Ranking Michigan’s offensive position groups following spring ball

Now that the spring game is over, we have about five long months ahead of us before we get to see the Michigan Wolverines in game action again.

The spring game went right down to the wire and was very entertaining, and while it is hard to take away too much so early in the year, we still did see who is playing good football.

After all the action, here are the current rankings for the offensive position groups:

1. Running back

Shocker, right? Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards both sat out the spring game, but we didn’t need to see them play to know the running backs are the strength of the offense in 2023. All the position groups on offense will be talented this year, but this group certainly deserves the top spot.

Corum was on his way to a potential Heisman last season before a heartbreaking knee injury, and Edwards dominated in three games in Corum’s absence. Having just one of these guys on the roster would be enough to give this group the top spot, but having both is simply absurd. I can’t wait to see these guys ball out this season.

How about Benjamin Hall, too? The true freshman was one of the stars of the spring game and showed that his time to shine will certainly come.

2A. Offensive line

Picking No. 2 was too difficult, so I’m going with two groups in second place.

Let’s talk about the offensive line first. Last year’s unit was the best in college football and the Wolverines are fresh off winning two straight Joe Moore awards. While it will be difficult, I think the unit can be just as good this season.

Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter returning was huge for the group, but the transfer portal was also very kind. The Wolverines brought in Myles Hinton and Drake Nugent from Stanford, the latter being one of the best centers in football last year, and LaDarius Henderson from Arizona State.

A big reason why the running back position is at No. 1 is because of the offensive line. These two units working together to pave the way for another season of dominant rushing will be fun to watch.

2B. Quarterback

Also in second place is the quarterback position. Michigan returns starter J.J. McCarthy, and that alone gives the Wolverines an edge over the rest of the Big Ten. McCarthy is certainly the conference’s best returner at the position.

McCarthy has all the talent in the world and is capable of being one of the nation’s best quarterbacks. However, I’m interested to see how his decision-making improves. He can sometime try to do too much which can lead to turnovers, so if he can improve that part of the game, he’ll be an even better quarterback, and he’s already outstanding.

The whole room is very talented, too, not just McCarthy. Indiana transfer Jack Tuttle, Davis Warren and Alex Orji all played well in the spring game and showed that the room has some good depth.

3. Tight end

With the way tight ends are utilized at Michigan, this is a crucial position group, and a group that looks like it will be very talented once again.

Luke Schoonmaker and Erick All both departed after last season, but the position is still in good hands with Colston Loveland and Indiana transfer AJ Barner.

Loveland came onto the scene last season and showed very quickly he can be a star. Barner comes in with a ton of experience and was also a captain at Indiana; he should be a great addition to this team.

A couple others to watch this season are Max Bredeson and Matt Hibner, who both received playing time last year.

4. Wide Receiver

The only group that doesn’t have a standout go-to guy is the wide receiver position, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of talent there and the potential to have that standout guy.

Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson are both returning and have the most potential to have be the guy. These two should certainly be the top two targets this season.

Michigan has a good amount of young talent at the position and I expect at least one of Darrius Clemons and Tyler Morris to emerge and breakout this season. Peyton O’Leary also had the best performance of the spring game and should see the field in 2023.