Mailbag: Loaded RB room, Washington game, QB competition and more

Answering your Michigan football questions, including if the Wolverines will have the upper hand vs. the Huskies and much, much more.

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On Sunday, I called for questions for a written mailbag, as we skipped a week, but it took a few days to get to it.

Over the weekend and continuing into the week, the nation has been in civil unrest, so it’s been a difficult proposition to jump right back into football matters while people are hurting and our cities are burning (the latter intermittently, but still).

However, sports is something that brings us together. We haven’t had them in some time, but the sun is beginning to crest the horizon on that front. Thus, it’s time to shift our focus back to football — something I think we all can welcome.

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Without further ado, you asked questions, and I answered to the best of my ability.

I certainly think it’s possible, but you’re right — it might not be plausible.

I really do think that Michigan is five-deep at running back. While much of the talk centers on four — returning starters Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins, the prodigal return of Chris Evans and true freshman Blake Corum — I saw Christian Turner at the protest in Ann Arbor on Tuesday morning and it’s shocking how much bigger he looks. I remember speaking with him when he was just a recruit, and he was — diminutive in stature. That’s certainly not true of Turner anymore. He looks like a wrecking ball. And the only reason he didn’t get a chance to breakout last year is because of injuries.

But I really see all five getting carries. I don’t know how you can keep any of the five off the field if they’re all healthy — provided they can all pass protect. That latter piece is, of course, important, and might be Blake Corum’s biggest impediment to being a key factor in year one, given the shift from high school defenses and talent compared to that in college.

Still — Zach Charbonnet got 726 yards in 2019 and Hassan Haskins had 622. Both were relatively close. Josh Gattis also said last month that the offensive line looks like it could be more proficient in run blocking compared to pass protection, which could mean while Michigan intends to be more pass heavy — recruits have relayed that to be part of the message, offensively — it may be more beneficial to run the ball. Jay Harbaugh spoke this past week about the backs needing to hit more home runs, being able to break tackles and turning intermediate runs into longer breakouts. Those two in particular could benefit if they learn how to better make defenders miss at the second level.

I think it’s important to look at Gattis’ previous stop to see how they ran the ball when he was there. In 2018 at Alabama, the Tide had three premier backs, and while they ran for a full 1,000 yards more than Michigan did last year, none of them got to the 1,000 yard mark individually.

So I think it’s possible, but it will require some really big, breakout games consistently for that to happen. And given that there could be five in rotation, it might not be plausible.

That’s a really good question and one I honestly don’t know the answer to directly. However, I will say that it’s likely something of a group effort on that front, with quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels also giving his input.

If I were to share how I’m likely sure it would go (call it an educated guess), McDaniels would give his recommendations to Gattis, who would give his recommendation to Harbaugh, who would then have final say, essentially. I do think it would certainly be something decided on as a group, and though I know with strong certainty that Gattis does, indeed, call the shots on offense, it’s still Harbaugh’s team and he still has final say on depth decisions. I know he’s played a part on that front even since Gattis took over the offense.

Usually, however, it’s something of a moot point, as someone separates themselves and it’s usually pretty obvious. Who has the best mastery of the offense? Who understands what the defense is doing? Who’s the most accurate? This season might not be the most obvious situation in those regards, because we missed out on all of spring ball, so the competition could spill over into games if any of Dylan McCaffrey, Joe Milton and Cade McNamara are relatively even come the culmination of fall camp.

But, regardless of the position coaches, it’s still Harbaugh’s team. He’ll rely on the advice of his assistants, but assuredly, especially at the quarterback position, he’ll want to have the most input.

Don Brown said two weeks ago when we had him in a media availability via Zoom that he didn’t know how teams with new coaches at the coordinator position or up could actually conduct business with the pandemic disrupting all of spring and much of early summer conditioning. I think that’s actually pretty apt, because you can teach concepts and do your installs, but you’re not actually getting the physical component. However, Washington isn’t going through a complete overhaul.

Yes, Chris Peterson moved on — which I hate, by the way as I think he’s great for college football — and Jimmy Lake was promoted to head coach from defensive coordinator. However, much of the staff from last year is intact. The only new coaches are the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and tight ends coach. But the rest are all reprising their roles. Though, we don’t know how much Lake is changing the coaching philosophy in Seattle. Also, that game, presuming it happens as scheduled, will be his first as a head coach at any level. Thus, that’s pretty daunting. Not to mention, Jacob Eason left early for the NFL draft, thus the Huskies will be breaking in a new QB — against Don Brown’s defense.

Washington’s strength was defensively, however, not offensively. The offense finished at No. 79 in yards-per-game, whereas the defense was No. 35. There are certainly a few key departures, so the Huskies could potentially benefit from playing at home — though there likely won’t be a full house due to COVID-19 concerns. Michigan faces some similar problems, but not nearly as many. New quarterback, yes, but they’ve been in the system and they know what Josh Gattis is trying to do. There’s consistency, which should help Michigan in terms of road woes — so long as it doesn’t come out flat, like we’ve seen somewhat constantly away from Michigan Stadium.

So, yes, I think they very well could be the favorite, but the beauty of season openers is that each team is different from the one that proceeded it. There’s no telling if Michigan will be able to bring an 11-0 record into the Ohio State game. Heck — it might lose the Washington game and then rattle off the rest like it did going from Notre Dame on in 2018. The Wolverines have a lot of advantages, however, and I could certainly see a win in Seattle, if not outright predict it.

That’s pretty difficult to predict, but I’ll do my best. I’ll give you one on offense and one on defense.

While I’m tempted to go with a skill player like A.J. Henning, Roman Wilson or Blake Corum, I think the smarter play would be to go to the offensive line, where Michigan had a pretty good haul. While I think that Zak Zinter and Reece Atteberry could be special, I think Michigan got an absolute steal in Jeffrey Persi, the 6-foot-7 behemoth from Orange County, California. I’m not sure about the competition that San Juan Capistrano faces — though it assuredly would have faced my cousin, who played for Mission Viejo (CA) I believe, and went on to be a second-string DE at Oregon State when Mike Riley actually had that team ranked — but the year-round aspect to football in California certainly helps. I do also know the staff felt like it got something special in Persi. And learning from Ed Warinner, who has an amazing track record, will certainly help.

On defense, I’m gonna cop out and go Braiden McGregor, Michigan’s highest-rated recruit of the cycle. In my opinion, had he not torn his ACL early in the fall, he would have ended up being a five-star on at least one of the recruiting services. There’s a reason why he was so highly recruited, and Michigan wanted him in the worst way for a long, long time before he actually committed. To me, he has the potential to be one of the best Michigan defensive ends once he actually matriculates through the system. Like Persi, he has unteachable size and he also is just ferocious in the trenches. To me, he has the look of an early-round draft pick once he goes, and I could see that translating well at the next level.

Of course, there are others who I think are flying under the radar. William Mohan I think will be a surprising fan favorite once he starts seeing the field. And I think Cornell Wheeler is the type of linebacker that isn’t flashy, but could be a guy that’s just stalwart and solid with a long future in the league.

This is all speculative of course, and I’ve missed on some guys in the past and hit on others. For example, of the three 2017 linebackers, I was least excited about Josh Ross even though the staff persistently raved about him. Now, he hasn’t proven much yet, per se, but he’s the last man standing in that class. Lesson: we don’t know anything until we see it on the field.

Appreciate you asking this question, Josh. Yes, I’m OK, but I feel like I need football!

We missed out on Pro Day, spring football and March Madness — all things I anticipate every year to get out of the doldrums of winter. Thus, things aren’t quite as relaxing as they usually are at this time of year. The uncertainty of the upcoming season, while it hasn’t worried me, is somewhat troubling. I’m disappointed to not be able to go to Chicago with Big Ten Media Days — one of my favorite yearly events — having the in-person component canceled.

However, I moved to Ann Arbor just before the pandemic hit, after living 45 minutes away on the border of Holly and Highland in North Oakland County the past several years. I’m excited to be back on campus again, and I’ve never lived so close to the stadium, save for my freshman year in 1999 when I was living in Fletcher Hall. I’m a mile away from The Big House now and half a mile from Schembechler Hall. I’m excited to be so close to the action.

Now that it’s warm out, I’m eager to get out and go kayaking and exploring. But yes, it’s tough to keep your sanity through all of this, but I’ve been distracted by video games, which, aren’t my forte. I play about one video game to completion every two years or so, but I played and finished seven since the pandemic hit.

Anyway, I have my good days and my bad, like anyone else. It’s been challenging not having a lot of content to work with and digging into the well I usually save for the summer months. But, like most, I’m making do and anxiously awaiting the return of sports.

Even baseball.