Early Risers

With the ongoing pandemic the NCAA loosened up its rules a little bit and has given a waiver to everybody on a college roster. Basically this year is like a redshirt year for everyone and teams can play everyone they want without burning up a year of eligibility. So I expect to see Michigan playing a lot more freshmen this year. In fact, Don Brown has already stated that he expects to play more freshmen on defense this year as a result of the rules being bent a little bit. And personally I am looking forward to it, as I see this season as a bit of a wash anyway. 

Do I want the team to win a title? Yes. Do I feel this year is just not as important as most years? Yes, that too. Michigan is dang near the bottom of the nation in returning production, so it's fair to say that it really doesn't know all that it has on hand just yet. So get everybody some playing time that you can in order to find out who your best guys really are for this year, and next, seems like a good tactic if it won't cost anybody any eligibility. Besides maybe a half a dozen guys among the two-deep depth chart, nearly everybody SHOULD be back for the 2021 season. Now that is exciting when you consider all the potential that is there. Getting basically a free season to polish the roster in preparation for a full game schedule is a gift. Don't waste any time playing veterans who have always struggled to break through if there is a more able-bodied freshman sitting there. 

At any rate, we as fans are finally witnessing what a completely program-developed program under Harbaugh looks like. It is comprised of five years of recruiting classes that have averaged 11th best class each year in the Team Recruiting Rankings, and that includes the criminally underrated class of 2018 that uncovered gems like Aiden Hutchinson, Jalen Mayfield, Ronnie Bell, Hassan Haskins, Cam McGrone, Ryan Hayes, and Michael Barrett, among others. It was ranked 22nd in the nation with 20 commits, with dang near 3/4 of them primed for either a big year or a chance to break out in 2020. Did I mention Joe Milton was in that class too? 

The top eight freshmen that I want to see play this fall:

1. Defensive Lineman Braiden McGregor - On the surface he probably doesn't seem like the "sexy" pick in terms of big-play potential or simply putting points on the board. And quite frankly there is a good chance that we don't see him at all this year. The reason I want to see McGregor more than any other freshman is two-fold though. First of all, I really want to see a healthy prospect come in and show that he is indeed fully recovered from the knee surgery that ended his high school career. He was arguably the top prospect coming in this year so a lot of pressure is on that knee to hold up. Secondly, I want to see more depth along the line and McGregor has as much raw athletic talent as anybody there. He could probably play defensive end but I believe he will end up at tackle, depending on how much weight he puts in in the next year. He could be a starter on the strong side or on the inside as soon as next season if all goes well. Getting a lot of valuable experience right away will help his development.
2. Wide Receivers A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson - I just couldn't decide on which of these two kids I want to see more. I mean, it goes without saying they are collectively bringing a ton of outstanding athletic ability and speed to the table that could change the way defenses scheme against the Wolverines for the next three or four years. Henning seems a little more like a shifty run after the catch kinda guy while Wilson might be more of run deep and stretch the field kind of player. And those attributes are exactly what this offense needs. Honestly, Nico Collins wasn't really that fast. He probably runs a legit 4.5 forty, which isn't bad but he doesn't really take the top off defenses. He mostly uses his big body to out-muscle smaller defenders for jump balls 20 yards downfield. I expect both of these speedsters to play - a lot. And the difference will be visible. 
3. Safety Makari Paige - As most fans already know, Paige has been making early waves in the program since stepping foot on campus just a few months ago. His emergence could help facilitate an opportunity for Don Brown to move Dax Hill around in order to use him like a "chess piece" wherever he needs him. His emergence could really help eliminate some mismatch problems in coverage against better teams, because Dax is the best coverage guy they've got back there and he probably needs to be on the number one receiver if they are going to continue employing man coverage. Paige is competing with third-year player Sammy Faustin for the job. 
4. Weakside Defensive End Jaylen Harrell - There is a good chance that neither Kwity Paye or Aiden Hutchinson will be back next year. It is time to start grooming some replacements. There are a few older guys that seem to be coming along, but I would really like to see a true freshman come in and add some juice to the mix. Harrell has a lot of that raw ability to go with decent size (6'4"/235lbs) for a freshman pass-rusher. He also hails from the heart of the richest talent pool in the country in Tampa, FL, so we know he competed against some good competition in high school. He might actually be one of the most college-ready defenders in this class, so getting him meaningful reps could go a long way towards pushing his development and setting him up for success in the seasons to come. 
5. Safety R.J. Moten - Another very good safety prospect that has made some waves early on. His emergence too could help iron out some wrinkles back there in the secondary. He could also be a very good special teams player right away, so I kinda expect to see him in almost every contest this year. 
6. Will Linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green - The team could use some depth at the position so it's good to hear that kid like Hill-Green is stepping up to the challenge right away. If he gets enough experience this year he could be primed to take the starting role if Ross, who is graduating this year, in fact leaves. His rise up in summer and fall workouts may have prompted fellow freshman Osman Savage to enter the transfer portal. 
7. Mike Linebacker Kalel Mullings - There are some older players that I like at this position too, but none of them have the raw athletic ability that Mullings does. If he can put it together early and get a lot of game reps this fall he could be in the running to win the starting job next year if McGrone leaves for the NFL. I see him as have the type of athletic ability to take over for Barrett as the special teams "joker". 
8. Offensive Lineman Zak Zinter - As the team's top offensive line prospect in the 2020 class, Zinter was expected to compete for a starting job at some point in his career at Michigan. According to some early buzz though, that time could be sooner than later. So far he has been the most talked-about recruit at the position and one of the most talked about first-year players overall. He showed up to fall camp reportedly over 330 lbs. That's over 30 lbs up from when he enrolled back in January! So far it looks like good weight. Even if he doesn't earn a starting spot this year, he has a chance to get a lot of quality experience in preparation for a more prominent role next year, again without any risk of losing a year of eligibility.