The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 49 1 Will Michigan be strong enough at quarterback to win a championship? Graduate-transfer Jake Rudock adapted to become much more than serviceable by the end of the season, finishing second in Michigan history for single-season passing yardage (3,017 yards) and throwing for at least 250 yards in each of his last five games. Meanwhile, on the scout team, many were lauding Houston transfer John O'Korn as perhaps the best U-M had to offer at the position. O'Korn had to sit out a year due to transfer rules, but now he's eligible. However, he didn't necessarily set the world on fire in the spring. He threw some questionable interceptions (granted, against a nasty defense) and didn't seize the job like many hoped he would. Redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight was steady but unspectacular and still needs to put everything he has behind it to make all the throws, while redshirt junior Shane Morris remains inconsistent. True freshman Brandon Peters seems like a future stud, but he's still a first-year guy. So the concerns are two-fold — does U-M have a championship-level quarterback, and can the Wolverines win if he goes down? This won't be an issue in a few years the way Harbaugh is recruit - ing quarterbacks, but it is this season. 2 Can the offensive line become a strength? Depth was the question last year, and it's still an area of concern in 2016. Junior Mason Cole moves from left tackle to center, but there's no guarantee his transition will be as seamless as Graham Glasgow's was from guard to center last season, when he became one of the Big Ten's best. Sophomore left tackle Grant Newsome has great potential but will be a first-year starter, and Michi - gan's fifth-year senior trio of guards Kyle Kalis and Ben Braden, and right tackle Erik Magnuson has been largely inconsistent. The right side struggled in the spring game and needs to be better if U-M is going to contend for a national title. Players like highly recruited redshirt juniors David Dawson and Pat Kugler, and redshirt sophomore Juwann Bushell-Beatty also have yet to prove they are capable of contributing at this level. 3 Will the linebackers be good enough to make this a special defense? Michigan's defensive line is deep and talented and should be the Big Ten's best. Senior cornerback Channing Stribling noted there's little drop-off between the first and second teams even when they do a complete line change in practice. The secondary, meanwhile, features one of the nation's best cornerbacks in senior All-American Jourdan Lewis and veteran, All-Big Ten candidates throughout. But what of the linebackers? Senior Ben Gedeon had an outstanding spring and oft-injured redshirt junior Mike McCray was good, too, finally healthy after last year's shoulder injury. Still, they've both got plenty to prove. Freshman Devin Bush Jr. will have to contribute here, as well. Having All-American Jabrill Peppers on the outside automatically makes this group better, but even he will have to get acclimated to his new position. There's plenty of talent, but it needs to jell … and there isn't a lot of experienced depth. 4 Can the running game excel against the better defenses on the schedule? Michigan returns three backs who averaged 4.2 yards per carry or more in senior De'Veon Smith (753 yards, 4.2 per carry), fifth-year senior Drake Johnson (271, 5.0) and redshirt junior Ty Isaac (205, 6.8), but the group struggled against the better defensive teams on the schedule last year. Smith managed only 46 yards (2.4 per carry) in a loss to Michigan State, a game in which the Wolverines netted only 62 rushing yards, and part-time running back Jabrill Peppers was the leading ground gainer with 29 yards in the loss to Ohio State. U-M also managed only 87 yards (2.7 per rush) in a win at Penn State, another of the Big Ten's more physical defensive teams. The Wolverines finished eighth in the conference at 158.2 rushing yards per game as a result of not grinding out more yardage against the better Big Ten teams on the schedule. 5 Can the defense get to the quarterback without blitzing? Furthermore, will they have to? New defensive coordinator Don Brown has said he likes to bring added pressure 75 percent of the time — it should be fun to see what his aggressive defense looks like. The Wolverines finished fifth in the Big Ten in sacks last season with 32, and 6.5 five of them were by now-Baltimore Ravens lineman Willie Henry. Veteran ends Chris Wormley and Taco Charlton combined for 12 last year, and both return. They were nearly unblockable at times in the spring, and both should see those numbers rise, especially if the nose tackles command double teams at times (which they should). But make no mistake — every player at every position will get his shot to bring pressure. U-M needs Houston transfer John O'Korn to improve upon his spring performance and seize the starting quarterback job. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Top Five Question Marks