ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No national champion in recent memory has entered spring practice with as many questions as Michigan State enters its first spring under coach Sherone Moore.
The Wolverines have undergone major changes in the two months since defeating Washington in the College Football Playoff championship game. Jim Harbaugh becomes the first coach to leave an undefeated national championship team since Nebraska's Tom Osborne. Of course, Osborn's retirement came after the Cornhuskers split the national championship with Michigan in 1997. Moore's promotion provided some continuity, but not much. It's exactly what Michigan wanted. With so many new faces and so many jobs available, this spring feels more like a restart than a continuation.
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Spring practice is just around the corner, and life after Harbaugh is about to begin in earnest. Here are five storylines to follow when you start practice next week.
Will there be a top QB candidate?
Some quarterback competitions are competitions in name only. Not so in Michigan. The battle to replace J.J. McCarthy is far-reaching.
Jack Tuttle, who was in the same high school freshman class as Trevor Lawrence, Michael Penix Jr. and Brock Purdy, is eligible for a seventh year and embodies everything Michigan looks for in a journeyman QB. . Alex Orge is one of the best athletes on the team, and his ability as a runner has led him to be compared to the University of Alabama's Jalen Milroe. Jayden Denegal is a pocket passer with great size at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds. And then there's Jadyn Davis, one of the most polished prospects in the 2024 recruiting class and the University of Michigan's future quarterback prospect.
The April transfer portal window could be an opportunity for Michigan to add another quarterback if the Wolverines aren't convinced they have the answer in-house. It is never certain that you will find an upgrade in the portal. The best-case scenario is that Michigan comes out of the spring with a good feel about one or more of his existing options.
How much has changed defensively?
Hiring Wink Martindale as defensive coordinator allows Michigan to employ many of the same concepts that worked for Jesse Minter and Mike McDonald. Martindale comes from the same coaching tree but runs the Ravens' unique scheme, and it remains to be seen how much his shooting will change Michigan's defense.
Given Martindale's track record in the NFL, expect more blitz and more man coverage. The University of Michigan has one of the best cover corners in college football in Will Johnson and three established safeties in Rod Moore, Makari Page and Quinten Johnson who have opted to return for a sixth year. There is. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are All-American candidates at defensive tackle, and Michigan has prospects at linebacker such as Ernest Houseman, Jimmy Rolder and Jayshawn Barham, a transfer from Maryland. Martindale can do a lot with the University of Michigan's personnel, so it will be interesting to see how he utilizes the talent at his disposal.
There is no shortage of big changes in Sherone Moore's offense. (Han Jun-hoo/USA Today)
How quickly can Michigan rebuild its offensive line?
This department has been a cornerstone of the University of Michigan's success and will undergo a complete overhaul this spring. Zach Ginter, Trevor Keegan, Drake Nugent, LaDarius Henderson, Carsen Barnhart and Trente Jones all left for the NFL, leaving the Wolverines with five under first-year offensive line coach Grant Newsome. We will have a new starter.
Although not a full-time starter, Myles Hinton started five games at tackle last year and started 16 games at Stanford. Transfer Josh Priebe started 29 games at Northwestern and should replace two multi-year starters at Michigan State guard. Beyond that, Michigan will likely look to players like Giovanni El Hadi, Greg Crippen, Raheem Anderson and Andrew Gentry to take on bigger roles.
The University of Michigan's offensive line had so much depth that the Wolverines had young players waiting for an opportunity. That opportunity starts now.
What happens at running back?
Donovan Edwards finally has a chance to be the No. 1 running back. Mike Hart's contract expires at the end of the season without a new contract being announced, so it looks like Mike Hart will be hiring a new position coach.
Clarifying that position would answer the final question left for Moore's coaching staff. The job description is simple. It helps Edwards translate his vast talent into consistent production. Edwards gained 104 yards on six carries in the national championship game, including touchdown runs of 41 and 46 yards. For the remainder of the season, he gained 393 yards on 113 carries, averaging 3.5 yards per attempt.
With Blake Collum being the workhorse, Michigan didn't need Edwards to consistently produce five yards per carry. It will be up to Edwards and Karel Mullins to keep the running game strong next year. For the University of Michigan, there isn't much to see from the veterans this spring, but for young players like Benjamin Hall and Cole Kavanagh, now is the time to compete for a spot in the backfield rotation.
How will spring practice impact the April portal window?
Michigan avoided portal turmoil the month after Harbaugh left, losing sub-safety Keon to Alabama but retaining the remaining projected contributors. Transferring in April is easier than transferring mid-semester, and for players who are undecided, the spring season looms as an opportunity to reevaluate.
Moore and the rest of the University of Michigan staff have one month to gather buy-in for the future before the portal reopens on April 16. In the meantime, spring practice will be an opportunity for Michigan to assess its needs and identify which positions, if any, to fill. An upgrade is available. Depending on how everything goes, the University of Michigan's roster could change significantly after the spring, or not at all.
If Michigan enters the summer a better team than it was in February and March, Moore's first spring will be marked as a success.
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(Top photo of Jack Tuttle: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
