Saturday has been a long time coming for Michigan football fans. For the first time since the national championship game, the Wolverines will be back on the field.
This will be the first time since beating Ohio State that they have been at The Big House, in front of fans. Sherrone Moore will be leading the Wolverines as head coach, but no longer on an interim basis.
It’s his program now and there are plenty of questions going into the 2024 season. We all know that quarterback is the most prominent among them and we’ll start with what to watch in the Michigan football spring game.
What to watch in the Michigan football spring game
- The quarterback battle obviously. Playing Michigan’s defense, even divided up is going to be a challenge but also provides a great opportunity. It would be great to see Alex Orji shine and build some confidence. I’m also excited about the debut of Jadyn Davis. You want to see all the quarterbacks play well though, but remember, it’s just spring and the defense might be the best in college football.
- Speaking of the defense, it does have some question marks. The No. 2 cornerback spot isn’t locked down. Jyaire Hill and DJ Waller have earned praise this spring. Ja’Den McBurrows has too, but they still have to prove what they can do. Michigan could look to add a spring transfer like Josh Wallace if it doesn’t like what it sees on the field Saturday, although the entire spring is a much better barometer.
- I’ve got my eye on the skill guys too (RB/WR). Michigan football lost some great players at both positions. Donovan Edwards is poised for a huge season but I want to see what Kalel Mullings, Benjamin Hall, and Cole Cobana bring at running back. The depth is thin at wide receiver, but a strong day at the top of the depth chart would be a positive. Peyton O’Leary shined in the spring game last season. Maybe he can do it again.
- Keep an eye on the field goal kicking. That’s another position Michigan supplemented with the transfer portal last offseason.
Players to watch in the Michigan football spring game
- On offense, Orji is the guy I’m most interested to see. Then, it’s probably Jadyn Davis. Myles Hinton is another guy who has hopefully taken a step forward. Kirk Campbell said he has first-round pick potential and he does, but I want to see if he’s locked down that job. Andrew Gentry also has me curious. He’s got all the tools to be a multi-year starter and this is a great opportunity for him. If the offensive line is healthy, I expect it to hold up decently well, at least on the interior. Greg Crippen, Josh Priebe, and Giovanni El-Hadi are all starters or experienced players who just haven’t gotten chances due to U-M’s insane depth. That interior should give Michigan fans confidence. It’s going to be good.
- On defense, Hill and Waller are two names to watch in the secondary. I want to see who plays nickel. Maybe it’s Zeke Berry or Ja’Den McBurrows or both on separate teams. Berry needs to have a breakout season. The same can be said for T.J. Guy. The Wolverines need another effective pass rusher. D-line Cameron Brandt has also flashed and is a name Michigan football fans should know. Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham has stood out this spring and he’s another guy I’ve got my eye on. The defense shouldn’t experience much dropoff.
Spring game predictions
- The defense will look farther ahead than the offense. Don’t panic about it. Michigan’s defense is really good. That being said, I expect the quarterbacks to have some good moments and some not-so-good moments.
- Alex Orji will be the presumed starting quarterback at the end. That’s the guy who would start right now if this was a real game and I’m not sure any of the others are that close. Tuttle is the guy to watch. He can probably be the best game manager. He wa a top-200 quarterback coming out of high school too. Don’t sleep on Davis Warren though — feel like he has a good day.
- Have a feeling that Fredrick Moore is going to make a big play. Just a hunch. Peyton O’Leary has another productive spring game too.
- Michigan football fans will come away feeling better about the defensive depth of this team. I think there will be a similar feeling about the offensive line.
- It’s going to be physical and competitive, and I don’t think we’ll see thud tackling on running backs. If we do, I’ll be disappointed.
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