Found this on Michigan this morning.
Quarterback
How Wolverine247 sees it:
3
Wilton Speight; 8
John O'Korn; 16 Brandon Peters.
Review:
Jim Harbaugh has publicly declared that it's
Wilton Speight or
John O'Korn this year, but all signs have pointed to
Wilton Speightsince, well, last year when he started every game of the season when he was healthy.
Brandon Peters, who still has the best pure arm talent on the roster, has fallen by the wayside a bit as the staff continues to try to develop him into a bigger presence in the huddle. True freshman
Dylan McCaffrey, an oddly forgotten man in a way, does not lack the presence and command Harbaugh likes out of his quarterbacks. The 2018 quarterback battle should be a fun one.
Post-Camp confidence level: B+
Running Back
How Wolverine247 sees it:
12 Chris Evans or 22
Karan Higdon or 32
Ty Isaac; 6
Kareem Walker
Review: Evans has been viewed as sort of a "sure thing" in 2017 and has almost become a bit forgotten in the sense that he's capable of a true breakout season this year.
Evans' continued progress has pushed both
Karan Higdon and
Ty Isaac, who had strong fall camps. All three players will see opportunities in important game scenarios. Walker's fall camp got better as things finished up and he should get his share of opportunities this season as well.
Success at running back depends on success up front, but when looking at the position on its own, there is a lot of talent and a lot of diversity in that talent. Michigan should have no shortage of looks to give opponents.
Post-Camp confidence level: A-
Wide Receiver
How Wolverine247 sees it:
X: 7 Tarik Black or 9
Donovan Peoples-Jones;
Nate Schoenle
Z: 1
Kekoa Crawford;
Nico Collins
Slot: 88
Grant Perry;
Eddie McDoom or
Oliver Martin
Review: Who knows how many receivers are going to play this year for the Wolverines at this point. This may be the most talented unit on the team and in some ways it may not be that close as far as future projections go. Black and Peoples-Jones have paced the true freshman quartet but all four should see some time this year.
Perry's blocking ability and experience should give him the early nod in the slot, but McDoom will get his share as well as Michigan loves to get the ball into his hands.
Oh yeah, there's
Nate Schoenle too; the guy who graded out better than anyone at the position this spring. Watching this unit gel and grow throughout the season should be a lot of fun.
Post-camp confidence level: B+ now w/a ton of upside
Tight End/H Back
How Wolverine247 sees it:
TE: 17
Tyrone Wheatley Jr. or 89
Ian Bunting; 84
Sean McKeon or 82
Nick Eubanks or 83
Zach Gentry
H-Back: 80
Khalid Hill; 19
Henry Poggi or 42 Ben Mason
Review: Much like wide receiver, tight end is a position that's absolutely loaded as far as talent but short on experience.
We've talked about Bunting not being talked about enough to the point where he's been talked about at a proper level. Wheatley Jr.'s upside is immense and among the best on the entire roster.
Strictly as receivers, Eubanks and Gentry both have a ton of upside. McKeon is the staff favorite who could be the glue that holds the unit together. He has the potential to be an all-around contributor sooner rather than later.
At H-Back, Hill is the mainstay with Ben Mason coming on as the future of the position. Poggi is a steadying force as well.
Post-camp confidence level: B+
Offensive Line
How Wolverine247 sees it:
LT: 52
Mason Cole; 70
Nolan Ulizio
LG: 74
Ben Bredeson; 72
Stephen Spanellis
C: 57
Patrick Kugler; 51
Cesar Ruiz
RG: 50
Michael Onwenu; 51
Cesar Ruiz
RT: 75
Jon Runyan Jr. OR 76
Juwann Bushell-Beatty
Review: Two players that appear to have turned it on this fall are Onwenu and Bushell-Beatty. This is great news for a staff who probably would have hoped these were the two players who would turn it on as fall camp continued.
Bushell-Beatty's upside at RT is higher than Runyan's, but he has yet to put it together all the way. If forced, we're still picking Runyan Jr. to start but JBB has made it more of a battle than it may have looked coming into fall camp.
Ruiz appears to be the top reserve lineman and could spell either of Kugler or Onwenu in spots. Spanellis has a future on the line and
Chuck Filiaga continues to stand out above the other two true freshmen linemen at this juncture.
Post-camp confidence level: B
Specialists
How Wolverine247 sees it:
PK: 3
Quinn Nordin; 31
Kyle Seychel
Holder: HOTY
Garrett Moores
Snapper: 38 Cameron Cheeseman or 50
Andrew Robinson
Review: Nordin is quietly one of Michigan's most important players this year. His performance from long distance could really give what should be a strong defense some consistent points if the offense struggles to move the ball. His upside is bigger than any Michigan kicker in recent memory. Can he work his way into becoming a force or is he a big leg that will lack accuracy? It will be interesting.
Post-camp confidence level: C+
Looks like they're pretty confident about what they have coming back offensively.
Back in 1993... But then again, I wasn't a high profile athlete that had dozens of sports writers waiting to put pen to pad with MY name. Nor had I recently tweeted a pic of the head coach stating, 'He took a chance on me, now it's my turn to prove him right.' Of course, there was no stupid twitter back then, thank God.
Yep they do seem to be hedging their bets some after proclaiming Franks is doing the best. I guess it would take Zaire starting to hurt their credibility some with the "inside info". Some sites even praise Franks big time while saying it could still be any of the 3.
