Tag: Matt Weiss

Is Michigan limiting J.J. McCarthy’s runs with Cade McNamara out?

Is the #Michigan offense hindering itself with its primary backup plan sidelined? #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — On Saturday, in his first full game as Michigan football’s starting quarterback, playing every snap as the signal caller with no backup in sight, J.J. McCarthy ran five times for five yards. While it was his most this season in terms of attempts, technically — he was sacked and also lost yards on a fumble — it was his least productive outing on the ground outside of his season debut against Western Michigan last year (one run for -16 yards) and against Indiana (two runs for -14 yards).

Given that his threat to run the football opens things up for the offense, making opposing defenses have to respect his ability with his feet, McCarthy’s potential reticence to run the ball could limit the opportunity for that side of the ball. Yes, he has a strong arm and has shown pinpoint accuracy through much of the season, but is Michigan shutting down his feet while it waits for Cade McNamara to recover from his leg injury?

According to Matt Weiss, the team’s co-offensive coordinator and QB coach, the maize and blue still intend to use the threat of McCarthy running to keep defenses on their heels. But it must come at the right time.

“We will use them in that role. A lot of it has to do just with what the defense dictates that week,” Weiss said. “We feel like if we can use the quarterback runs successfully, we’ll do that. Absolutely. He’s really talented in that area. One of his many talents, he can run the ball effectively. So we’re going to keep using him that way when it’s called for.”

[lawrence-related id=63560,63541,63538]

Of course, yes, there is concern when McCarthy does use his legs.

Last week, on one play when he scrambled, after getting the first down, when he could have cut outside and run out of bounds, instead he cut inside and took a big hit. If the Wolverines were to lose McCarthy due to injury at this juncture, it would mean inserting either Alan Bowman or Davis Warren.

Not that either wouldn’t be able to handle it, but given McCarthy’s ability as well as potential, Michigan does want to protect its currently most valuable asset.

“We’re always trying to protect our quarterback, no matter whether it was Cade when he was out there, whether it’s J.J. now,” Weiss said. “We’re always trying to protect the quarterback. We don’t want him to take any unnecessary hits, we want him to protect himself. But that’s not really something that’s a factor.

“We have confidence in our QBs, we have confidence in J.J. — the football will take care of itself. And then if we ever have to play somebody else, we have confidence that they’ll go ahead and do the job as well.”

Should something happen to McCarthy, whether it be on a run or otherwise, Weiss is still confident in who he has behind him.

Of course, Bowman has more experience — technically, he’s the most experienced quarterback that Michigan has on its roster, given that he started for two and a half years at Texas Tech — while Warren is a pleasant surprise that emerged from the scout team last year. Then there’s freshman Alex Orji, who is also in the mix.

At least one will be the backup for the maize and blue this Saturday when it travels to Iowa. Optimally, the only way that the Wolverines utilize one is if the game has been put out of hand in the second half.

“We have two guys we feel really good about with Davis Warren and Alan Bowman,” Weiss said. “Obviously, we feel like we could win with both of them. They’ve worked really hard, they’re very well prepared. We love both guys. The only advantage Alan gives us he started games in the Big 12. So if you get into an environment like that, we feel like he could handle it at the same time. Davis is extremely mature, intelligent and I have no doubt that he’d be able to handle those situations and flourish as well. And obviously, we have Alex, who can provide a whole different element for our offense, if you want to utilize that.”

[listicle id=63553]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Matt Weiss assesses J.J. McCarthy’s first Big Ten start for Michigan football

If what we saw on Saturday was his floor, that bodes well for #Michigan given his potential. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Perhaps fan expectations for Michigan football quarterback J.J. McCarthy took a hit after the 34-27 win over Maryland, but not within Schembechler Hall.

After being nearly flawless in his first three games, which included his first two starts for the program, McCarthy had a relatively pedestrian outing by outside standards. But for a Wolverine quarterback, it was still a good performance.

McCarthy went 18-for-26 for 220 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday, and rushed five times for five yards. He went from being the hypothetical best quarterback Michigan has ever had to merely pretty good in the span of a week — again, by fan standards — but given that it was his first full game, and his first start in Big Ten play, co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss isn’t terribly concerned with what he saw against the Terrapins.

“It’s his first real appearance, it’s the first time he’s ever played a full football game. So, I think for the first time playing a full football game, there’s a lot of positives to take away from it,” Weiss said. “I think he did a good job. Certainly looking at the stat line, it’s really good for a guy playing his first football game. At the same time, I’m sure J.J. would tell you, there’s a lot of stuff that we could clean up. And we’re focused on the process. And we just love everything about J.J. and the way he goes about it. And there’s so many things that we can fix and work on.

“And so we come away from it, even when he did make mistakes, we’re encouraged, because you can see it’s all fixable stuff. And really, it just comes down to coaching more than anything else. If he’s making mistakes, we’re not doing the right thing. And that’s on us as coaches. So we’re really encouraged by his first full game. Yeah, we were happy with it.”

[lawrence-related id=63541,63538,63535]

During the game, McCarthy uncharacteristically missed on all but one of his deep throws. It appeared as if he tried to force things, which ended in a handful of negative plays. While we don’t know as of yet if what we saw the floor on Saturday, Weiss reminds of what his ceiling is.

In short, McCarthy was a few plays away from a jaw-dropping performance.

“I mean, you could also look at it and say if we connect on a few of those deep balls, he throws for 400 yards and he has four touchdowns,” Weiss said. “But that’s not the reality that we live in. He didn’t connect on those deep balls. So just like we were looking at a throw that could have been interception, we’re looking at the throws that could have been touchdowns. So we’re coaching the process, not the outcome.”

McCarthy showed on Saturday that he does still have some to learn, and that there could be growing pains through the process.

He lost two fumbles against Maryland, which Michigan recovered, but both killed the momentum in the current drives. But McCarthy’s drive to improve became apparent once the team returned to the practice field, with one of his solutions coming at the chagrin of Weiss.

“Classic J.J., he came in and said, ‘Hey, can you tell the defense to punch at the ball when I’m running through there?’” Weiss said. “And it’s kind of like, ‘You know J.J., it’s not the best idea to have them punching at your throwing arm and your hand while you’re running through the defense, so we’re not going to do that.’ But he’s willing to do whatever it takes to fix it. And we’re gonna help him. We’re gonna help him do it. But at the same time, he’s improving every area. And we have no concern about him going forward whatsoever.”

McCarthy will have his toughest test yet this upcoming Saturday, when he faces off against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes boast one of the nation’s top defenses, and one that’s opportunistic, to say the least. In order to come away with a win, the sophomore signal caller will need to improve upon his first start, and he’ll need to do so in a hurry. Because points will be at a premium and mistakes will likely be amplified in a way that they weren’t this past weekend.

[listicle id=63553]

[mm-video type=video id=01ge0vgbh4g7a1dpgsdy playlist_id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ge0vgbh4g7a1dpgsdy/01ge0vgbh4g7a1dpgsdy-ced568ba57521bbf6492ae4c9c1353a5.jpg]

Matt Weiss can’t see J.J. McCarthy being anything but ‘really, really good’ at Michigan

A lot of positives to take from this!

There has seemed to be a quarterback battle in Ann Arbor for a long time, and going into the 2022 season has been no different.

But why shouldn’t there be one?

The Wolverines were led by Cade McNamara last season and the incumbent starter led Michigan to a 12-2 season. The maize and blue defeated Ohio State, stomped Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game, and went to the College Football Playoff before losing to Georgia. But on the other hand, Michigan has former five-star J.J. McCarthy on the roster who did help the Wolverines win games last year with his next-level playmaking ability.

On Sunday afternoon, quarterback coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss met with the media. Being the main guy to work with the quarterbacks, he was asked plenty of questions about the position and the ever-important quarterback battle.

Weiss says that Michigan is blessed to have two quarterbacks on its roster that could be starting at a multitude of places. He says that both quarterbacks have been working to improve, and the Wolverines are in a good place having both on the team.

“J.J. definitely working his way back into it,” Weiss said. “I think we’re blessed to have two guys that would start at most places. And we have two really good quarterbacks and the best player’s gonna play. And I would say they’re both really improved.”

“Last fall, Cade has improved physically, just like any player has gotten better mentally with experience, and he’s playing at a really high level,” Weiss said of the incumbent starter. “And then J.J. has done the same thing. So we’re in a great position with both those guys.”

Since McCarthy had to miss time in the spring due to an injury, it’s important to monitor his reps during fall camp. But Matt Weiss stated that the coaching staff is monitoring everyone’s reps during the fall. They don’t want anyone getting more reps than their body can handle, but most importantly, J.J. McCarthy is on the same plan as everyone else.

“We monitor all of our guys in terms of how many throws that happen in practice — even Cade,” said Weiss. “We put a lot into that in terms of, not only counting reps, but also making sure that everything they take out they’re putting back in with exercises and — throwing it stress on the arm, just the act of throwing the ball. It’s a weighted object, it’s an unweighted deceleration, so we do everything we can to make sure that they’re putting everything back into their arms and taking care of their bodies. And J.J. is on the exact same plan as everybody else.”

Being a quarterbacks coach, Weiss was asked what he thinks the top traits are to being a successful starting quarterback. The co-offensive coordinator said there are two things that, as a coach, you can’t really teach: mobility and how far you can throw a ball. Then Weiss went on to say how he looks for accuracy, decision making, and timing. He noted that he believes Cade McNamara has all those traits.

“So, the way I kind of look at it is — so, first of all, you have two things you can’t really do much about; you can improve them certainly but it’s hard to really move the needle, which is: mobility and arm strength,” Weiss explained. “You can either throw a football 70 yards or you can’t. You can either run a certain speed and be able to cut or you can’t. So you always look at that knowing that those things kind of aren’t gonna change.”

“And then we also look at accuracy, timing, decision-making, and those are things that you can potentially improve more, but that’s how you look at the skillset,” Weiss continued. “So, mobility and arm strength, knowing that those things are a little bit more fixed, accuracy, time and decision-making, knowing you can kind of shape those a little bit more. And then, obviously, the intangibles: right leadership, what type of guy I see, is he a winner? All the things that you want your quarterback to be.”

“Really all the stuff we have with our guys, right? Cade, you could certainly say all those things about him. He’s a winner. He’s the type of guy that has all those intangibles. And that’s what you look for.”

With McCarthy being such a big-time recruit and having an explosive skillset, it was important for the coaching staff to get his feet wet last year. Weiss was asked if he wished Michigan could have a defined starter and a backup. The quarterback coach went on to say that he thinks it’s important to have the starter and backup play. The starter is only one injury away from the backup becoming a necessity, and it wouldn’t be a good idea to not allow the backup to get comfortable early on in the season. Weiss, later on, added that McCarthy did a lot of good things for Michigan last year and even helped the Wolverines win games. Weiss said that he can’t see McCarthy being anything but really good, and he will be playing for Michigan, but the question remains, when.

“So we were able to develop our backup,” said Weiss. “But then at the same time, he was able to do things athletically that helped us — he helped us win games. And to his credit, he earned the opportunity to go out there and do that. And he helped us, he helped us win-win games, and he was really effective. And he’s a really good player, and he’s gonna be really good. So, we’re excited about him in his future. And I mean, it’s hard to see him being anything but really, really good at the University of Michigan, whenever his time comes, so we’re just gonna continue to develop them. And he’ll be playing for us at some point, it’s just a question of when.”

It’s going to remain a big battle all fall, but the coaching staff keeps clamoring that the best player will start. Our best guess will be that both quarterbacks will play, but the biggest question will be who trots out there for the first snap on September 3rd against Colorado State.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=61296]

Recruiting: Why some players just aren’t right for Michigan football

This is some incredible insight from a #Michigan coach. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football has been under fire for its recruiting efforts in the 2023 cycle, and it’s somewhat deservedly so.

Coming off of a College Football Playoff appearance and Big Ten championship, the Wolverines are lagging, missing out on a lot of high-profile recruits. The biggest being in-state quarterback Dante Moore, a five-star prospect rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 player in the country, regardless of position. Jim Harbaugh offered Moore when he was in seventh grade, and the maize and blue appeared to be the team to beat, but things went sour over the course of the last year, and Moore opted to go to Oregon, a team with a new head coach in Dan Lanning, who’s primarily defensive-minded.

Moore isn’t the only one, of course. The Wolverines have been seeing players they would normally get go elsewhere, presumably due to the new name, image, and likeness landscape. Harbaugh has said that he views NIL in the sense that Michigan will be transformational, not transactional, and that whatever money that would come would arrive after the player has signed and made a name for themselves — not before. There are merits to this line of thinking, but is Michigan being lapped in recruiting as a result?

On Sunday, co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss, who also oversees the quarterback position and was the primary recruiter on the aforementioned Moore, discussed his thoughts generally on the matter (that is, not specific to Moore himself). Having come aboard from the Baltimore Ravens, where he oversaw the most prolific rushing attack the NFL has ever seen, Weiss thought recruiting would have more to do with the product you put on the field than the accouterments that could come with signing to a various school. However, things have gone quite differently, and though Weiss is still looking for advantages to other merits, he explains why the current recruiting landscape in college football makes little sense.

“That’s one thing I’m about recruiting — I thought that’s what it would all be about, right?,” Weiss said. “In the NFL, guys want to go where they have — certainly, money is a factor but usually, the money is pretty close. And the teams are deciding between them, they pick between the place that is going to utilize them the best and where they have the most opportunity to win. And that’s where they go.

“And so I certainly thought coming in here, OK, if we can get the offense really good, recruiting will be easy. And then I think, one thing I’ve learned is there is a lot of the relationship element to it, right? If an NFL free agent signed with the team and went to the press conference, and said, ‘You know, I’m just here because I just love this position coach, I mean, this guy, we have a great relationship. We’re up playing like Fortnite every morning, every day at two in the morning, and this guy is just awesome. That’s why I’m here.’ Everybody would be like, ‘Wow, what’s wrong with this guy?’ But, but in college, that’s kind of, that’s kind of what happens and it’s not the only thing that things are based on, but it matters, right?

“And so I’m learning that, figuring out how to do that. Now certainly, I’m not playing Fortnite with anyone at two in the morning, but — just like I tell the recruits that. The guy that’s playing video games with you at 11 o’clock at night or whatever, that’s what he’s going to be doing when he should be trying to help you become a better player and he should be game-planning and figuring out ways to make the offense go — he’s going to be playing Fortnite with some 16-year old.”

[lawrence-related id=61301,61298,61215]

Of course, Michigan is a different school than most. The academic component, being one of the top (sometimes ranked the top) public institution of higher learning in the country means that the Wolverines take the student part in ‘student-athlete’ seriously.

On top of the academic portion, Jim Harbaugh has built a program that, while it does have some extracurriculars — such as this summer’s tourism of the state of Michigan, similar to past trips to Rome, Paris, and South Africa — is focused mainly on football. That’s the way it’s mostly been since he arrived, with the head coach famously not allowing players to visit Miami Beach when in the Capital One Orange Bowl back in 2016. Though he’s loosened up a bit since then, he’s trying to build the program into not just a contender, but one that preaches togetherness, and one that sends players to the NFL. During the 2022 fall training camp, Michigan has an astounding 55 players on NFL rosters.

While Michigan has kept up with the times when it’s come to locker room renovations, other programs have added interesting features. From water slides at Clemson, to barbershops across several others, to teams like LSU that have lockers that turn into lay-flat beds, the Wolverines aren’t adding anything particularly fancy that’s not football related.

For Weiss, he sees that as a benefit, not a deterrent. Because those who come to Ann Arbor will have a singular focus, rather than whatever fad is out there.

“Yeah, I think the guys that fit us fit that type of — the guys who are successful here — we have a great culture here, we have great guys on the team. A lot of it is a credit to Jim, obviously, but it self-selects,” Weiss said. “Guys who would want to be here, the guys who do well here are the guys who like football. The guys who are good guys who just want to play football and that’s what they love to do and this is like a football-like cathedral — all the football you can handle and more. And those are the guys this place self-selects for that.

“Guys who are into other stuff, whether it’s a locker that turns into a bed or flat-screen TV in your locker — whatever it is — those guys usually don’t do well here if they come here and they usually don’t come here. So the same thing with the quarterbacks we get. I think our types of guys, they want to come.”

In essence, if you want to be good at football, Jim Harbaugh, Matt Weiss and company are working to make Michigan that destination. If you want creature comforts or to simply bond with your recruiter over video games, then there might be better destinations out there for you.

[listicle id=61296]

[mm-video type=video id=01g9wx7aytgcmqm5h4j2 playlist_id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

Sherrone Moore says Donovan Edwards has a ‘great toolset to be an elite player’

Got to love what was said here. #GoBlue

On Sunday afternoon, both Michigan football offensive coordinators had a chance to talk to the media. The Wolverines just started fall camp on Wednesday, and both Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss had plenty of interesting things to say about their offense in Ann Arbor, but what was said about the running game was interesting.

There is no denying what was Michigan’s offensive identity last year — running the football. The Wolverines averaged 214 yards-per-game on the ground in 2021, and the maize and blue had three guys that helped: Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum, and Donovan Edwards.

So will Michigan try and replicate last season?

While Sherrone Moore says it’s too soon to tell what the offensive identity will be for Michigan for the 2022 season, Matt Weiss talked a little bit more about running the ball. Weiss talked about how in cold, rainy games that the Big Ten plays in you must be able to run the ball — especially to set up the pass. He also shared that the vision for the offense comes from Jim Harbaugh and the culture that has surrounded the Wolverines since Harbaugh has been here.

“So our vision is directly from Coach Harbaugh,” said Weiss. “If you look at his history of teams, and the culture that’s here at Michigan, that’s the vision for the offense. I think you can see the evolution of that last year with what Sherrone did with the offensive line, and how physical they were last year. And the way he coached, gap schemes, and I think that’s the kind of the calling card of, of Michigan football.”

“It’s an all-weather conference, you have to be able to play and in the cold in the rain, and certainly running the ball is a part of that. And then running the ball sets up the pass game. It’s a lot easier to throw the ball, when you can run the ball; it’s a lot harder to throw the ball when you can’t run the ball. And even you look at the best passing teams in the NFL, which is more of a passing league, they still run the ball, right? Because that’s part of the pass game.”

Of course, Michigan lost its top back from 2021 in Hassan Haskins after he left for the NFL draft. Haskins rushed for 1,333 yards, but he really broke loose once Corum got banged up in the middle of the season. Coach Moore was asked how Michigan can replace his production for 2022. The Wolverines will bring back Blake Corum, who rushed for 962 yards in 2021, and Edwards, but who will be the ‘big’ back for short yardage gains?

“Hassan was an elite player for us in college football,” said Moore. “So it’s hard to replace him but guys like Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, obviously, we have those two, and now you have the Tavis (Tavierre Dunlap), the C.J. Stokes, and even Kalel (Mullings) is getting reps like he did in the spring. Those guys have done a great job for us so far. And I’m just watching those guys continue to progress. Just gonna have to see what we’re gonna have to do.”

The Wolverines have been experimenting with Kalel Mullings at running back this spring and fall. Mullings came into Michigan as a four-star linebacker that was highly sought after. But according to Matt Weiss, Mullings is splitting time on both sides of the ball in fall camp. He says that Mullings being a bigger back, it gives Michigan a different option like Haskins gave the Wolverines last year.

“Yeah, he’s splitting his time with both sides of the ball,” Weiss said of Mullings. “He’s a talented guy who could probably do anything that he wanted to. But I think he could be a really, really high-level back if that’s to be committed himself to. And right now he’s doing everything we ask, obviously. It’s hard when you’re splitting time to master both. But he’s finding a way to do that. And we’re spending extra time with him. And we’re excited about what he can potentially add to an already talented backfield.”

“He’s a bigger back,” Weiss went on about the hybrid back. “We have kind of an embarrassment of riches in the backfield with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, both guys who will likely be playing at the next level. But they’re not however man pounds. Kalel is, he’s a really big, physical guy, so he gives you that presence that we had a lot of success with Hassan last year. We’re not saying that Kalel is going to be Hassan, right, that’s not going to be Kalel. But he adds an element that the other two really talented players — is a little bit different.”

While it sounds like there is a battle brewing for the No. 3 running back job, there is a clear-cut top two for Michigan: Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. We all know what Corum is capable of after his performance last season. The former four-star back came out of the gates like a man on fire after rushing for over 200 yards during his first three games of the season.

But the more intriguing factor for Michigan for 2022 is Donovan Edwards. The former five-star back out of West Bloomfield rushed for 178 yards in 2021 running behind both Haskins and Corum. But what makes Edwards so lethal is his ability to catch the ball. He was fifth on the team last year in receiving with 265 yards, and he really broke out against Maryland last year when he caught 10 passes for 170 yards and a score.

During Big Ten Media Days, FOX analyst Joel Klatt said that Edwards was his “dark horse Heisman contender”. Also during Big Ten Media Days, coach Harbaugh said that Edwards was one of his favorite players and was a once-in-a-generation type of talent. So what does his offensive coordinator think? Sherrone Moore says Edwards brings a ton of energy to the team, and that he has the toolset to be an elite player in college football.

“Yeah, the first thing he brings is energy, because if he walked through right now, you’d probably hear him yelling,” said Moore. “Just the energy, the presence that he has, he has an infectious personality. He’s an electric player, and he’s still learning to do things, he’s by no means a finished product. So he continues to strive to get better, and he just wants to be pushed to get better. But he has a great skill set, a great toolset to be an elite player in college football. And we have higher expectations of him and he has high expectations of himself. So I’ll just continue to push him to try to get better.”

The Wolverines will get their season started on September 3rd against Colorado State.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=61213]

What Matt Weiss said about the Michigan football offense, QBs in fall camp

Really, really good stuff here! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football is going back to a dual coordinator situation, much like it had when Jim Harbaugh first arrived in 2015.

Back then, there was one nominal offensive coordinator in Tim Drevno, while Jedd Fisch operated as the pass game coordinator. This year, Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss are both sharing the co-offensive coordinator title, while Moore still works with the offensive line, and Weiss oversees the quarterback position.

For the first time in fall camp, Weiss met with the media and had some interesting insights, from the quarterback competition, to a linebacker getting reps with the running backs, to his recruiting philosophy, and much, much more.

You can find everything he had to say on Sunday below.

Dual Michigan offensive coordinators get vote of confidence from Cade McNamara

It’ll be really interesting to see how the offense works when the season comes. #GoBlue

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Michigan football returns the bulk of its offensive personnel, both on the field and off. But there will still be changes in 2022.

Josh Gattis inexplicably departed for the Miami OC job this offseason, and instead of bringing in a new name, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh elevated quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss to the co-offensive coordinator position while offensive line coach Sherrone Moore retained that title. No longer was Moore essentially an underling to Gattis as a coordinator, now he and Weiss are set to share the duties of overseeing the entire offense this fall.

Naturally, there are questions as to what that will look like when the season arrives, but quarterback Cade McNamara likes what he’s seen from the duo thus far, having gone through spring ball. From what he can tell, the coordinator-by-committee situation has worked and will work once it’s time to officially put the pads on.

“Really, there’s so much more to being an offensive coordinator than just calling plays. And I think Coach Harbaugh is doing a really good job of balancing the two and those two are being very unselfish,” McNamara said. “They’re really two great individuals. And it’s pretty obvious to the team, how much they care about their new roles as well. I’m just really excited to continue growing my relationship with both of them.”

It’s not the first time Harbaugh has deployed multiple coordinators on offense. While Tim Drevno had the official offensive coordinator title from 2015-17, the pass game coordinators (Jedd Fisch in 2015-16 and Pep Hamilton in 2017) had what appeared to be equal footing when it came to calling and running the offense. So, this tactic is not new, to Harbaugh or the program.

Sherrone Moore got his feet wet a little with the co-coordinator role in 2021, but Matt Weiss’ elevation is a new development in his career. The former Baltimore Ravens run game coordinator certainly has bona fides and offensive prowess, but we’ll learn a lot more once we actually see him in action this fall.

Of course, as McNamara’s position coach last year, he has a pretty good idea of what Weiss brings to the table, noting that he’s been quite beneficial in terms of getting the passers ready, not just for the college game week-to-week, but their potential future at the pro-level.

“I think Coach Weiss is very, I mean, he’s extremely smart. I think any situational awareness, Coach Weiss is very comfortable. In any scenario that we get put in, in a football game, what he brings to the table as far as drawing up plays for certain looks, I think he’s very comfortable,” McNamara said. “He’s seen a lot. He’s seen what that looks like, from the NFL perspective, and he’s able to take that knowledge and give it to us. And, he’s taught me so much as to even what I can expect at the next level. And, he’s really good dude. And I know he’s got a lot of respect, not just from me, but from Coach Harbaugh, and the rest of the guys, so just really looking forward to this season with him.”

What’s more, McNamara says that Weiss is congenial and not at all domineering.

The biggest aspect is that he wants his signal callers to understand why the game works as it does rather than putting band-aids on flesh wounds, so to speak.

“He’s very serious, but at the same time, you can joke around with him,” McNamara said. “Coach Weiss is really laid back, you can share some very personal things with him and I know a lot of us appreciate that. And when it comes to on the field, he’s very aware of — maybe he did not play quarterback, but he understands what it takes to play quarterback as far as the movement, as far as throwing, he really takes in consideration our natural feel of the game.

“And watching film, if you move into pocket a certain way, as to maybe just saying, like, ‘Maybe you didn’t have to do that,’ or, maybe less criticism, it’s more of a conversation — ‘Why did this happen?’ and how can we do better from this certain play or situation that we faced.”

As far as who will be calling plays and when, there’s no clear indicator as to how that will work. Perhaps we’ll get a decent idea once the season arrives, but — given that it was never clear in Harbaugh’s first three years in Ann Arbor — perhaps not.

And if the offense works as it did in 2015 and 2016, it won’t really matter what we know.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

What Matt Weiss said about the Michigan football offense in spring ball

Fired up about the offensive side of the ball! #Goblue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While he may be sharing duties with Sherrone Moore as the two are co-offensive coordinators, Matt Weiss is certainly an experienced offensive mind.

He came to Ann Arbor last year from the Baltimore Ravens, where he served as the run game coordinator for a prolific offensive attack — the best in the NFL. But he has myriad experiences outside of just the quarterbacks at Michigan and the run game with the Ravens.

Now Weiss has been elevated to co-offensive coordinator, and he spoke to the media for the first time on Tuesday since he assumed those duties earlier in the year. Here’s everything he had to say.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Michigan football names new offensive coordinators, other staff changes

This makes all the sense in the world.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It didn’t take long before Josh Gattis was speculated as the targeted Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator before it was confirmed that Michigan football was losing its Broyles Award-winning assistant. But it similarly didn’t take long for the Wolverines to find a replacement.

Unlike the defensive coordinator position, which is likely to be an outside hire, Michigan has several internal candidates who could fill the offensive vacancy. The Wolverines turned to Sherrone Moore, the 2021 offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator who was elevated from tight ends coach a year ago and Matt Weiss will now be the co-offensive coordinator along with being the quarterbacks’ coach.

This comes on the heels of Moore having coached the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, named as the nation’s best a year ago. Along with Weiss, their fingerprints on the offense have been undeniable, as Michigan went from ‘speed in space’ to more of a run-focused attack that more closely resembled Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers offense.

Moore came to Michigan in 2018 after serving as the tight ends coach with Central Michigan.

Additionally, former Michigan offensive tackle Grant Newsome was promoted from his graduate assistant position to the new tight ends coach, Ron Bellamy will move from safeties to wide receivers, Jay Harbaugh will coach safeties, and Mike Hart will be the run game coordinator.

[listicle id=59015]

Full release

University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh announced Wednesday (Feb. 9) the addition of Grant Newsome as the program’s tight end coach and the reorganization of the offensive coaching staff.

“Grant has been a positive, motivating force within our coaching staff since he joined us as a student assistant,” said Harbaugh. “We have had a front-row seat to Grant’s development as a coach and are excited that he has chosen to accept our offer to become a full-time assistant. He is a future star in this profession, and our players really respect what Grant is teaching on the field and the insight that he shares from life experiences. We are excited to have Grant and his wife, Coco, continue as key members of the Michigan Football family.”

Newsome helped provide leadership and coaching to an offensive line over the past two seasons that yielded just 22 sacks and 61 tackles for loss in 1,354 offensive plays. In 2021, the Wolverines led the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed per contest (2.43 avg.) and was fifth in fewest sacks allowed (1.0 avg.). Michigan listed 17th in the NCAA in tackles for loss allowed (4.5 avg.) and was 18th nationally in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.5 avg.) during the 2020 season.

Listed as one of the Top 30 under 30 by 247Sports, Newsome was a key factor in helping the unit win the 2021 Joe Moore Award as the nation’s most outstanding offensive line. All five position players earned all-conference honors, with four of the five starters earning first- or second-team accolades. The offensive line helped the offense rank as one of the nation’s most balanced during the 2021 season, averaging 214.4 rushing yards and 228.7 passing yards per contest. Michigan gained 6,203 offensive yards which ranked as the second most in school history and the team’s 501 points scored were the sixth highest total in Michigan history.

Newsome was a student assistant coach helping with the tight ends for two seasons (2018-19). A former Wolverine offensive tackle, Newsome moved into coaching after his playing career ended prematurely due to a serious injury that forced him to medically retire.

Harbaugh also announced that Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss will co-coordinate the offense for the Wolverines. The Donald C. Graham Offensive Line Coach, Moore is in his second season as co-offensive coordinator. Weiss, who joined the staff last year from the Baltimore Ravens, will continue coaching the quarterbacks and adds duties as the Sanford Robertson Co-Offensive Coordinator.

The offensive coaching room adds the services of Ron Bellamy, who will mentor the wide receivers after working with the program’s safeties last season. Mike Hart will add duties as the run game coordinator and continue to tutor the running backs.

Graduate assistant coach Stephen Adegoke, who is in his second season with the program, will move over to the offensive side of the ball and assist Bellamy with the receivers.

“We have great chemistry among the coaches on our offensive staff,” said Harbaugh. “The teamwork has been exceptional. Everyone has been integral to our offensive success and each coach’s contribution has and will continue to be valued. Coach Sherrone Moore and Coach Matt Weiss will share play-calling duties with our objective being to maximize our players’ talents and put them in the best position to be successful. I am excited about the leadership and coaching of our offensive staff.”

Harbaugh added that Jay Harbaugh will continue to serve as the program’s Special Teams Coordinator and will shift over to the defensive side of the ball and coach the safeties this season. Harbaugh was named the Football Scoop Special Team Coordinator of the Year and one of four to receive the honor of being named National Special Teams Coordinator of the Year presented by the MJ Morgan Group. Michigan had the nation’s No. 1-ranked special teams in 2021 according to Football Outsiders.

Following are the titles and coaching assignments for the offense and special teams staff:

Sherrone Moore – Sanford Robertson Co-Offensive Coordinator/Donald C. Graham Offensive Line Coach

Matt Weiss – Sanford Robertson Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Ron Bellamy – Wide Receivers

Mike Hart – Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs

Grant Newsome – Tight Ends

Jay Harbaugh – Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties

[listicle id=58956]

Could Michigan football hire a new offensive coordinator from within?

The home run hire is already in the building.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

On Sunday, the news came fast: not only were the Miami Hurricanes targeting Michigan football offensive coordinator Josh Gattis for the same position, but just as quickly as the report surfaced came confirmation — Gattis has accepted the role in Coral Gables.

That means that Michigan now has the unenviable task of hiring both a new offensive and defensive coordinator, in the offseason after winning the Big Ten championship and advancing to the College Football Playoff.

While the defensive coordinator position is likely to be an external candidate, the same won’t be likely on the offensive side of the ball. Last spring, after linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary departed for the same role with the Tennessee Volunteers, instead of hiring a new LB coach, Jim Harbaugh went back to the Baltimore Ravens well and plucked away run game coordinator Matt Weiss, who came to Ann Arbor as the new quarterbacks coach. According to Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News, Weiss will quite likely be the Wolverines’ replacement at offensive coordinator.

[lawrence-related id=58189,57777,56712]

Weiss oversaw the most prolific rushing attack in the NFL in his tenure in Baltimore, with Lamar Jackson at quarterback and multiple tailbacks leading the charge. After coming to Ann Arbor, the Wolverine offense was less ‘speed in space’ and more variations of the run, perhaps following his influence.

While he doesn’t have any offensive coordinator experience, neither did former Michigan and now Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Generally, NFL-level assistants are more than qualified to take over coordinator duties at the college level. Should Weiss be promoted, it would also maintain consistency with with the maize and blue were running a year ago, as well.

[listicle id=57790]