Today was rough but regardless of what happens with the staff I think it's ok to be excited about our roster...

nickespitia · Oct 31, 2021

I already posted a few thoughts about the game and the staff. I don't want to spend more time talking about whether or not the coaching staff is going to be able to get the job done here. I want to spend some time talking about some reasons for optimism going forward. Whoever is leading the program (whether it's Harbaugh or someone else) is going to have a really good core of freshman to build around. I think we forget that because of the Covid year the 2020 and 2021 class have been combined to create a super freshman class this year. We have a lot of guys with freshman eligibility who are already making key contributions and have the potential to be elite players.

These are the guys who are already in the two deep and/or contributing a lot to the team.

QB
- JJ McCarthy - class of 21, 6.0 4-star, #45 overall,
  - already number 2 on the depth chart. He might not be ready yet but you can see the potential to be great.
RB
- Blake Corum - class of 20, 5.9 4-star, #102 overall
  - Leads the team with 774 rushing yards. Has been dynamic all year.
- Donovan Edwards - class of 21, 6.0 4-star, #59 overall
  - Hasn't played much because Corum and Haskins have been so good but like McCarthy you can see the potential. Great combination of size and speed.
WR
- AJ Henning - class of 20, 5.9 4-star, #111 overall
  - He has shown flashes though I've been disappointed with his development this year. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands and has a lot of speed.
- Roman Wilson - class of 20, 5.7 3-star
  - Has shown flashes in 20 and 21. Great speed and catches the ball pretty well. He needs to stay healthy but he has all the tools you're looking for at WR.
- Andrel Anthony - class of 21 5.7 3-star
  - Obviously was great today but has been getting better and better all year. He looked good against NW last week too. He did a great job high pointing the ball, has great size and speed, and runs good routes. Today didn't look like a fluke and he likes like he could be the real deal at WR.
OL
- Zak Zinter - class of 20, 5.8 4-star, #145 overall
  - Was dubbed our best olineman before he got hurt. He's been a starter for most of his time here and seems like our next high level interior lineman.
- Reece Atteberrry - class of 20 5.7 3-star
  - has been solid in back up action so far.
DL
- Kris Jenkins - class of 20, 5.7 3-star
  - Has been a solid depth player on a surprisingly good defensive line.
Edge
- Braiden McGregor - class of 20, 5.8 4-star
  - Definitely looks the part and has provided solid depth in limited action.
- Jaylen Harrell - class of 20, 5.7 3-star
  - Not playing a ton but has been a solid depth player.
LB
- Nikhai Hill Green - class of 20, 5.7 3-star
  - Won the starting job in his second year on campus. Has been inconsistent but shown flashes in his first year as a starter. I expect he'll be very good as a RS JR and SR.
- Kalel Mullings - class of 20, 5.9 4-star, #92 overall
  - Has been inconsistent but is really athletic and has provided decent depth at LB. He's not an instant impact player but he has the athletic ability to be very good down the line.
- Junior Colson - class of 21, 5.9 4-star, #84 overall
  - he's made an immediate impact and quickly moved his way up the depth chart. I know folks haven't been happy with the LBs all the time this year but three of our top 4 players are freshman. It has the potential to be a strength going forward.
CB
- Ja'Den McBurrows - class of 21, 5.7 3-star
  - has worked his way to 4th on the depth chart. Isn't getting a lot of PT but has looked good in mop up duty.
S
- RJ Moten - class of 21, 5.7 3-star
  - Won a the starting job and has been very good this year. He's a bit inconsistent but that's to be expected from a first year starter. Despite being inconsistent he's also show a knack for making big plays.

Then you have a bunch of highly rated guys waiting in the wings. Michigan has a good core to build around going forward. Throw in the fact that guys like McNamara and Haskins, are also have 2 years of eligibility left and there are reasons to be excited going forward, regardless of who the coaching the team.

I know today sucked. I'm not arguing otherwise, but we still have reasons to be optimistic about the future.

FranzWagner · Oct 31, 2021