Quarterback is the major question mark right now and Jim Harbaugh has done nothing (yet) to name a starter or indicate whether they might play both quarterbacks against Utah. Obviously, there is no advantage for Harbaugh to show his cards, but I’m willing to bet that Jake Rudock will be the starter. Shane Morris has the stronger arm, but Rudock is far more experienced and more accurate. Morris is also on his third offensive coordinator, so his development has been stifled to this point. If anyone could turn him around, it would be Jim Harbaugh, but obviously not enough has been publicized at this point to see how Morris has been developing or progressing. For my money, you go with the safer option out of the gate and rely on your running game and defense to help out.
For what it’s worth, Shane said he should be the starter because “he’s ready.”
Running back has plenty of depth with De’Veon Smith and Ty Isaac seemingly to be the leaders in the clubhouse to get the most carries out of the gate. Derrick Green will definitely get his touches too and once Drake Johnson is back up to speed, I would expect a four-headed running attack. Green was running pretty well last year before he broke his collarbone so it would be hard for me to believe that he would lose a significant amount of carries. They will most definitely all get their shot unless someone gets in a rhythm and takes the reigns. If all four can combine for something like 2,000 yards then it would be a huge step, no matter which guy is getting the most yards. You might think that gaining that many yards is difficult given the fact these running backs had issues finding holes and would often run headlong into the offensive line…but I think with Tyrone Wheatley as the running back coach and Tim Drevno coaching up the offensive line, that everything will be on the rise in terms of production.
Wide receiver is the other big question mark on the offense. Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson will be the two main returning starters with Devin Funchess gone. Freddy Canteen has moved to cornerback (it seems), and everyone has been raving about Grant Perry so far with his play in the slot. Not only that, Drake Harris seems to be finally healthy and he will be a huge difference maker if he can play. He may not have played a live football game in two years, but he’s a playmaker that this offense needs.
The offense is also going to need contributions from Jake Butt. It’s going to be very key to have a security blanket like Butt on the roster. There is a list of tight ends behind him that can contribute as well, but who knows who will play. Chase Winovich and Henry Poggi have recently moved to TE and then there is also AJ Williams, Khalid Hill, and Ian Bunting. Having six potential contributors at tight end (four for sure) will be big in terms of helping the offense. I would expect Winovich and Hill to play more of an H-Back role than a pure TE role as well. Whether it’s the run-game or catching passes, Michigan will need all hands on deck and Butt is going to have a big season. The only reason why I haven’t mentioned Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is it appears he may have gotten hurt during camp and I would expect him to redshirt with all of the options available. I’m also holding out hope that he moves to DE because of his size (6’6″ 270 lbs).
With 9 starters returning on offense and all five on the offensive line coming back, I have high hopes for them. They combined for 47 starts in 2014 and that is a lot of experience. Mason Cole was sturdy as a true freshman at left tackle and I can only expect him to grow and improve under Tim Drevno’s guidance. Ben Braden is a stout run blocking tackle that has been moved to guard and I would expect him to excel as well. Graham Glasgow was very good at center last year and I would expect more of the same from him, being the leader on that offensive line. Kyle Kalis was very up and down at guard and has been throughout his career, so he’s a little bit more of a question mark. He has the build to be dominant and hopefully he can find his groove. Erik Magnuson will shift back out from guard to his natural position at right tackle. He’s built perfectly for the position and I have faith that he’ll be able to play very well. David Dawson and Patrick Kugler will be the backups in the interior and hopefully they will develop well enough this year to start next year.