After an offseason’s worth of graduations, draft selections, coaching changes, and transfers both in and out. The Wolverines can now begin to defend their national title. Under former head coach Jim Harbaugh, the preseason was often shrouded in mystery. He once compared Fall camp to ‘going into a submarine,’ preferring a private, work-focused mentality that eschewed any potential for media meddling.
It remains to be seen if new head coach Sherrone Moore will follow the same path or offer more candor. There’s plenty of intrigue into how he will arrange the considerable talent at his disposal. With positional battles to be won, depth charts to configure, and strengths/weaknesses to identify. Michigan football fans and reporters alike will poke and prod and pry for answers, but which questions will they ask?
Michigan Football 2024: Fall Camp Preview
How is the Offensive Line Coming Together?
As we’ve noted previously, though Michigan returns no technical ‘starters’ from last year’s team, they still bring a reasonable amount of experience and projectable talent into the trenches. A tentative guess at this year’s starting line looks something like this:
- Left Tackle Myles Hinton
- Left Guard Josh Priebe
- Center Greg Crippen
- Right Guard Giovanni El-Hadi
- Right Tackle Andrew Gentry
Hinton brings a borderline 5-star recruiting pedigree and a mountain of potential to the all-important left side of the line. After languishing under some questionable coaching during his first few years at Stanford, the bet here is that Michigan’s coaches can unlock that potential. They have won multiple Joe Moore Awards for offensive line performance. Hinton also traded starting reps with last year’s eventual staple, LaDarius Henderson. Priebe and El-Hadi have previous starting experience for Northwestern and Michigan’s 2022 team, respectively. Crippen has patiently waited his turn. He has been the center-in-waiting for two years now, and indications from inside Schembechler Hall are that he would have started but for in-transfers Olu Oluwatimi (2022) and Drake Nugent (2023).
Right tackle is the most curious spot at the moment. Gentry is a 6-foot-7, 327-pound player who graduated high school in 2020 but took a two-year LDS mission before joining the Wolverines in 2022. He appeared in all fifteen contests in 2023 across multiple positions on the line. He’ll look to fend off fellow massive tackles Jeffrey Persi and Tristan Bounds during Fall camp to solidify his spot on the line. Additional depth pieces to consider: Raheem Anderson, a potent center/guard who could get snaps anywhere on the interior, and Connor Jones, who could emerge as a dark-horse contender for right tackle snaps.
What’s Different About The Defense?
Presumably, not too much. As it happens, the guy who built their system. Wink Martindale spent nearly a decade on John Harbaugh’s defensive staff, coaching linebackers before matriculating to defensive coordinator. During that time, Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter were position coaches learning Martindale’s system. That’s continuity.
Martindale now takes over the Wolverine defense he influenced. Macdonald and Minter’s defenses are defined by execution, disguised coverages, and fierce defensive line play. Martindale is likely to blitz more than his predecessors, which may give some Michigan fans nightmares. Why? Too many remember the fallout from Don Brown, AKA Doctor Blitz. That is all we need to say about that.
Martindale will invariably put his spin on things during Fall camp. He has some intriguing tools to do so, like speedy Maryland transfer linebacker Jaishawn Barham. He will have a strong defensive line led by star tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. If the line can get to the quarterback on their own, backers can stay in coverage. Ultimately, this will likely be a more aggressive defense.
Alright, Quit Messin’ Around. Who’s The Dang Quarterback?
You’re right, let’s talk about it. Michigan has a JJ McCarthy-sized void to fill and has no other five-star recruits on the roster to fill it. The candidates to step up are varied and intriguing, none more so than 6-foot-3, 236-pound junior Alex Orji.
Michigan couldn’t keep Orji off the field last year, finding enough snaps for him to rush fifteen times for 86 yards and a touchdown. Thus far, he’s mainly operated as a runner. When rushing, Orji conjures shades of fellow bulldozers Tim Tebow and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. His throwing ability, on the other hand, is as-yet untested and probably the only thing holding him back from surefire starter status. If Kirk Campbell and the offensive staff can mold Orji into a credible passer, look out. The possibility of a three-headed Orji-Donovan Edwards-Kalel Mullings rushing attack could be too tantalizing to pass up.
Orji’s competition can’t quite match his rushing potential, but they’re solid options nonetheless. Jack Tuttle has been in college since his 2018 freshman year with Utah. He then spent some tough years behind Indiana’s dismal offensive lines. He completed 15-of-17 pass attempts in backup duty for Michigan last year, has sneaky rushing ability, and appears to have a firm grasp of the offense. If nothing else, Tuttle provides a stable floor to counter Orji’s vast ceiling.
Davis Warren’s hat is squarely in the ring for Fall camp after a strong showing in Michigan’s 2024 Spring Game. He went 6-of-9 for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns, looking particularly impressive on deep throws. He’s also got quite the story. Warren recovered from leukemia during his junior year of high school, then unfortunately could not play as a senior after his school’s season was canceled due to COVID. A storybook ending beckons, should he ascend to the starting role.
Anything Else Worth Following?
The kicking competition should be interesting. Sophomore Adam Samaha will battle incoming Arkansas State transfer Dominic Zvada, who was on the Lou Groza Award Watchlist in 2023. Michigan has set a high bar recently with Quinn Nordin, Jake Moody, and James Turner. Punter Tommy Doman could be a viable option if, for some reason, Samaha and Zvada can’t hack it.
The wide receiver room has plenty of potential but very little to show for it just yet. Semaj Morgan and Tyler Morris seem virtually locked in at Slot and X-receiver, respectively, but the other outside spot is less certain. Fred Moore got multiple mentions during Big Ten Media Days and is likely the leader in the clubhouse. Amorion Walker is an enticing athlete whose rocky road to this point (position switch to cornerback, transfer to-and-from Ole Miss) sets a necessary cap on expectations. Youngstown State transfer C.J. Charleston, former walk-on Peyton O’Leary, and Kendrick “Brother of Ronnie” Bell will also compete for snaps.
Lastly, it’s always fun to see which depth pieces get mentioned during Fall camp. Sometimes it’s for upperclassmen who have stayed with the program but aren’t necessarily starting. Coaches tend to give those guys their flowers as a sort of “thanks for sticking around.” The more intriguing chatter will concern which freshmen are showing out. Most interesting will be those at positions where there might not be an immediate need. For instance, Michigan is largely set at defensive tackle, but if the coaches are talking up freshman Deyvid Palepale, it is good news for his future at the position. Same for other potential impact newcomers like cornerback Jo’Ziah Edmond or running back Jordan Marshall. Both join the roster behind entrenched starters and depth pieces, but will be needed sooner than later as those teammates depart.
