KEY QUESTIONS FOR 2024: Michigan Wolverines
By Rory Daniels
Is there a team with more questions hanging over them than Michigan? Despite having brought a National Championship to Ann Arbor, they now defend their title without their head coach, quarterback and multiple key starters. That’s the business of winning in college football.
Sherrone Moore, the offensive coordinator last year steps up to bring some continuity and they have star playmakers on defense. That’s why some of the doom and gloom predictions could be a tad short-sighted. Let’s have a look at the key questions they need to address for 2024.
Is Alex Orji the solution at quarterback?
The Michigan offense was not predicated on the passing ability of JJ McCarthy last year, but the quarterback did more than enough when called upon. So much so that it earned him a selection in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Without McCarthy at the helm Michigan now have to find a suitable replacement, one who unfortunately is going to be lacking in experience. Jack Tuttle was the backup last season, a role he has played throughout his career but it is the more athletically gifted Alex Orji who appears to have his nose ahead in the QB competition.
He demonstrated his dual-threat ability on the Texas high school scene, throwing for 40 passing touchdowns and rushing for another 43 prior to being a 3-star recruit in the 2022 class. At Michigan, he’s only had one throw, a five-yard completion in 2022. He got plenty of reps in spring with Tuttle out injured and he has plenty of dynamic upside.
With Texas on the schedule as soon as September 7, Orji won’t have too much time to find his feet as a starter. Expect Moore to lean heavily on the run game early, but can Orji develop into a QB good enough to take Michigan back to the Big 10 title game?
Who becomes the leader on defense?
Welcome to Michigan, Jaishawn Barham 😤pic.twitter.com/QTkED6fxNT
— 〽️att Hartwell (@MaizeCrusader) December 20, 2023
Despite the obvious talent drain to the NFL that the Wolverines have suffered, their defense remains a strong unit. With the likes of Mason Graham on the d-line and Will Johnson at corner, there is no lack of star power. However, one of the biggest adjustments Michigan will have to make is who will be the natural leader on defense?
That mantle was held last season by linebacker Junior Colson. Colson was so adept at being the defense’s quarterback that Jim Harbaugh decided to take him to LA with him, selecting Colson in the third round of the draft. Another blow was suffered when the next most experienced player, safety Rod Moore, tore his ACL in spring practice. Moore was expected to be one of the best in the nation at his position and would have marshalled the defense excellently.
So the question now is, who can fill those voids in leadership? The most obvious answer is Colson’s ready-made replacement, middle linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who transfers in from Maryland. Barham had an immediate impact for the Terps since his freshman year. Last year, his coverage grade on PFF took a hit, so the question will be can he stay on the field on all three downs? As a downhill run-stuffing linebacker, Barham should thrive in Ann Arbor, can he use this year to boost his draft stock?
Is this the scariest defensive line in College Football?
As we have touched on previously, the defensive line is a strong point of this Michigan team. That starts up front with the defensive tackle pairing of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. Graham is a dynamic pass-rushing threat with incredible body control for a guy his size. He is twitchy off the line of scrimmage and a true handful for interior pass blockers.
There is no let-up in the pressure, considering Graham lines up with all 6’3, 339lbs of nose tackle Kenneth Grant. He earned a PFF defensive grade of 78.5 in 2023, and while he is unlikely to light up the stat sheet like his partner, it will be very difficult for opposition-run games to gain any traction with Grant at the heart of things.
Although Michigan has lost a lot of edge-rushing talent (Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell have moved on), they retained Josaiah Stewart. He provided 23 pressures as a rotational piece, including four sacks. Likewise, Derrick Moore had 22 pressures with three sacks, and he will step into the starting lineup on the opposite side.
That level of experience and talent across the line makes them one of the best units in the league. Will they perform to that standard and make life easier on their offensive counterparts by providing a defense that is difficult to break down?
