Tag: Spring Ball

Everything Jim Harbaugh said about Michigan football at the outset of spring ball

You get the feeling Harbaugh thinks this team can go further than any of his others. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For the first time since the culmination of the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke with the media on Thursday.

The Wolverines have had two spring practices thus far with eyes on an April 1 spring game. But Harbaugh had to answer for a lot that happened in the tumultuous offseason. From his seeming NFL interest, again, to coach dismissals and hirings, to NCAA violations and more. Still, Harbaugh appears to be, yet again, quite enthusiastic about the product on the field.

Here’s everything he said in his nearly 30 minute press conference.

Where did the Oklahoma Sooners land in USA TODAY Sports latest 2022 power rankings?

With the dust settled on spring ball, where do the Oklahoma Sooners rank in USA TODAY Sport updated top 25 power rankings?

Spring ball has wrapped up, classes are about to finish for the semester, and coaches are hitting the recruiting trails hard before they settle back in for fall camp and the 2022 college football season.

While the college football landscape continues to evolve with NIL, the transfer portal, realignment discussions, and the future of the College Football Playoff, not much has changed at the top in the college football hierarchy.

In the latest USA TODAY Sports post-spring power rankings, the top five teams are five of the most successful programs over the last decade. Coming off a national championship game loss, Alabama sits atop the post-spring power rankings with 2021 national champion Georgia right behind them. Ohio State comes in at No. 3. The Oklahoma Sooners moved up a spot and sit at No. 4. Clemson looks like a team that could see a return to national prominence after a down year (by their standards) in 2021. The Tigers come in at No. 5.

Despite all of the turnover at head coach, on the coaching staff, at quarterback, and on defense, the Oklahoma Sooners sit at No. 4 in USA TODAY Sports updated power rankings after spring ball.

Sometimes change is good even during an era of success. Lincoln Riley won 55 games in five seasons, but his departure created an opportunity to fix the culture of a program that was on a downward trajectory. The arrival of former Sooners defensive coordinator Brent Venables might seem like a step back, especially after the program sustained significant losses in the transfer portal. However, Venables brings a needed emphasis on physical play on both sides of the ball that was lacking. Central Florida transfer Dillon Gabriel will be the starter at quarterback with Caleb Williams joining Riley at Southern California. Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby arrives from Mississippi and will rely more on the running game if the offensive line can do its part. On defense, Venables was aggressive in going into the portal to fill needs on the line and secondary. Holdover lineman Jalen Redmond and defensive back Woodi Washington should be among the players in the Big 12. OU didn’t see its run of six consecutive conference titles end because of a lack of talent. This is still the favorite in the league. — Erick Smith, USA TODAY Sports

As successful as Riley was at Oklahoma, he couldn’t push the Sooners over the top. Struggles in the College Football Playoff and multiple conference losses in his final two seasons at the helm made getting into the Big 12 championship game a challenge. They made it in 2020 with a lot of help from the league but failed to reach the title game in 2021 for the first time since the game was reinstituted in 2017.

The hiring of Brent Venables was the perfect response to the storm that was Riley’s departure. Someone with a ton of energy, that had a passion for the program, and who had success on the field and on the recruiting trail against the SEC. With his success as coordinator, Venables was the perfect person at the perfect time to lead the Oklahoma Sooners into the SEC.

While there may be lingering frustration over the way Riley left Oklahoma back in November, the program is in good hands with Venables at the helm.

Noticeable are the absences of the Texas Longhorns and the USC Trojans. Smith isn’t buying the hype coming out of Austin or Los Angeles after the two programs combined for nine wins in 2021.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a favorable schedule in 2022 and an experienced hand at the helm of their offense. Winning the Big 12 and getting back to the College Football Playoff isn’t outside the realm of possibility but teams like Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Texas won’t make it easy. The Big 12 is arguably as deep as it’s been in the last several years and a handful of teams could become legitimate contenders for the conference title.

Let’s take a look at the latest USA TODAY Sports power rankings.

Post-spring Michigan football position power rankings: Cornerback

This position should be really good in 2022! #GoBlue

Spring football for the Wolverines came to a close this past week, and now we have a pretty good idea of the complexion of the team as it enters summer conditioning.

Though it’s somewhat incomplete, as players will take steps forward or backward once fall camp arrives, and there will be an influx of freshmen, the cornerbacks room already has its likely stable of contributors set. We saw the starters from last year take the field with new contributors, and for the most part, the passing game looked good from a defensive perspective.

This was the first spring that Steve Clinkscale has had to work with his unit — he arrived after spring ball last year when Maurice Linguist accepted the Buffalo head coaching job — and his influence was prevalent.

With that in mind, as we look across all positions, here’s how the cornerbacks rank against each other now that spring ball is in the rear view mirror.

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Post-spring Michigan football 2022 defense depth chart projection

The defense is going to surprise some people! #GoBlue

We’ve now had a week to think about Michigan football in the spring game, and while we already put forward our offensive prediction, we’re now thinking about the defensive side of the ball.

Though it’s the defense that lost a lot of key components from the 2021 edition of the team, it was that side of the ball that was particularly impressive under first-year Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter in the spring game. There’s a lot of talent, just some of it happens to be unproven.

Not completely the case anymore, now that we’ve seen some of them in action. With that in mind, here’s the WolverinesWire prediction of how the defensive side of the ball will shake out now that spring practices have concluded.

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Post-spring Michigan football 2022 offensive depth chart prediction

This has the makings for an incredible offensive attack! #GoBlue

The annual spring game is in the books for Michigan football, and we now have a better idea of who will be contributing to the 2022 team.

Though it’s not an exact science, given that it wasn’t the No. 1 offense on the field vs. the No. 2 defense — as some spring games go — we saw a handful of guys get more plays than others, while many took advantage of said opportunities.

Now that the dust has settled, we’re exploring the offensive side of the ball and what it could look like come fall if everything remains somewhat static. Though several players played other positions on Saturday, here’s our best guess as to the offensive depth chart across all positions.

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Michigan football spring game 2022: Burning questions for every scholarship player

Who will be the next great Wolverines? #GoBlue

The spring game is nearly here, and we’ll finally get to see what the 2022 iteration of the Michigan Wolverines are made of. But, of course, every team is comprised of players, and in order for the maize and blue to repeat 2021’s success, there will need to be significantly increased contributions from a lot of unheralded players.

Of course, many have just been biding their time, waiting for their opportunities. Others haven’t made well on their potential just yet, but now put into the spotlight, oftentimes, we see those players suddenly emerge. Other players are already playing at a stellar level and are star players in their own right. What’s the next step for them?

We went down the list of all the scholarship players and/or major contributors and asked one burning question about what their next step might or should be. You can find them all below.

Why the trio of freshman WRs are impressing A.J. Henning

These guys could all be year-one contributors! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While Michigan football’s wide receiver room is loaded with talent — the group didn’t lose anyone this offseason and will return team captain and standout Ronnie Bell this fall — the room has also added three true freshmen who have the capability to help the team right away.

It’s difficult to pick which of the three could be the most capable; Jim Harbaugh said in December that Darrius Clemons is like another version of Nico Collins, Amorion Walker also has both size and speed, while 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong had once noted that Tyler Morris would have been more highly thought of had he not been injured for his senior year — though he was still a four-star recruit.

This spring, all three have been mentioned in the same breath, and all three have been praised for their playmaking ability already, just a few months into their college careers. But how do the established wideouts view them?

On Thursday, third-year receiver A.J. Henning met with the media and shared what he thinks this younger group brings to both the team as well as the unit as a whole.

“I think a lot of versatility. I think each one has unique qualities that make them different, and they bring huge playmaking ability to our room,” Henning said. “You have the bigger receiver in Darrius — he’s fast as well. Amorion, he has elusiveness and he’s quick, too. And Tyler, he has the quick twitchy speed as well.

“So they’re all huge playmakers and bring different personalities and different attributes to our room.”

While speed is great — we heard for years about the benefits of ‘speed in space’ — perhaps the most important thing is actually making plays. The good news? Henning says that all three are doing just that thus far in spring ball.

“They all bring different traits to their game and they all have been stepping up in big ways,” Henning said. “A lot of things that I’ve seen from them is playmaking ability and what they can do after the catch. They have speed and that makes them playmakers.”

Fans will get their first taste of the freshman wide receiver trio on April 2, when Michigan football hosts its annual spring game at noon EDT at The Big House.

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What new tight ends coach Grant Newsome said about Michigan football this spring

He’s going to be really, really good in this new role! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was only six years ago that Grant Newsome was in a battle with Ben Bredeson for the starting left tackle spot. Now, he’s overseeing Michigan’s tight ends in his first year as the team’s on-field coach at that position.

The Wolverines made some shifts in the coaching staff after some expected and unexpected departures, moving last year’s tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh to safeties, safeties coach Ron Bellamy to wide receivers, and promoting grad assistant Newsome to the full-time tight ends coach.

Speaking with the media for the first time in his capacity as a coach, Newsome shared what the process has been like, what he’s seen from his group, what’s made Erick All such a special player, how the younger tight ends are coming along, and much more.

Here is everything he had to say.

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WATCH: Texas players are pumped up for first padded practice

The excitement is high around the Texas football program.

The excitement is high around the Texas football program entering an important spring. A talented group of newcomers highlighted by an excellent transfer haul and top five 2022 recruiting class has brought a new feel to the team.

The Longhorns look to leave last season’s 5-7 record behind them and make significant improvement before next fall. Texas has many intriguing storylines they hope to figure out before the end of spring ball. Leaders need to step up and the defense has to show major improvement from a year ago.

Saturday marked the first day of padded practice and it is safe to say the energy from the players and coaching staff was at a high level.

Along with spring practice heating up, Texas is hosting an impressive group of recruits and signees on-campus.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

New Michigan defensive coordinator already embracing Ohio State rivalry

Love his attitude toward the rivalry already! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Any time that a new head coach or coordinator comes in at either Michigan or Ohio State, it’s fair to ask of their understanding of the importance of the rivalry. Some coaches get it, but others didn’t embrace it — and their records reflected that, fairly or not.

Jim Harbaugh always embraced the rivalry, but it took him until 2021 to get his first win over the Buckeyes as a coach. Now, of course, the Wolverines would like to make it two in a row when the maize and blue head south on the last Saturday of November later this year.

But, if that’s to happen, winning a second-straight over OSU, it will likely mean that the defense is operating at a similar level as to last year with Mike Macdonald at the helm.

Macdonald’s gone, having gone back to the Baltimore Ravens, but Jesse Minter — who is also from the John Harbaugh coaching tree — has come in to replace him. Minter says that little will change on defense from a schematic standpoint. The Buckeyes are set to feature one of, if not the most, vaunted offenses in college football, so the onus will be on Minter to slow down their attack.

And already, he’s embracing his role, knowing that there’s one team on the schedule more important than others.

“It’s a huge piece of this position. It’s beat Ohio, I think we talk about it every day,” Minter said. “We do drills that are dedicated towards trying to win that game and I’m excited just to be a part of it. And I think the players, it was great for them to get that feeling and get to know what it felt like to win that game and certainly what it did for the season — catapult them into the Big Ten Championship, into the playoff.

“So yeah, the rivalry is a huge piece of college football and you don’t back down from it. So there’s a couple on the schedule that we got to make sure we handle our business.”

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Co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale knows just how important the pass defense will be again this year.

Last year, despite struggling on offense, seemingly, Ohio State managed 394 yards through the air. Clinkscale doesn’t want to see that happen again in 2022 — easier said than done with QB C.J. Stroud, as well as Jaxon Smith-Njigba and other talented wideouts returning.

“Well, I think because you had success, you gain confidence. Now the biggest thing is not to be complacent,” Clinkscale said. “And even though we have players who made plays last year, and some of those guys are returning in the secondary, we still feel that we can make more. We still feel like we can help the team more, we can leverage the ball better on the perimeter. We can continue to keep the big plays in front of us. We beat the team the last game of the year and we still gave up a lot of yards passing. We want to continue to minimize that, can’t give him any, any room to breathe. So we always want to keep focusing on that.”

Michigan fans will get a chance to see the revamped defensive attack on April 2, when the Wolverines host the annual spring game at The Big House.

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