Rivals’ Mike Farrell pegged ten breakout players for the upcoming season. Michigan redshirt freshman WR Tarik Black cracked the list after an impressive start to his career but then going down with a broken leg:
Current situation: Black looked the part of a big-time true freshman through three games in 2017, but a season-ending injury derailed his progress. Now fully healthy, and with Shea Patterson leading the offense, there is plenty of potential for a big season. Donovan Peoples-Jones should also take advantage of Patterson’s talents, but Black looks to be the big-play threat in the passing game.
Farrell’s take: Black was smooth as a route runner but also had an extra gear as well and he did everything with ease out of high school. He made things look easy at the prep level and his impact last season before his injury shows how talented he was. He should have a major impact on the Michigan offense this season. He always felt he should be ranked higher and wasn’t getting a fair shake because he was from Connecticut, so he played with a chip on his shoulder.
