The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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3. Develop a championship- caliber offensive line … for the foreseeable future Michigan had chances to close out two of its three losses last year (at Iowa, at Ohio State) on offense, but couldn't get the one or two more first downs needed or the tough yardage on the ground. It was the same a year earlier against Michigan State in an improbable home loss that ended with a blown punt. The Wolverines need to develop a line not just for this year, but also for the future that's similar to those in years past — big, tough and nasty, not lacking depth and the ability to blow people off the ball. Then they need to reload, not rebuild and do it again the following year. 4. Speed up the learning curve for the young talent The Wolverines open with Florida in Ar- lington, Texas — a tough but winnable game — and will need to improve each week to have a shot at the Big Ten title. They'll be relying on youth and first-year starters at just about every position, both on offense and de- fense, and need their first-year starters to play like veterans in order to win two of the three games that usually determine championships. U-M plays at Penn State Oct. 21 in a tough night environment, but doesn't play Wiscon- sin and OSU until the last two dates on the schedule. This should be a much better oiled machine by Nov. 18. 5. Force more turnovers Defensive coordinator Don Brown is the ultimate "dude," as he likes to call his play- ers who excel, but his team has room for improvement in this area. The Wolverines finished tied for 67th nationally in turnovers gained a year ago and recovered only six fumbles despite having several pros on the field. Expect that to be a point of emphasis in fall camp. THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 53 Defense DT Maurice Hurst Hurst hasn't been a full-time starter, but the fifth- year senior never complained despite often being Michigan's best interior lineman. Like last year's captain and his good friend, Chris Wormley, he decided to return for his fifth year for a shot at a championship. The dark horse — Fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray isn't necessarily a vocal guy, but he leads by example and is very well respected. He's also the lone returning defensive starter. Offense QB Wilton Speight The redshirt junior quarterback is everything you want in a leader, having elevated his game to become one of the Big Ten's best at his position through hard work. He also handles himself very capably off the field and has earned the trust of his teammates. The dark horse(s) — Fifth-year senior offensive tackle Mason Cole is a fun-loving guy, but he knows when to get serious and handles his business. Fifth-year senior fullback Khalid Hill, too, is highly thought of by his teammates. — Chris Balas Michigan's 2017 Captains: Best Bets Michigan doesn't have many upperclassmen on either offense or defense, so there aren't as many candi- dates for the captaincy this year. Here are The Wolverine's picks for U-M's leaders this season, a favorite and at least one dark horse on each side of the ball: