Tag: Zach Charbonnet

3 things we learned after Michigan defeated Minnesota

After a 49-24 win over the Gophers, here are three things we can expect to continue to improve for Michigan football.

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After 7 weeks of college football being played without Michigan, we all finally got our wish in CFB Week Eight.

Big Ten football is back.  More importantly, Michigan football is back.

There were multiple unknowns about Michigan as game time swiftly approached, and all eyes were on the Wolverines for a primetime matchup against Minnesota. Not many people knew what to expect from the Wolverines with a new starting QB and four new starting offensive linemen.

After a dominating performance and a 49-24 win, here are the three things that we learned from the first game of the year:

Michigan is loaded at running back

Most people believed that Michigan was going to be fairly strong at running back this season with returnees Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins.

With Chris Evans returning to the team this season, and the speedster, true freshman Blake Corum coming into the fold, it makes this group arguably the strongest position on the team.

Michigan ran for 253 rushing yards as a team Saturday night, and the running back group had 192 of it. As a group they averaged a stunning 9.6 yards per play on the ground. That’s nearly a first down every time they touch the ball. Got to give the offensive line a ton of praise last night, as the unit had created giant holes for the backs most of the evening.

The eye vision from Haskins and Charbonnet was spot on. Haskins found a gap on the right side of the line for a 66 yard run, and Charbonnet hit a hole up the middle for a 70 yard TD run on the secnd drive of the game for the Wolverines.

We also saw some explosive plays from Evans and Corum throughout the night. Corum’s first play was a 24 yard catch-and-run from Milton where he showed off his speed. And Evans found the end zone for the first time since 2018.

With Michigan being able to rotate four backs during any game, it will give them a major advantage all year. Keeping these guys fresh and energized will go a long way.

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NEXT: Improved QB play and a new star on defense

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Michigan football grades from Big Ten Week 1 win over No. 21 Minnesota

Michigan football dominated for a majority of the game as they defeated No. 21 Minnesota 49-24. What grade does each position receive?

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With months of anticipation, Michigan football returned Saturday night as it  defeated No. 21 Minnesota on the road 49-24 in a huge Big Ten Week 1 victory.

The Wolverines exceeded expectations. The offense was explosive with seven touchdowns, while the defense slowed the Golden Gophers’ strong offense.

Michigan saw multiple positions make big plays from a vast number of people at those fronts. The depth some of these positions have is ridiculous and gives Michigan more chances to win these big games. Having that depth gives players more rest with not much of a difference in the group’s performance. Check out how each position was graded in the win last night.

Offense

Quarterback: A-

Starting quarterback Joe Milton made his first career start Saturday night. While people were expecting fireworks, they didn’t see much firepower but still got a solid performance from the redshirt sophomore. Milton finished the game going 15 of 22 for 225 yards and a touchdown, along with eight carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. Milton didn’t connect on any deep passes people were hoping to see, but, overall, he performed well in his starting debut.

Milton was sacked on the opening drive, which was the only time he was sacked all game. Milton didn’t face much pressure, and when he did, he avoided it to keep the play alive or escaped and ran for a few yards. Milton had a few overthrown passes, but the accuracy issue many were concerned about didn’t materialize. He had a 68% completion percentage.

Milton looked calm all night and never seemed fazed by what the defense was giving him. He made smart decisions and didn’t get cute with the football. His performance last night was a great sign of the future he has in Ann Arbor.

Running Back: A

The four-headed beast that is the running back corps of Michigan football showed its teeth last night. Zach Charbonnet was the starting running back, and, on the second drive of the game, Charbonnet found the huge hole up the middle and ran for a 70-yard touchdown. Charbonnet finished with four carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. He wasn’t the only running back to score. Hassan Haskins produced 82 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.

The returning Chris Evans found the end zone and finished with five carries for 19 yards and a touchdown, along with a catch for 10 yards. Freshman Blake Corum also got the start and produced five carries for 24 yards along with two catches for 36 yards. Fullback Ben Mason got involved as well. He had the only receiving touchdown on an 8-yard catch.

The running game had 31 carries for 256 yards and five touchdowns. Despite Milton having a strong arm, Michigan will continue to pound the rock and score more touchdowns on the ground than through the air. This four-back depth at the position gives the Wolverines versatility and fresh legs on the field with a player that can make plays for them.

Wide Receiver: B

Another position with a swarm of playmakers is wide receiver. Last year’s leading receiver Ronnie Bell led the team once again with four catches for 74 yards.

The youngsters gained plenty of playing time. Freshman Roman Wilson had two catches for 34 yards and the other freshman A.J. Henning had a catch for 14 yards and a carry for 6 yards. Mike Sainristil had a catch for 11 yards, and Giles Jackson had a catch for 5 yards with one carry for 8 yards.

A few drops from the group hurt, but it didn’t change the outcome of the game. If they can catch more of those passes, they can put up more yardage through the air.

Tight End: C+

Starting tight end Nick Eubanks didn’t play due to an undisclosed reason, so Erick All got the nod, and his performance was fine. He dropped a wide-open catch with nobody in the area that he could have walked into the end zone. The next play after the drop, Milton threw it right at him to underscore his confidence in him.

All finished the game with two catches for 33 yards. Backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker drew a penalty and didn’t catch any passes. The group’s blocking was solid, but the group wasn’t as involved as they might usually be when Eubanks is on the field. Having Eubanks out was a blow to the offense, but Michigan can clearly put up points without him.

Offensive line: A-

The offensive line was the biggest question mark of the offense heading into the 2020 season, and outside of the opening drive, the unit played almost a perfect game. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield was the lone returning starter. Two positions had first-time starters: left guard Chuck Filiaga and center Andrew Vastardis. The other two players had started previously but were new to their roles: left tackle Ryan Hayes and right guard Andrew Stuber.

The offensive line allowed a sack on the opening drive, but got its act together. Filiaga made a huge block to open the hole on that Charbonnet touchdown, which was the group’s turning point. The unit kept Milton upright after the sack, and he seldom faced pressure all game long.

Now onto the defense and special teams…
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5 Takeaways from Michigan’s 49-24 win against No. 21 Minnesota

In the return of Michigan football, the Wolverines dominated No. 21 Minnesota 49-24. Here are my five takeaways from the win for Michigan.

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Michigan football started the 2020 season with a bang as they dominated No. 21 Minnesota, in a 49-24 win. Head coach Jim Harbaugh got his second road win against a top 25 team, the first since he beat Michigan State in 2018. Michigan needed to make a statement in their Big Ten Week One game, and they certainly did.

The offense was explosive, but while they had 481 yards of offense, there were few explosive plays for the group. Running back Zach Charbonnet had a huge 70-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but most of the plays by the Wolverines were good chunk plays, and with Minnesota missing their starting kicker and punter, they had short field position for a majority of the game.

The defense played lights out after a slow start, and they were able to shut down the high-powered offense that Minnesota had from last season. Minnesota’s star wide receiver, Rashod Bateman, was held in check with nine catches for 101 yards. While 101 yards is a lot to allow for a wide receiver, most of them were in just two plays. Keeping Bateman in check was a big objective, and the Wolverines did just that. Check out my five takeaways from the Wolverine’s huge win over the Golden Gophers.

1. The running game is as advertised

Michigan has a loaded running back room with every type of running back you can imagine. From a pass-catcher to a speed demon to a power back, Michigan has everything you need. We knew all four running backs would get involved, and all four each had a moment for themselves.

Freshman running back Blake Corum had five carries for 24 yards, along with two catches or 36 yards as he was the first person to catch the ball from Milton. The other speedy running back, returning Chris Evans, made his presence known as he had five carries for 19 yards and a touchdown, along with a catch for 10 yards.

Most of the ground game yardage came from the dynamic duo of last season in running backs, Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins. Charbonnet helped the Wolverines get back in the game after an early hiccup, running 70 yards for a touchdown. He would finish the game with four carries for 70 yards and one touchdown. Haskins had six carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns. The running game was advertised to have multiple weapons, and it was shown tonight.

2. The offensive line looks solid

With four starters leaving for the NFL, Michigan was left with just one returning starter on the offensive line. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield was expected to lead this inexperienced group when the game began, but luckily for him, some of his new buddies along the line have started in games before.

Right guard Andrew Stueber started three games at right tackle in 2018 before he tore his ACL and missed the 2019 season. Ryan Hayes started the first two games of the 2019 season at left tackle while Jon Runyan Jr. was injured. Those two players would start, Hayes at left tackle and Stueber at right guard.

The other two new starters never had starting experience before in left guard Chuck Filiaga and center Andrew Vastardis were the new faces on the line, and overall the unit played well. Milton was sacked on the first drive of the game but could stay upright for the rest of the game and had time to throw a majority of his passes. They also helped open up holes for the running game. Overall this group didn’t appear to have multiple starters; they exceeded the expectations, and if they can continue this stellar play, it can be the difference-maker for the offense to put up 40+ points a week.

3. Joe Milton wasn’t flashy but got the job done

Michigan starting quarterback Joe Milton had a lot of hype coming into the 2020 season. With the cannon of an arm he has and how much he was putting in work during the off-season, Milton was seemed to have a chance of a big game opening week. While it wasn’t a monster game for Milton with few deep passes, he did a good job in his first start.

Milton finished the game going 15/22 for 225 yards and a touchdown, along with eight carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. His accuracy didn’t seem to be much of an issue as he overthrew two passes. The rest were just dropped balls or close catches. Milton used his legs more than was expected, and it helped confuse the Minnesota defense.

Every week you shouldn’t expect Milton to be throwing for over 300 or 400 yards along with three or more touchdowns. Milton doesn’t need to blow up the opposing defenses; he needs to make some plays and move the ball down the field as the running game seems to be how the Wolverines will score most of the points this year.

4. The defense could have gotten better

Last year was the worst year for the defense for the Wolverines under defensive coordinator Don Brown. Before 2019, Michigan repeatedly had a top-five defense. In 2019, they finished 10th. 10th was the worst they’ve had, and that’s still pretty good.

Michigan looked like they could be a top-five defense once again with the performance they had against Minnesota tonight. The Wolverines were able to get five sacks, force a fumble, and an interception. Minnesota was held to 326 yards of offense, and multiple times Michigan was bending but didn’t break.

The defense had multiple players step up and make plays for them tonight. Viper Michael Barrett played fantastically with seven total tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Defensive end Kwity Paye finished with four total tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Defensive tackle Carlo Kemp made some big plays and finished with four total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack.

5. The delima at kicker needs to be handled fast

Something that wasn’t discussed much before the season began was the kicker battle between Jake Moody and Quinn Nordin. Both kickers were in a rotation last season before Nordin seemed to have taken over at the position to close out the season. Harbaugh never named either one the starter, so we weren’t sure who would start this season until the first field goal attempt would happen.

Moody was the first kicker on the field, and while he was 7/7 on extra-point attempts when it came to kicking field goals, he struggled heavily. His first attempt was 38 yards out, and it was not close as it was wide right. His next kick was further away at 48 yards, and while this one was more accurate, it still was off to the left. The final kick was 33 yards out, and while it was a bad snap, Moody still couldn’t make it. Every point matters in these games, and missing those aren’t what you want to see from your starting kicker in the first game.

Nordin never saw the field, and maybe he should be given a chance to kick field goals next week. Missing one kick doesn’t mean you should lose the starting job, but missing three in the first week, against a top 25 opponent on the road, should make it a question if you are the right guy. Whoever Michigan has out there next week needs to be the starting kicker for the rest of the season, as a rotation doesn’t cut it, and pulling a kicker every other week doesn’t help their confidence. Let the battle this week be for the rest of the season, without making it a week-by-week case.

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Halftime analysis of No. 18 Michigan vs No. 21 Minnesota

It’s halftime between Michigan and Minnesota as it’s 35-17 Michigan. What has worked and what hasn’t so far for the Wolverines?

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After months of waiting, Michigan football returned tonight! The Wolverines were looking to take down Minnesota on the road, and it didn’t start the way they were hoping for. After a screen pass from quarterback Joe Milton to freshman running back Blake Corum for 24 yards, things went downhill quickly. Fullback Ben Mason received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, making it second and long. An incomplete pass followed by a sack made it fourth and long for the Wolverines.

That’s not where it stops, though.

In just two plays after the blocked punt, Minnesota scored a touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner Morgan to tight end Ko Kieft to take the early 7-0 lead in the first quarter. That lead wouldn’t hold on for long, though. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Zach Charbonnet would run up the middle through a wide-open hole for a 70-yard touchdown run to tie the game up 7-7.

After the Wolverine defense forces a three and out for Minnesota, Michigan drives down the field and was held to a 38-yard field goal attempt. A question that wasn’t answered this off-season was who won the starting kicker job between Jake Moody and Quinn Nordin. Moody would kick the extra point and the field goal, but he would miss the field goal, and the game would stay tied 7-7.

On the first play of the third drive, Michigan’s defense showed its teeth as viper Michael Barrett sacked Morgan and forced a fumble. The ball popped out of the air, and defensive tackle Donovan Jeter caught it as he ran it back for a touchdown, and Michigan took the lead for the first time, 14-7.

Minnesota would keep fighting as Morgan found wide receiver Chris Auman-Bell for a 45-yard pass to give them a boost after struggling in back to back drives. Michigan’s defense would bend but not break and hold the Golden Gophers to a field goal, making it 14-10 Michigan.

The Wolverines would take advantage of the Minnesota special teams missing three of its starters as Barrett would return a kick 66 yards to put Michigan at the eight-yard line. Milton would find Mason as he would flip into the endzone for a touchdown, making it 21-10 Wolverines.

Minnesota was not giving up as wide receiver Rashod Bateman contributed with two catches for 23 yards. A Michigan facemask penalty moved the Golden Gophers down the field for a free 15 yards. It would end with running back Mohamed Ibrahim running for a 16-yard touchdown run to make it 21-17.

The Wolverines kept pounding it on the ground, but more so with Milton as he had three carries for 38 yards on the drive. The drive would end with a wildcat formation four-yard touchdown run by running back Hassan Haskins. Michigan would make it 28-17 just under five minutes to play in the half.

Minnesota went bold on their next drive. After getting a three and out, Minnesota would try a fake punt that would net them two yards when it was fourth and four. Michigan took advantage of the short field position, and Haskins would run it in once again for an eight-yard touchdown to make it 35-17.

Michigan would hold off Minnesota once again, and while the Wolverines were able to push down the field, Moody would miss another field goal, this one from 48 yards out. Michigan goes into halftime up 35-17.

Positives:

  • The viper position is in good hands with Barrett. Not only is he helping out on defense, but he’s also helping out big on special teams with that 66-yard return. Barrett doesn’t want to get off the field; he wants to help the team as much as he can. With former viper Khaleke Hudson now gone, it was unknown how much Barrett would impact the team, and his presence was felt quickly.
  • In his first half of play, Milton did well, going 9/14 for 100 yards and a touchdown, along with six carries for 41 yards. He never looked rattled or uncertain when he was on the field. He was sacked in the first series, but that didn’t make him scared to line back up in the next series. There was an overthrow, but for the most part, Milton did well with his accuracy, a concern many had about him. He was more mobile than many expected, but it certainly helped move the chains.
  • The offensive line is impressing early on so far in this game. While Milton was sacked in the opening drive, they have created big holes for Charbonnet and Milton. They have been giving Milton time to throw with a clean pocket for a majority of the passes. With two new starters and two players with limited starting experience, this offensive line has eliminated many doubts about them coming into the season.

Negatives

  • While we’ve only seen it appear once, the special team punting group needs to improve. The blocked punt gave Minnesota great field position, and they would use that momentum to score in just two plays to take the early lead. It was only one play, but that blocked punt could give them the confidence to do it again.
  • The secondary is struggling, but not as bad as you would think with two new starters. Cornerback German Green let up while in man coverage on Autman-Bell, which allowed the 45-yard catch to happen. Morgan is 12/15 for 84 yards and a touchdown in the first half, so while Michigan has held him to under 100 yards, the completion percentage is too high as multiple wide receivers are open and getting easy catches. It could be a lot worse though, so while it needs to get better, it’s doing better than expected.
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3 keys to a Michigan win at Minnesota

The Wolverines are set to open the season in Minneapolis on Saturday. This is how they can return to Ann Arbor 1-0.

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Michigan football is now just days away from kicking off the new season.

Some thought this day may not happen due to the pandemic the world is facing, but the Wolverines kick off on Saturday after a long wait. As we all know, Michigan will be getting a tough test to start the year as it goes to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers.

Not only is Minnesota a tough foe to get the opening week, but the game will be played on primetime national TV and the whole of the United States will be watching Jim Harbaugh lead his troops out onto the field. Some will be wondering if Harbaugh can defeat a ranked team on the road during a night game, given the narrative there. The Wolverines will try to show the world that they can.

Here are three keys to get it done.

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1. Slow down Tanner Morgan

Tanner Morgan blew up the college scene last year in his first full season as a starter.

Morgan threw for 3,253 yards (which was 24th overall in the nation) along with 30 TD and only 7 INT. He also had the No. 4 overall passer rating last year with a 178.7 (behind only Burrow, Hurts, and Fields). Morgan was, and still is, the focal point of this team.

However, the Gophers are down a couple big members of their offense from last year. They lost starting running back Rodney Smith, and starting WR Tyler Johnson to the NFL draft. It also looked as if WR Rashod Bateman wouldn’t be on the team as well due to an opt out, but once the Big Ten decided to have the season after all, Bateman also decided that he would opt back in to play. It’s huge news for Minnesota, as he put up big numbers last year: 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 TD.

Statistically, Morgan is one of the better passers in the Big Ten, and he will be up against an inexperienced secondary at Michigan. After an opt out from once starting CB Ambry Thomas, Michigan has no starting experience at corner outside of Vincent Gray. Michigan has plenty of bodies to throw in there though: Sammy Faustin, DJ Turner, Jalen Perry, Gemon Green, and Andre Seldon. As of now, there hasn’t been a confirmed starter next to Gray, so we will have to wait to see who Michigan throws in there. Assuming Michigan double teams Bateman most of the game with Gray and Daxton Hill/Brad Hawkins, the other starting back will be left in man coverage. That will be a very intriguing matchup to see.

How do you really slow down Tanner Morgan? Michigan’s front four.

Defensive ends Kwity Paye, and Aidan Hutchinson both decided to come back for this abbreviated season to help the Wolverines. ‘Salt and pepper’ are going to need big games if Michigan is to win as the line will need to create some havoc and make Morgan feel the pressure.

If Michigan’s front four can get to Morgan a couple times early in the game, it will bode well for the Wolverines the rest of the matchup.

2. Get the run game going early

When a team is breaking in a new starting quarterback, you want to make his life as easy as possible. One of the best ways to do that, establish the run early.

Michigan returns its top two backs from last season in Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins, but also returns Chris Evans after he missed all of last season. Christian Turner and speedy true freshman Blake Corum could also see some carries.

Minnesota was a stout rushing defense last year only allowing 127 rushing yards-per-game. The Wolverines will be breaking in four new full-time starters to go along with tackle Jalen Mayfield. Ryan Hayes and Andrew Stueber do have playing experience, so that is going to be helpful in a big game atmosphere. Since there weren’t any non-conference games this year, the O-line will need to jell together fast.

Michigan averaged 150 yards on the ground last year as a team. It will need to gain every bit of that on the ground for Michigan to win. If it can get the run game going early with Charbonnet and Haskins (while sprinkling in some Evans and Corum) then that will help Milton out tremendously, and keep the defense honest all game long.

3. Keep Milton calm and watch speed and space work

Let’s welcome in Joe Milton, the presumed starter, who has attempted 11 career passes. Most of which have been in the fourth quarter of garbage time football.

He won’t get an easy test his first game as a starter. The Golden Gophers were the 12th-ranked passing defense last season, giving up only 185 yards through the air, on average, as a team. Granted, Minnesota lost two big secondary pieces from last years team in Antoine Winfield Jr, and Chris Williamson, both of whom got drafted. But, it should still be a solid unit as a whole.

Michigan also lost arguably three out of its four best WRs — all for different reasons.

Donovan Peoples-Jones declared for the draft early, Tarik Black transferred to Texas, and Nico Collins decided to opt out to prepare for the upcoming draft.

Luckily, the cupboard isn’t bare at Michigan.

Star wideout Ronnie Bell returns along with Giles Jackson, Mike Sainristil, and Cornelius Johnson. Freshmen Roman Wilson and A.J. Henning both should play a role in the passing game this year (maybe this game) as well.

Milton will have plenty of weapons at his disposal this Saturday night, most of which are the fast type, which is where the speed-in-space mantra comes into play. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis likes to get his weapons the ball away from defenders and allow their speed to take over. As long as Milton can stay poised throughout the game and get the ball to his playmakers, Michigan should be in a good spot when its all said and done.

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Zach Charbonnet feels at ‘bit of an advantage’ after healthy offseason

Now that he’s fully healthy, Michigan football running back Zach Charbonnet shares why he’s ready to be much better entering his second-year

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — We still haven’t even grazed the surface when it comes to seeing what Michigan sophomore running back Zach Charbonnet can do.

Having arrived in 2019 as an early-enrollee, Charbonnet quickly had a surgical procedure to scope his knee due to sustained injury from his high school days. While he got the start on day one for the Wolverines, he was never quite at the level he was during his recruitment.

Now, fully healthy, it’s a different story. He enters his second-year ready to go, no longer burdened by being limited physically.

“I’d say that was a big thing for me to battle with,” Charbonnet said. “In terms of now, being able to have this whole offseason to actually work on my body, my speed, strength. I think it’s just given me a little bit of an advantage to overall make me a better football player by having this offseason healthy.”

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In his first season of college football, Charbonnet carried the ball 149 times for 726 yards and a freshman record of 11 touchdowns. According to PFF, he graded out with 74.8 rushing grade — good for 210th nationally and 20th in the Big Ten.

However, he’s aware that he’s got a lot more work to do, that he’s capable of so much more. And he knows what has to happen for him to get to that next level.

“There was room for a lot of improvement,” Charbonnet said. “One of my things that I need to keep working on is just trusting my reads, my holes – stuff like that. And just pass pro, keeping my eyes disciplined, keeping my eyes to see where the blitzes are coming from. And also, making that second-level defender miss.”

Charbonnet says that he finally felt back to 100% ‘during the quarantine’ and that being at full capacity has allowed him to open up his stride more.

But the big question facing him is not as much as if as it is when, as the Wolverines have four capable backs with co-starter Hassan Haskins returning, true freshman Blake Corum entering the fray and Chris Evans being welcomed back to the team.

Despite being the workhorse to start the year last season, Charbonnet remains unselfish, will be ready when his number’s called and will celebrate his teammates’ success if he’s not the one making the big plays.

“Whatever role the coaches bring, I’m gonna do the best I can at my job. Execute – obviously every other running back feels the same way, too. Whoever’s in, we’re just gonna cheer on and execute whatever’s called.”

We’ll get our first look at the former four-star on Saturday, when Michigan travels to Minnesota for its 2020 season opener.

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Where Michigan ranks in overall talent across college football

With the 2020 Big Ten season about to kick off, we break down where Michigan stands in terms of talent from a national perspective.

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Examining and ranking every Football Bowl Subdivision roster based on how their student-athletes ranked as high school prospects, the 247Sports Team Talent Composite is meant to provide a baseline understanding of the talent each program possesses.

Of course, some prospects do not live up to the lofty ranking achieved during their prep days, and others exceed expectations, but, generally, the programs at the top of the recruiting rankings are the ones competing for conference and national championships.

An exercise the publication embarked on in 2015, 247Sports released the 2020 version of their Team Talent Composite rankings on Oct. 9, with Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs leading the way. Featuring 68 blue-chip prospects – classified as four or five-star players – on their current roster, the Bulldogs totaled a team score of 991.53, good for a 93.27 average. Sophomore linebacker Nolan Smith, freshman cornerback Kelee Ringo, and redshirt sophomore running back Zamir White were Georgia’s three highest-rated players.

Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide (985.86), Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes (976.48), Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers (915.57), and Tom Herman’s Texas Longhorns (892.91) rounded out the top-five.

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Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines appeared at No. 17 and were the third-highest rated Big Ten Conference program, with James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions grabbing No. 13.

Registering an 827.18, the Wolverines’ roster consists of two five-stars, 41 four-stars, and 38 three-stars. Safety Daxton Hill and defensive tackle Chris Hinton, both sophomores and the program’s only five-stars, stood atop the list and were closely followed by sophomore running back Zach Charbonnet, senior defensive end Luiji Vilain, and freshman wide receiver A.J. Henning.

A product of Lincoln-Way East in Frankfort, Illinois, Henning was the crown jewel of Michigan’s 23-member 2020 recruiting class, which ranked No. 14 nationally and second-best in the Big Ten.

While there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Wolverines with the upcoming season set to kick in slightly over one week, this is the lowest 247Sports has been on the program’s talent in their six-year history of composing such rankings. For four-straight years from 2015-18, Michigan ranked in the website’s top-10, earning No. 9, 8, 7, and 8, respectively. In 2019, Harbaugh’s roster was rated as No. 11.

As many would expect, the Southeastern Conference was well-represented in the 2020 rankings, earning ten of the Top 25 spots, including Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers at No. 6, Dan Mullen’s Florida Gators at No. 7, and Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies at No. 11.

Other Big Ten rankings include Scott Frost’s Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 24, Paul Chryst’s Wisconsin Badgers at No. 27, and Mike Locksley’s Maryland Terrapins at No. 32.

The Wolverines will begin their 2020 campaign against P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten in 2019) at TCF Bank Stadium on Oct. 24 at 7:30 P.M. EDT on ABC.

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For a fully healthy Zach Charbonnet, anything is possible

There wasn’t a lot of fluff coming from RB coach Jay Harbaugh when it comes to the second-year tailback. But there is some real excitement.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — This is the year we’ll actually get to know what Zach Charbonnet is capable at running back.

While he got his very first start in his very first game as a true freshman last year, Charbonnet arrived in Ann Arbor with something of a minor injury, which, in turn, required a minor surgery to correct. Though he was able to give it a go all season long, he was still somewhat banged up.

Now he’s had more than ample time to rehabilitate and not just get back to the playing shape that made him a household name in recruiting circles, but to surpass that even.

Though the old adage is that a player makes their biggest jumps from one-to-two — whether it be from their first-to-second game or even year in a program — his position coach, Jay Harbaugh, isn’t going to get into much hyperbole about how much better Charbonnet can be in his second year. All he knows is that he’s healthier than he was a year ago, and should be much better on the field for it.

“I don’t know how to compare him to last year except saying that he’s, without a doubt, better,” Harbaugh said. “He’s running better, he’s stronger, he’s seeing things better, his feet are better. Collectively just a better player, which is obviously a product of being able to practice and have more reps. But also he’s just feeling good. He just feels healthier. He feels right. Credit to him – he wasn’t full speed for a good amount of last year. He wasn’t injured but he didn’t feel the way that he knew was possible.

“Just excited to be able to see him run the way he wants to run and hold himself to the standard I know he’ll hold himself to. I know in practice, he’s really taken advantage of it, he looks great and we’re really excited to watch him do his thing against Minnesota.”

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That said, how much better can he be?

For some, you can figure out where their ceiling is. For a relentless worker like Charbonnet, there is no such thing.

Like Ben Mason and Ben VanSumeren, Charbonnet has been known to essentially live in the gym, a tireless worker, always looking to push himself through to new boundaries. Given that he’s always working, coaching himself and self-correcting his mistakes while searching for ways to improve, Harbaugh says he can’t place limits on what Charbonnet might be capable of in his Michigan tenure. So he does as much as he can to help him flourish in that regard.

“For Zach, for such a high number of our guys, you really can’t put a ceiling on him,” Harbaugh said. “On a guy who’s totally obsessed, there is no ceiling. You can’t put it there because all they do is just work and find a way to get a little bit better. You might think, ‘OK, they’re gonna top out.’ But they don’t think like that, they don’t have limits on themselves mentally. These guys don’t get tackled and say, ‘OK, shoot – that was a good play by him.’ There’s always something to it of, ‘I could have done this. I should have done that.’ You know what I mean? Mindset-wise, I can’t put a limit on a guy because they don’t put it on themselves.”

In 2019, Charbonnet led the Wolverines in carries as well as yards, with 149 attempts, 726 yards and 11 touchdowns — the most rushing touchdowns ever performed by a Michigan football true freshman. The fact that he did so while not at full-strength in just his first year provides a sign that the best truly is yet to come for the former Thousand Oaks (CA) Christian standout.

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