third Team All-Big Ten player (huh?), and by other media as Second Team All-American. And he deserved all that hype and more. After getting a PFF grade of 80.3 as a freshman in 2022, he topped it by scoring a 90.0 as a sophomore in 2023.
Graham had a cast on his arm for a chunk of the season, and he was beating Minnesota linemen to death despite being one-armed at the time. Graham is extremely quick off the ball, has powerful hands, plays with great leverage, and has the explosiveness to finish plays that other guys come close to making. Along with Kenneth Grant, Michigan's top defensive tackles are the best duo I remember in a Michigan uniform. There is no better tackle combo in the NCAA in 2024, at least.
This year could be Graham's final season in a Michigan uniform. He has been talked about as a potential first round draft pick, and I wouldn't blame him for jumping to the pros if he has another good season. The bar has already been set for all-conference and All-American accolades, so it might be hard to top that season. But Michigan has at least one season left (barring injury) to watch Graham and Grant manhandle opposing linemen. Let's enjoy it while we can.
Name: Kenneth Grant Height: 6’3″ Weight: 339 lbs. High school: Merrillville (IN) Merrillville Position: Defensive tackle Class: Junior Jersey number: #78 Last year: I ranked Grant #18 and said he would be a backup nose tackle (LINK). He started five games and made 29 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, 5 pass breakups, and 6 quarterback hurries. TTB Rating: 85
Grant made some giant leaps from 2022 to 2023. While he played in a bunch of games as a freshman, he made just 8 tackles and didn't really have a signature play. Linemen usually take some time to percolate in college, and . . . boy oh boy, Grant percolated.
He percolated into a 339 lb. defensive tackle who could chase down Penn State running backs in the open field from behind.
He percolated into a guy who could get his big, meaty hands in the path of quarterbacks' passes to break up 5 attempts and intercept another one.
And he percolated into a dude who perp-walked a Washington offensive lineman back into Michael Penix's face for a sack in the national championship game.
I often hear that planet-sized, athletic defensive tackles don't grow in the midwest like they do in SEC country, but Grant is an exception. He's quick, he's fast, he's strong, he can play low, and he has good anticipation. Physically, he's among the most athletic defensive tackles Michigan has fielded in my time watching the Wolverines, right up there with long-time NFLer Alan Branch and current NFLer Maurice Hurst, Jr.
I think Michigan's offense is going to struggle at times this season without an elite passer and without savvy veteran wide receivers - plus with a whole new offensive line - so there's going to be a ton of pressure on the defense to win games or at least give the offense a fighting chance. And without much proven depth behind the defensive tackles, keeping Grant healthy will be a big step toward battling for playoff contention in 2024.
Prediction: Starting nose tackle; 35 tackles, 3 sacks
Name: Donovan Edwards Height: 6’1” Weight: 212 lbs. High school: West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield Position: Running back Class: Senior Jersey number: #7 Last year: I ranked Edwards #13 and said he would be a part-time starting running back with 1,050 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, plus 30 catches for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns (LINK). He ran 119 times for 497 yards and 5 touchdowns; he caught 30 passes for 249 yards; and he completed 1/1 pass for 34 yards. TTB Rating: 90
Well, Nostramagnus did a great job with the 2023 predictions, because I predicted Edwards would catch 30 passes and he did.
We're just going to ignore the fact that I predicted 1,050 rushing yards (he had 497) and 8 touchdowns (he had 5) and 350 receiving yards (he had 249) and 4 receiving touchdowns (he had 0).
Just ignore it.
Edwards struggled in 2023 by a lot of metrics. First, his production was way down, and his yards per carry was among the lowest of qualifying running backs in the Big Ten. He wasn't breaking big plays . . . or tackles. He supposedly started seeing a sports psychologist because of some of his on-field frustrations. And when he couldn't eke out a short yardage touchdown, he campaigned visibly to stay on the field . . . and the coaching staff still replaced him with Blake Corum to ensure they would score.
That's the bad stuff.
The good stuff is that he broke off a big touchdown run against Penn State and had two huge touchdown runs early in the national championship game (41- and 46-yarders) that set the tone against Washington. So he had his moments, but not nearly as many of them as we expected.
Now Corum is out of the way, and Edwards should be the unquestioned #1 back. He's on the cover of NCAA '25 and is rated as one of the top 50 players in the game. He got up to 214 pounds by the spring (now listed at 212) after being right around 200 earlier in his career, and the added weight/strength showed in the spring when he seemed a little more willing to try to bring the contact to defenders. A wholesale shift from finesse back to ground-and-pounder is unlikely, but if he can add a little thunder to his lightning for 2024, that would be an improvement. I have faith that Michigan's coaching staff is going to restore some of his confidence and figure out ways to help him return to his 2022 form, especially if he's on the field with run threat Alex Orji and fellow running back Kalel Mullings at times, because those are three dynamic runners that teams would have a very difficult time figuring out how to defend.
Prediction: Starting running back; 1,100 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, plus 25 catches for 225 yards and 3 touchdowns
