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Projecting the New Look Defense

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Base Defense:  +/- 40% of defensive plays will be run out of some sort of "50" or 3-4-type of formation with a few different subs in play at a couple positions, particularly along the front line. A lot of guys will get the chance to rotate in so I included all the guys that I think can contribute in some fashion this season. The positions where only one guy is listed means that they will rarely, if ever, leave the field. They should be team leaders who won't be really challenged for their jobs at the top and they look like future NFL draft picks. Edge: Aiden Hutchinson - A potential  First Team All-Big Ten player and a first round draft pick next spring. He should flourish in the new system. DL: Christopher Hinton - Could this former 5-Star recruit finally have a breakout year under the new defensive coaching staff?  NT: Mazi Smith/Jordan Whittley - Loads of potential between Smith and Whittley but both also have a lot to prove.  DL: Donovan Jeter/Julius Welschof - Je
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Leaders and Best, 2021 Addition

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2021 Roster Rankings: The Leaders... 1. DE  Aiden Hutchinson   (Sr, 6'5"/270lbs) - The defense completely fell apart once Hutchinson and Paye missed time with injury. There literally was no pass-rush for a three-game stretch after the team posted five against an experienced Minnesota line on the road. With a healthy Hutch coming back for his senior year before going off to the NFL, where he is projected to be a high draft pick, the team has a real veteran cornerstone to help build the defense around this spring. He has played against Ohio State. He has played against 'Bama. He has gotten his game to a high level. Can he help others around him achieve greatness? It's a lot to ask, but it's what leaders do. If he wants to truly be a Michigan great, then he needs to elevate those other players around him.  2. WR  Ronnie Bell   (Sr, 6'0"/190lbs) - Yes, Bell only has one TD in the last two years, but he has led the team in receptions the entire time. Even with
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The Must-Get Prospects of 2022 - UPDATED By Position

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High Priorities:  Defensive Secondary: One of the most important position groups to focus on in this cycle. Michigan only signed two DB's last year, so there could be as many as six DB prospects taken in this round of recruiting. It's a good thing that there are a lot of quality prospects in play here and it's even better than some of them are already committed.  Will Johnson 5-Star (Gross Pointe, MI) Grade: 98 - COMMITTED The 2022 recruiting class is loaded with top-notch prospects at corner. Johnson is by all measures a top 15 overall recruit and being that he is an in-state legacy prospect, one couldn't find a bigger "must-get" player in any cycle. Wherever he goes he should immediately be competing for playing time and he has the raw skills to become a shutdown player at the next level. He is the number one player on Michigan's board, period.  Chace Biddle 4-Star (Garland, TX) Grade: 86 - Is a big name out of Texas that is high on the Michigan bo
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Where Does Michigan Stand in the Recruiting Rankings?

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 Top 25 Tiered Team Recruiting Rankings Tier One - "The Elite" (Rank and Score) 1. Alabama 88 - The highest rated class ever! Enough said. They got everything.  2. Ohio State 83 - One of the best classes the Buckeyes have ever put together. They alone possess 12% of the top 100 players in the 247 composite rankings.  Tier Two 3 (tie). Georgia 79 - Trail only 'Bama and OSU in the number of 5-Star players they signed. 3 (tie). LSU 79 - Two 5-Sta r players and at least 15 others in the 4-Star realm would make this the top class in some years. 3 (tie). Oregon 79 - The Ducks could be making some moves towards the playoffs with three consecutive Top 10 (or 11 depending on who you ask) recruiting classes. 83% of the entire class is made up 4-Star caliber players.  6. Clemson 78 - The Tigers are reloading again. The one position they arguably didn't reload at is quarterback. They should be fine though, as the coaching staff has done more with less in the past.  7 (tie). Te
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Recruiting Class, 2021 - The Final Positional Grades

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 Quarterback  J.J. McCarthy  5-Star  (6'3"/190lbs) Grade: 92 - Not the biggest kid or the passer with the strongest arm. He's just the best QB prospect that Harbaugh has brought to Michigan so far, and he is enrolled early to learn the offense this spring. Positional Grade: A- Running Back Donovan Edwards 5 -Star  (5'11"/190lbs) Grade: 92 - Not only did Harbaugh sign the best quarterback of his Michigan head coaching career but he also signed the best running back so far too. Edwards brings a ton of speed to the table and can take it to the house on any given play. He was just awarded First Team All-American by Max Preps will get reps as a freshman after enrolling early too. Tavierre Dunlap  4-Star  (6'0"/195lbs) Grade: 79 - A very solid back that could compliment Edwards well. He is a bit bigger and has some decent wheels in his own right, though he is not as fast as Edwards. He could be a starter someday too. He too is enrolled early. Positional  Grad
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Spring Primer

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Competition should be hot with several starting roles in question. The guys highlighted in red are my favorites to gain traction on the starting jobs this spring.  Offense Quarterback - McNamara will work to solidify his place as this team's number one quarterback going into 2021. Milton will look to be the top backup but he will get pressured by Villari and McCarthy. My guess is that if he doesn't redeem himself in 2021 he will transfer after the season. However, he is openly trying to be a leader and remain positive, and he didn't look like a complete trainwreck most of the time in 2020, so there is still some hope there as well. I just believe McNamara is, and always has been, the better QB prospect despite all differences in measurables.  Cade McNamara Joe Milton Dan Villari J.J. McCarthy* Running Back - Haskins, who averaged over six yards per carry in 2020, appears to be the number one back and I can't complain. He is a tough, shifty runner that can break off lar
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Class of 2021: Very Good But Unfinished

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Again, this is just my opinion based on what I've seen on film or read about from recruiting analysts and coaches across the board. It's hard not to be optimistic about the offense with this kind of haul. The defense on the other hand, is another story for the time being.  Luckily, there are still some big targets on the board that would fill big needs in February. There are also some transfer players that I feel Michigan should target.  Again, feelings are just opinions and I don't claim to have any kind of insider knowledge that you don't. I don't really know exactly how tall a kid is or how much he actually weighs, nevertheless what types of decisions coaches, players, and administrators will all make in the coming years. I just like talking about Michigan football so let's geek out together shall we? Cool. * The grading system here is based on a number of factors, including all the expert rankings. 91-99 are the truly elite prospects. They are the best of th
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