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We’ve got a good month before spring ball is in full swing, but it’s never too early to make some early prognostications for what could be on the horizon this upcoming fall.
Michigan football has a ton of question marks, as it’ll be starting a new quarterback, has to replace a lot of key components across the board, and finished 2019 reeling with two consecutive losses for the fourth-straight year.
However, there’s a lot to like about the personnel, the consistency on the coaching staff on offense, and some of the anticipated parts on defense.
WolverinesWire is taking a bold look into the future, here in February, anticipating what might be in 2020. It might be a lot of optimism, but that’s what the offseason is for.
Five Michigan football bold predictions for 2020
Michigan’s starting QB sets a school passing record
We probably won’t know until September, when Michigan takes the field at Washington who the starting quarterback is, but it feels like the Wolverines passing game is set to take off, whether it’s Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton under center.
Now, we predicted this multiple times last preseason with quarterback Shea Patterson, and he didn’t quite get there, but he did have the second-best single season in Michigan football history, yardage-wise. The bar isn’t as high as you’d think, with John Navarre’s single-season record at 3,331 yards, but we think Michigan is going to attempt to pass the ball, something fierce. It’s even told prospective recruits that that’s in the plans.
Milton and McCaffrey were both 50% passers or lower in 2019, but they came in mostly in relief, late in games, their first year in offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ system. We feel like this offseason, both players are going to be making each other better, and once the season comes, the starter will be constantly looking over his shoulder — meaning, he’ll have to make plays in order to keep his job. With a talented cadre of wideouts and a full familiarity of the playbook, it should be a boon for a Michigan passing game that took until near the end of the season to take off a year ago.
We anticipate Michigan will start hot on this front and stay hot. And whoever is the main man under center will eclipse that 3,331 yards set nearly two decades ago.