Michigan released its official depth chart today for the UConn game, and there are a few surprises on the two-deep for Saturday. The entire depth chart can be found at the Football Depth Chart page. Let’s start by breaking down the offense:

No surprise at quarterback, as Rich Rodriguez has said we won’t know who the starter is until kickoff; for the second straight season, we get three players all tied at the top. Devin Gardner, in Rodriguez’s words, will “probably not” redshirt this season — it looks like he has done enough in the coaches’ eyes to see the field this season and help the team. I still expect Denard Robinson to be the starter on Saturday, but we’ll probably see all three quarterbacks at some point.

Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw head up what should be a rotation of at least 3-4 running backs. Note that Teric Jones, who was recruited at running back but played in the secondary for the past year, is back at his natural position.

This is where things get a little interesting. Your starting wideouts are Darryl Stonum/Junior Hemingway and Martavious Odoms on the outside and Roy Roundtree/Kelvin Grady in the slot. This is probably a product of the depth and talent at slot receiver, especially with Grady having a breakout fall camp, and Rich Rodriguez’s subsequent attempt to get the best players on the field. The only true freshman on the depth chart, interestingly, is Jeremy Jackson — I suspect this is because he has by far the best hands out of the group, and he should be a reliable possession receiver if the team needs to use him.

The depth chart at tight ends looks exactly the same as it did last year. It will be very interesting to see how much this position factors into the offense with all the talent at receiver.

It appears that the veterans have held off the talented youngsters at tackle, as redshirt junior Mark Huyge and senior Perry Dorrestein get the nod at tackle over redshirt freshmen Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield, at least for now. They will be joined by what should be a very good interior line in left guard Stephen Schilling, center David Molk, and right guard Patrick Omameh. The depth across the board is very strong, and this should be by far the best offensive line Rich Rodriguez has had at Michigan.

I’ll have a breakdown of the defense either later today or tomorrow afternoon, and my game previews for the season will begin on Wednesday as we rapidly approach game day in Ann Arbor.

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The position previews forge on with a look at the most disconcerting position group on the roster — the cornerbacks:

Returning Contributors: J.T. Floyd (RS So.), James Rogers (Sr.), Teric Jones (So.), Tony Anderson (RS Jr.)
Incoming Freshmen: Courtney Avery, Cullen Christian, Terrence Talbott
Key Departures: Donovan Warren, Boubacar Cissoko, Justin Turner

Returning Player Stats:

The Projected Starters: Standout senior Donovan Warren will line up across from junior Boubacar Cissoko, who is poised for a breakout year after starting all 12 games as a sophomore.

Senior Troy Woolfolk can play either safety or corner, and is a solid option as a nickel corner, while blue-chip freshman Demar Dorsey is also competing for a big role in 2010 after an impressive showing in fall drills.

Redshirt freshman Justin Turner is also in line for a breakout year after being one of the country’s top defensive back recruits in 2009.

We all know the story by now: Michigan’s secondary is a decimated unit after a series of unfortunate events — Boubacar Cissoko getting kicked off the team, Donovan Warren leaving school early, Demar Dorsey and Adrian Witty (again) being denied admittance, Justin Turner transferring, Troy Woolfolk suffering a season-ending injury — leaves only unproven veterans and true freshmen battling for time at cornerback.

With all that has transpired, redshirt sophomore J.T. Floyd is now the team’s de facto number one cornerback, coming off a season in which he saw little playing time after appearing unready to see the field when he played in the opener against Western Michigan. Floyd is a former three-star recruit who played safety in high school, and he has earned the praises of the coaching staff and practice observers for his improvement since the end of last season. How much he has improved will go a long way towards determining the success of the Wolverine defense this season.

While Floyd is cemented as the team’s top corner, who will start across from him is a questions that thus far remains unanswered. As it stands right now, senior James Rogers appears to have the inside track on the job. Rogers started his career at cornerback before switching to wide receiver in 2008, but he moved back over to corner during the 2009 season when the team needed more depth at the position. Rogers is a former high school track star and at 6-1, 183 pounds, he has great physical attributes for a corner — the question will be if he can play with proper technique after bouncing between offense and defense throughout his collegiate career. If he wins the job, expect Rogers to be serviceable, but the ceiling here — especially in comparison to a guy like Cullen Christian — is relatively low.

The Competition: A trio of true freshmen — four-star Cullen Christian and three-stars Courtney Avery and Terrence Talbott — will compete not just for playing time, but to start alongside Floyd as the 2010 season rapidly approaches. Christian is the highest-rated of the group, has the most college-ready body (6-0, 187 lbs.), and possesses very good cover skills, but he must improve on his tackling if he wants to see significant time. Avery has been mentioned as the freshman who could see the field the soonest, despite being a three-star prospect who played mainly quarterback in high school. He is a very good athlete, but at 5-11, 167 pounds he needs to add some weight, and soon. Talbott, at 5-11, 171 pounds, is also in need of some bulk, and he is also a pretty raw prospect — on the plus side, he was a strong tackler in high school, a quality the coaches are really looking for in all their defensive backs. My guess is Christian sees the most playing time of the three freshmen based on overall talent and size, but everything is very much up in the air right now.

Sophomore Teric Jones has bounced around enough times to make even James Rogers’s head spin: Jones arrived on campus as a three-star running back/slot receiver prospect, but was moved to cornerback last fall and saw brief mop-up duty against Eastern Michigan and Delaware State while spending most of his nine appearances on special teams. This spring he moved to safety to compete to back up Jordan Kovacs at bandit, but was moved once again to cornerback after Woolfolk’s injury. Jones has ideal speed for a corner and hits surprisingly well for a 5-9, 195-pound defensive back, but he will have to learn proper corner technique in a hurry if he wants to see the field this year.

Others: Redshirt junior Kelvin Grady was moved this week from slot receiver to cornerback, and considering Grady’s outstanding scrimmage performance as a receiver last Saturday, this says a lot about the depth and quality at cornerback right now. [EDIT: Guess that rumor wasn't true. Thanks to commenter Steve for the heads up.]

Redshirt junior walk-on Tony Anderson has played on special teams throughout his career at Michigan and could see time at corner if the situation calls for it, but he’s unlikely to get significant time on defense unless the team gets hit with even more injuries. True freshman Carvin Johnson has seen practice time at both safety, his natural position, and cornerback, but with three other true freshmen at corner I don’t foresee him having much of an impact here.

Outlook:
Okay, planning for a nuclear attack may be a bit over the top, but let’s look at this situation rationally for a minute: Michigan’s top corner will be a redshirt sophomore whose most memorable moment as a Wolverine was getting torched by a Western Michigan receiver in garbage time last year. That’s our top corner. The other spot will be manned either by a senior who has switched positions multiple times without ever seeing significant playing time or a true freshman. Behind that, we have more true freshmen and a walk-on who has only seen time on special teams. While it is conceivable that this unit could be something besides a complete disaster, well, the reality points to expecting something close to worst-case scenario. I will be very, very happy if I’m dead wrong about this position, but after two years of having my optimistic expectations crushed, I’m going to seek shelter in a bunker of realistic pessimism. My apologies if you expecting some comfort from this preview — here’s a winking puppy to make you feel better.

Previous Position Previews: Quarterback, Running Back, Outside Receiver, Slot Receiver, Tight End, Offensive Tackle, Interior Offensive Line, Defensive Tackle, Defensive End, Linebacker

For every position preview, click here or hit the “2010 Position Previews” tag at the bottom of the post.

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• 2010 Official Depth Chart Breakdown: Defense/Special Teams
• Position Threat Levels: Severe
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The position previews continue today with a look at one of Michigan’s strongest position groups, the slot receivers:

Returning Contributors: Roy Roundtree (RS So.), Martavious Odoms (Jr.), Kelvin Grady (RS Jr.), Terrence Robinson (RS So.), Jeremy Gallon (RS Fr.)
Incoming Freshmen: Drew Dileo
Key Departures: None

Returning Player Stat:

The Projected Starters: Redshirt sophomore Roy Roundtree was the team’s leading receiver in 2009 despite starting just four games, and he should improve on last year’s 32-catch season as the team’s top target in 2010. Roundtree has the versatility to play both in the slot and outside, and his great hands and precise route-running has made him a favorite target of both Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson (if this year’s spring game is any indication). As we painfully learned in the Illinois game, Roundtree doesn’t possess tremendous top-end speed, but otherwise he is a very well-rounded receiver who should be in the discussion for post-season honors this fall.

While Michigan may not officially start two slot receivers, expect to see the offense in four-wide sets more often than not, which means junior Martavious Odoms is a de facto starter as well. Odoms led the team in receiving in 2008 and is the team’s active career leader in receptions and receiving yards, but his production dropped last year as injuries and the emergence of Roundtree cut into his playing time. Odoms possesses elite speed, beating out even Denard Robinson in the 40-yard dash at Michigan’s “Night of Champions” in March, and he is another sure-handed target with a knack for finding open space. Odoms is also a very good downfield blocker and is a huge asset in the running game. Expect his production to come back toward his freshman-year numbers (49 catches, 443 yards) if he can remain healthy.

The Competition: Michigan is now loaded with young talent at the slot receiver position, and we should see several players get the chance to see the field in the fall. Redshirt sophomore Terrence Robinson has been turning heads at practice, and he finally appears recovered from the knee injury that forced him to redshirt in 2008. At his best, Robinson is extremely shifty with the ball in his hands and could be a dangerous weapon in the short passing game. An option quarterback in high school, Robinson can also be a threat in the backfield, where the coaches may utilize him this year at the tailback position. Robinson is a candidate for a breakout season now that he’s healthy and ready to play.

Redshirt junior Kelvin Grady is another player we could see both in the slot and at running back, the position Grady played as a high school star at East Grand Rapids. He saw his role diminish as the season wore on in 2009, but many of Grady’s issues stemmed from a two-year layoff from football while he played point guard for the basketball team. If he can show a better command of the offense, as well as improved hands, he should be another player who sees extensive time as a backup.

Jeremy Gallon arrived on campus last year with a great deal of recruiting hype, and after a redshirt year he is poised to also see the field in 2010. Like Robinson, Gallon was a run-first quarterback in high school, finishing his career with 4,281 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns, and he provides the same type of open-field threat. Gallon has more than enough athleticism to make an immediate impact this season — the difficulty will be in creating a chance to play at a position that is suddenly stacked with experienced players. If he does see the field, expect to see a very exciting young player who should turn into a big-time playmaker down the road.

Others: True freshman Drew Dileo was Michigan’s sole slot receiver recruit in the 2010 class, but he is very unlikely to see the field in that role this season with all the talent in front of him on the depth chart. Where Dileo could have an early impact, however, is as a punt returner, a position where Michigan has lacked a solid (and sure-handed) threat in the Rodriguez era.

Outlook: Michigan has a ton of talent in the slot, and enough players fighting to see the field to force the coaching staff to explore getting them on the field at other positions — Roundtree and Odoms have seen time at outside receiver, while Robinson and Grady could get snaps in the backfield. This should be one of the team’s best position groups in 2010, and whoever starts at quarterback for Michigan will have a lot of options when the Wolverines go to four- and five-receiver sets. Expect Roundtree and Odoms to reprise their roles as the team’s most reliable receivers, with at least one backup having a breakout year as the team finally is able to show off some depth.

For every position preview, click here or hit the “2010 Position Previews” tag at the bottom of the post.

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Leading up to the start of the 2010 season, I’ll be taking a look at Michigan’s team position-by-position and looking at each player with a chance to compete for playing time. Yesterday I kicked off the series with the quarterbacks; today, it’s time to examine the Wolverine running backs:

Returning Player Stats:

The Projected Starter: Sophomore Vincent Smith is back practicing with the team after tearing his ACL against Ohio State last year, and many have penciled him in as the likely starter in 2010. Smith appeared in eight games as a freshman and saw more consistent action as the season wore on, rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown against Delaware State and tallying a combined 10 catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns in the last two games against Wisconsin and OSU. At 5-6, 180 pounds, Smith is undersized for a feature back, but he is an elusive runner who is also a threat in the passing game — even if he doesn’t start, I’d expect to see Smith get a lot of playing time in third-down situations. Smith will have to prove he is fully healthy and has the running ability to hold off the bigger and more athletic guys competing behind him, but he showed flashes as a freshman that he could be a solid and versatile option at tailback for Michigan.

The Competition: Three backs — redshirt sophomore Michael Cox, junior Michael Shaw, and redshirt freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint — all have a solid shot at earning the starting job if they come through with a good fall camp, meaning Smith’s perch at the top of the depth chart is a tenuous one at best.

Michael Cox was a relative unknown out of high school, but he has shown he may be Michigan’s most athletically gifted running back in practice and during mop-up appearances against Eastern Michigan and Delaware State last season. The biggest obstacle standing between the 6-0, 210-pound back and the starting job may be between his ears — he has had some difficulties picking up the playbook, and a mental error led to a fumbled exchange with Devin Gardner in the spring game. If Cox can eliminate those issues, he could easily earn the starting job with his combination of speed and power — his downhill running style would be a great complement to Denard Robinson in the zone read.

The biggest question mark surrounding Michael Shaw has nothing to do with the football field — rumors have surfaced this summer that Shaw is very close to being ineligible, and while he is currently practicing with the team, the summer classes that could determine his eligibility have not yet ended. If he can sort out his academic issues, Shaw is Michigan’s most experienced and fastest back, but after battling through injuries in his first two seasons he will have to show he can handle the pounding of Division I football if he wants to see an expanded role. At his best, Shaw is a game-breaking talent who is liable to score from anywhere on the field. We will need to see that side of him on a much more consistent basis if he is going to live up to his recruiting hype.

Fitzgerald Toussaint may be the most complete back on the roster, and he is just two years removed from a 2,239-yard, 28 touchdown season as a high school senior at Youngstown (OH) Liberty. Toussaint did suffer a shoulder injury last year that kept him from seeing game action, but he impressed when healthy on the scout team and has seen some practice time with the first team this year in the early days of fall camp. If Toussaint can translate his practice exploits to the real games, he should see the field as a redshirt freshman and could possibly become Michigan’s next four-year starter at running back — he certainly has the talent to do so.

Others: True freshman Stephen Hopkins is probably not in the mix to start, but the 6-0, 227-pound Texas prospect should carve out a role as the team’s goal-line and short-yardage back. Hopkins clearly has a nose for the end zone after amassing 5,010 yards and 61 touchdowns in his final three high school seasons, and he could very well lead the team in rushing touchdowns despite seeing limited playing time.

Michigan’s other three-star freshman, Livonia native Austin White, is almost certainly ticketed for a redshirt year. If he does find his way onto the field, it will likely be because of his ability in the passing game — he has great hands and lined up almost everywhere on the field for Livonia Stevenson.

Slot receivers Terrence Robinson and Kelvin Grady — both of whom played in the backfield in high school — have also practiced in at running back, but this is likely a situational strategy that will come into play on obvious passing downs. Both players have the shiftiness and speed to be very dangerous in open space, so we could see Rich Rodriguez try to utilize them with screens and swing passes to take advantage of their strengths.

Redshirt junior walk-on John McColgan will see the field when Michigan needs a fullback after senior Mark Moundros moved to middle linebacker in the spring, although Moundros could potentially play both ways in the fall. Either way, the Wolverines seldom utilize the fullback position, and the 6-1, 238-pound McColgan will likely only be called upon as a blocking back.

Outlook: Michigan has a lot of bodies competing at running back but no clear starter as of yet. With so little experience at the position (Shaw’s 400 career rushing yards are the most by any player on the roster), it’s very tough to project what type of production the team will get. I’m guessing we will see a running-back-by-committee approach early on until a clear leader emerges. As for who that leader will be, your guess is as good as mine, although I’m very intrigued by the potential of Toussaint and Cox. This is probably the toughest position to predict on the whole roster, and we might have to wait until several weeks into the season to see a true number one back if one gets established at all.

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Remember the Homeland Security Department’s biggest PR move, the terrorist threat level indicator? You know, this thing:

Well, I decided — in a desperate attempt to figure out what type of content to post during the slow summer months — to apply these threat levels (minus the whole, you know, terrorist thing) to Michigan’s position groups. In other words, which groups are the Wolverines comfortably stocked at, and which ones have you buying mass quantities of bottled water and canned foods to prepare for the football apocalypse? Over the next week, I’ll be placing each of the position groups into one of the above categories. Today, I start with the spots that Michigan fans have the least to worry about — the “Low” threat category:

Slot Receiver: Rich Rodriguez has made a very concerted effort over the last few recruiting classes to bring in small, speedy players who fit his system, and the slot receiver position is now stacked with a talented, and crowded, depth chart. Roy Roundtree emerged as Tate Forcier’s go-to guy over the second half of the 2009 season, and his performance in this year’s spring game showed that Forcier isn’t the only quarterback looking his way when a big play needs to happen. He should, once again, be the team’s leading receiver, and with a full season of playing time should easily surpass his numbers from last year. Martavious Odoms has been somewhat overshadowed by the emergence of Roundtree, but is still a very solid all-around receiver who could force Michigan to play a lot of four-receiver sets to ensure their best players are on the field. Jeremy Gallon and Terrence Robinson both impressed during spring drills and provide versatile (both played in the backfield in high school) and athletic options as backups — both could also see time returning kicks. Kelvin Grady has been the odd man out at the position this spring, but he’s still a talented athlete who could contribute if called upon, especially as he learns Rich Rodriguez’s system. Michigan has too many skilled athletes in the slot to not get good production out of the position this fall, and Roundtree and Odoms will likely be the top two receivers on the team — of all the positions on the field, this is the one I’m least worried about.

Interior O-Line: The Wolverines have a great combination of talent and experience on the interior of the line, and with a healthy (knock on wood) David Molk back at center, this group should be a strength for the offense. Molk is the key player here — he was Michigan’s best offensive lineman when healthy last year, and the offense struggled when he was out of the lineup (though part of those struggles can, and should, be attributed to a freshman quarterback entering a tough Big Ten slate of games). Stephen Schilling, a former five-star recruit, has the left guard position locked down, and although Schilling hasn’t lived up to his recruiting hype, he is still a very solid and reliable player who could have an all-conference type season in his final year as a Wolverine. At right guard, redshirt sophomore Patrick Omameh has emerged as one of the team’s most promising young lineman after earning a few starts at the end of last season. He is poised for a breakout year in his first season as a full-time starter, and getting those starts in 2009 should greatly ease any concerns over breaking in a new player on the offensive line. Michigan is relatively young once you get past Schilling and Molk on the depth chart, but there is certainly a lot of talent waiting in the wings –  redshirt sophomore Ricky Barnum and redshirt freshman Quinton Washington were both four-star players coming out of high school, and should be the primary backups at guard, while redshirt sophomore Rocko Khoury gained valuable experience this spring at center while Molk recovered from last season’s injuries. Redshirt sophomore Elliott Mealer and fifth-year senior John Ferrara provide even more depth at guard, a luxury Michigan has not had in the past couple seasons with thin offensive lines.

Those two position groups should help power Michigan’s offense to further improvement in 2010, and (barring an injury to Roundtree, Odoms, or Molk) will be two areas where Wolverine fans can expect solid performances week in and week out. Tomorrow, I’ll have the “guarded” positions as we move up the threat level ladder.

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With spring practice kicking off this week, I went over the players with the most to gain from a good spring performance yesterday. Today, I take a look at the flip side of that coin: the players who, for one reason or another, will be fighting to hold on their role with this team. Here are the players who are at risk of seeing a diminished role if they don’t come through with a big spring performance:

1. Obi Ezeh, RS Sr. LB: Ezeh is listed first for a reason — no other established starter has come under as much fire as Ezeh because of a lack of performance, and the criticism that has followed Ezeh for the past couple years hasn’t been entirely undeserved. Simply put, this team expected a lot more from Ezeh in 2009, when he was entering his third year starting in the middle, and his disappointing season has opened the door for somebody like J.B. Fitzgerald to ascend to a starting role. By all accounts, Ezeh is a great person and tremendous leader on and off the field, but he will have to bring his on-field performance up to a higher standard if he doesn’t want to be unseated by the fall.
2. Kelvin Grady, RS Jr. Slot: Ironically enough, it was a big-time spring performance that earned Grady a big role to start out the 2009 season, but issues with route-running, knowledge of the offense, and the emergence of Roy Roundtree combined to decrease Grady’s playing time by the end of the season. Now Grady is fighting for playing time with a host of talented youngsters — including Jeremy Gallon, Terrence Robinson, and incoming freshmen Drew Dileo and D.J. Williamson — while Roundtree and Martavious Odoms eat up the lion’s share of the playing time in the slot. If Grady doesn’t make big strides with his football IQ (which is very possible — we forget he was playing basketball a little over a year ago), he could be caught in a logjam and surpassed by younger players.
3. Kevin Koger, Jr. TE: Koger was another player who saw his role diminish as the 2009 season progressed, and now he may be fighting for not only his survival in the starting lineup, but the survival of the tight end position under Rich Rodriguez. Unlike the other players listed here, Koger isn’t facing a ton of competition from his own position group — Martell Webb and Brandon Moore are the only other tight ends on the roster, and neither has shown enough to make me think they’ll unseat Koger — but instead he has to convince the coaches that it’s worth keeping a tight end on the field instead of moving to more four- and five-receiver sets. For Koger, the issue is simple: catch the ball, and it will be hard to keep such a big (6-4, 251 lbs.), skilled talent off the field. If he can’t cure his issues with dropping the ball, however, we could see Roundtree and Odoms both lining up as starters in the fall.
4. Michael Shaw, Jr. RB: It doesn’t seem like that long ago that Shaw was the “next big thing” at running back, but now he finds himself entering his junior season surrounded by questions about his durability and without much of a track record to show that he’s a better option than the plethora of younger backs on the roster. Shaw has to show that he can stay healthy this spring, or the coaching staff may never be willing to trust him as a back who can handle more than 10-15 touches a game. With Vincent Smith slated to return healthy in the fall, Michael Cox and Fitzgerald Toussaint both looking to grab starter’s touches, and two true freshmen already enrolled (Austin White and Stephen Hopkins), Shaw will have to prove that he can be the explosive, home-run threat that everyone expected him to be when he came to Ann Arbor as a freshman. Otherwise, he could find himself fighting an uphill battle against a host of younger players.
5. Darryl Stonum, Jr. WR: Michigan has received very disappointing production from its outside receivers under Rich Rodriguez, and part of the blame could certainly fall on Stonum, who hasn’t lived up to his blue-chip billing in his first two seasons despite getting ample opportunity to show off his talent. Even though Stonum will get the first crack to retain his starting spot, he will have to fend off competition from sophomore Je’Ron Stokes and early enrollees Ricardo Miller, Jeremy Jackson, and Jerald Robinson in the spring and fall. It’s time for Stonum to start producing like a top-100 high school prospect, and if he can’t do that, Michigan has several players waiting in the wings to prove that they can.

That’s all for this week. Enjoy the (already incredible) opening weekend of the NCAA tournament.

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With the recruiting class of 2010 signed, Michigan football fans can officially turn their attention to spring practice, and ultimately how the team will look come fall. With some assistance from MGoBlog’s depth chart by class and the resources available at The Wolverine (including Michael Spath’s very early look at the 2011 depth chart and Matt Pargoff’s in-depth look at this year’s recruiting class), I’ve done my best to project how the depth chart will look like this fall. Today, I’ll break down my outlook on the offense, and tomorrow I’ll do the same for the defense.

I’ve tried to include every notable scholarship player, including all the true freshmen. Because of this, and the uncertainty of many player’s positions heading into spring practice, I recommend taking the positions listed below with a grain of salt, especially along the offensive line and defensive secondary — at this point, it’s far too early to know who will be playing where. Instead, I wanted to do this to get a feel for the talent and depth of the team, and also be able to use this as a reference for player eligibility. For player eligibility, I’m using what MGoBlog has listed, and for player heights and weights I’m referring to last year’s official roster or Rivals’ recruiting data — I’ll do my best to note if a player has made reported weight gains or losses where applicable. Without further ado, let’s check out the depth chart:

Quarterback: No surprises here — Tate Forcier should head into the fall as the team’s starting quarterback, and I expect Rich Rodriguez and his staff will do their best to keep true freshman Devin Gardner on track to redshirt. Denard Robinson will remain the backup quarterback, and true freshman Conelius Jones will only see the field if the quarterback apocalypse occurs (nothing against Jones, but I don’t think anyone wants to see our second-choice true freshman athlete get forced into action).

Running Backs: The most interesting position battle on offense will be for the starting tailback spot, but with sophomore Vincent Smith sidelined for spring practice with a torn ACL, Michigan fans will have to wait for the fall to see how that one turns out. Smith appeared to be the probable 2010 starter until tearing that ACL against Ohio State, but by no means was he a shoe-in for the spot — junior speedster Michael Shaw, 2009 scout team standout (and former Rivals four-star) Fitzgerald Toussaint and athletic redshirt sophomore Michael Cox will all compete for snaps with the first team in the spring. Freshman Austin White is a solid pass-catching threat who could see situational time in the fall as well.

[UPDATE: Thanks to JC for bringing to my attention that Kelvin Grady is moving over to running back for the spring. That change is now reflected in the depth chart, as well as Teric Jones moving back to offense. For now, I've put Jones in the slot, but he may also see snaps at running back as well.]

At fullback, Mark Moundros returns, although he saw his playing time diminish as Michigan further implemented Rich Rodriguez’s offense last season. A player to watch will be true freshman Stephen Hopkins, a 6-0, 235-pound bulldozer who could see time at both tailback and fullback — the coaching staff has expressed interest in using him like West Virginia used Owen “Runaway Beer Truck” Schmitt, who lined up both as a traditional fullback and as the only back in single-back sets. Hopkins could be called upon in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Wide Receiver: This would be one of those instances where you can basically ignore my guesses at position — I didn’t make much differentiation between X and Y, so treat all these players as simply outside receivers if you want to make things more simple. Darryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway both started at times (read: when healthy) last season, and should reprise their roles in 2010. Sophomore Je’Ron Stokes saw intermittent playing time as a true freshman, and should have a much larger role with the departures of Greg Mathews and LaTerryal Savoy. Of the incoming crop of freshmen receivers, I think Ricardo Miller has the best chance of seeing early playing time — both Robinson and Williamson could use a redshirt year to develop physically, while Jeremy Jackson could have a difficult time earning a role over more athletic receivers on the roster. If Cameron Gordon stays on the offensive side of the ball, he could be a guy to watch next season — he has great physical tools for a receiver.

Slot Receiver: Michigan has an abundance of talent at the slot, including arguably the two best receivers on the roster in Roy Roundtree and Martavious Odoms. Both players will see the field plenty in 2010, and I expect to see Michigan go to more four-receiver sets in order to get their best players on the field as much as possible. Kelvin Grady should show improvement after spending last season struggling with the offense, but he will be pushed for time by promising redshirt freshman Jeremy Gallon, a player who many thought would contribute immediately after stepping on campus. That didn’t happen, but the talent is still there — the only question is whether there is enough playing time at the slot to go around. Terrence Robinson appears to be the odd man out at slot receiver at this point — unless he shows better hands and a great deal more comfort with the knee injury he suffered as a freshman, he’ll have a hard time cracking the lineup. Drew Dileo could contribute on special teams, but expect him to redshirt unless he wins a job as a returner.

Tight End: It will be interesting to see how much the tight end position gets utilized in 2010 — starter Kevin Koger’s role diminished as the season wore on last year, and Rich Rodriguez hasn’t taken a recruit at the position since he took over at Michigan. Still, Koger finished fifth on the team in receptions last year, and early in the season appeared to be Tate Forcier’s go-to guy in the red zone, so I’d be surprised if the tight end position was phased out completely. That’s good news for Koger, but Martell Webb and Brandon Moore may have a tough time seeing the field in the fall, as I’m guessing Rodriguez would prefer playing one of his talented slot receivers instead of a backup tight end. This position group could be one of the keys to Michigan’s offense in 2010 or completely gone from the depth chart by 2011.

Offensive Line: Please, please don’t take these position groupings too seriously — there are several players on the line who could start at multiple positions, especially Patrick Omameh and Mark Huyge, who both could start at either tackle or guard. The wild cards along the line are Ricky Barnum and Quinton Washington, who could easily challenge for a starting guard spot over Huyge/Omameh. I expect Omameh, who showed a lot of promise at guard last season, to start somewhere along the line, but more experienced linemen like Huyge and Perry Dorrestein could be bumped from the lineup in favor of younger (but more highly-touted) linemen.  I don’t think the coaching staff would be very comfortable with a line full of freshmen, sophomores and Molk, but they’ve been steadfast in their assertions that the best players will see the field regardless of age. Other than Molk at center and Schilling at left guard, I wouldn’t be surprised to see any combination of players along the line in 2010.

Kicker: Redshirt freshman Brendan Gibbons has the inside track for the placekicker position, but he was supposed to win the position last fall before giving way to walk-on Jason Olesnavage. Olesnavage has graduated, but don’t rule out the possibility of walk-on Scott Schrimscher winning the job. Redshirt senior Bryan Wright has lost multiple battles for the placekicker position, and likely will be relegated to kickoff duties again in the fall.

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Well, it appears Michigan will actually have a chance tomorrow night against Michigan State; Manny Harris was reinstated to the basketball team by coach John Beilein today, ending Harris’ suspension at one game after an incident at practice last Friday. Harris sounded appropriately apologetic for his actions:

“I fully accept the suspension from the coaching staff,” Harris said in a statement. “It was the correct decision. I cannot tell you my disappointment for letting my teammates down and showing the lack of leadership that I normally try to provide.”

I don’t have a lot to add to this. Obviously, Manny made a decision that had a very negative impact on the team, and that is certainly disappointing. He has owned up to his mistakes, however, and I trust that John Beilein and the team have ironed things out. Since we still have no details as to what actually happened, it’s time to move forward with the knowledge that Beilein was able to handle this in-house. Even if Manny’s suspension may have cost the team a victory at Purdue, I trust that Beilein really was doing what was best for the team, and Manny himself, with the suspension. Let’s move on.

In other basketball-related news, current Michigan slot receiver and former point guard Kelvin Grady has rejoined the basketball team. Grady will contribute as a scout-team guard, and is already imitating MSU’s Kalin Lucas in preparation for tomorrow night’s game. He will make a decision at the end of the season about whether he will permanently stay with the basketball team, but Beilein said that football will remain Grady’s main athletic focus at Michigan. Regardless of his role, it’s nice to see Grady back with the hoops squad, and Michigan needs all the help they can get depth-wise. Don’t expect Grady to have much of an impact during games this season, but it will be interesting to see what he can provide to the team as a practice player and as a potential contributor moving forward.

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It’s time for another round of “Five Things I Hope to See…”. How did Michigan do last week? Believe it or not, quite freakin’ well:

1. Minimal turnovers from the quarterbacks — I believe zero qualifies as ‘minimal’.
2. Solid play from the starting corners — Besides a couple overzealous plays resulting in pass interference calls, Donovan Warren had a great game, and Boubacar Cissoko was very solid before leaving the game early with an injury. So, check.
3. An outside receiver steps up — Hello, Junior Hemingway.
4. Michigan gets pressure on Tim Hiller — The Wolverines only recorded two sacks, but were constantly hounding Hiller, forcing several rushed throws and a couple interceptions. Check.
5. The offense opens up — Compared to last year, this absolutely happened. The added screen element to the zone read is a huge addition to the offense, and the team’s knowledge of the offense is miles ahead of where it was last year.

So, yeah, five out of five isn’t too shabby. However, Notre Dame poses a much more formidable challenge. What does Michigan need to do to take down the Fighting Irish?

1. Force the Irish to become one-dimensional — Despite having a ton of success through the air against Nevada (the worst team in the country against the pass last year), Notre Dame only managed 4.3 yards per carry on 41 attempts in their opening game. Granted, some of that came while killing clock, but the greater point remains: Michigan has the ability to shut down the Irish run game, and if they do so, the Wolverines can focus on avoiding the big play and getting pressure on Jimmy Clausen. Speaking of which…
2. Get pressure on Jimmy Clausen — Duh, I know, but this will be huge for Michigan. Anyone who watched the highlights from the Nevada game saw what Clausen can do when he has the time to set his feet and step into a throw; the guy has deadly accuracy and receivers that will get open. However, Clausen has not done well when facing pressure in his career; he has a tendency to get happy feet in the pocket and make poor decisions when the defense is bearing down on him. Notre Dame will almost certainly be doubling Brandon Graham at every opportunity, so Craig Roh, Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen, and the linebackers will be charged with getting to Clausen and forcing him to keep one eye on his protection.
3. Another outside receiver steps up — Unfortunately, it looks as if Michigan will be without the services of Junior Hemingway, who emerged against Western as Tate Forcier’s favorite target on the outside but is questionable/doubtful (depending on which Rich Rodriguez quote you look at) due to an ankle injury. Greg Mathews had a quiet game, catching two passes for 18 yards, and Darryl Stonum was all but invisible while not recording a single catch. One of those guys is going to have to produce against Notre Dame if Michigan hopes to consistently move the ball through the air. It’d be nice to see Stonum have a big game, as he is more of a deep threat than Mathews, but he’d need to show us something we haven’t seen from him before in his thus-far disappointing Michigan career.
4. Michigan gets an 100-yard day out of a running back — It looks like Michigan will be unleashing Brandon Minor after he sat out the WMU game with a bum ankle. That could be huge, as Notre Dame looks susceptible up the middle, and Minor is the Michigan back most suitable for crashing between the tackles 20 times in a game. Carlos Brown looked good last week, and should get the starting nod while splitting carries with Minor. If one of those guys ends up cracking the century mark, I like Michigan’s chances.
5. Utilize the bubble screen — Notre Dame DC Jon Tenuta is known for bringing a lot of heat via the blitz, which could either completely disrupt Michigan’s zone read or open up the field for big plays. The screen option on the zone read was wide open several times last week, and if Notre Dame is bringing extra guys off the edge, Michigan should have a lot of space available on the outside. If Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson can make the correct read and get Kelvin Grady or Martavious Odoms the ball in space, we could see some game-changing plays off the zone read screen.

The more I look at this game, the more I think Michigan has a really good chance of pulling the upset. Obviously, Warren and Cissoko need to have strong games against Michael Floyd and Golden Tate, but if that happens, Michigan suddenly has a decided advantage against Notre Dame. This one is going to be close, potentially decided by a field goal, a broken play, or a single turnover. I picked Michigan to beat Notre Dame before the season, and I see no reason to change that opinion after a first game that far surpassed my expectations. Michigan 34, Notre Dame 28.

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With football season a mere two weeks away, it’s about time to start making some predictions. Today, I will make five optimistic predictions for Michigan’s season. Next week (I’m taking a brief vacation this weekend) I’ll hit you with the other side of the coin, making five more pessimistic predictions. On with the show!

1. Michigan upsets a top 15 team — By my count, there are four squads that Michigan could face that would be ranked in the top 15: Penn State, Ohio State, Illinois, and Iowa. Of those, Michigan gets the two toughest (PSU and OSU) at home. By the time they play any of those teams, Michigan should have an established starting quarterback and a decent comfort level with both the offense and defense. Personally, I think our best chance is against Iowa (as stated earlier on this blog, I think they’re overrated), but, last season aside, we own Penn State, and boy are we ever due for an upset against the Buckeyes. I like Michigan’s chances of taking at least one of those games.
2. Tate Forcier completes 60% of his passes — Boy, could this one make me look stupid, but between his performance in the Spring Game and fall practices, I’m pushing for the driver’s seat on the Tate Forcier bandwagon. Accuracy is probably his best attribute, and Rich Rodriguez’s bubble screens and quick passes should help bolster Forcier’s completion percentage while he gets comfortable at the college level. No, Forcier doesn’t have an elite NFL talent like Braylon Edwards at receiver, like Chad Henne did as a freshman, but he is surrounded by a lot of serviceable weapons (Minor, Brown, Mathews, Hemingway, Odoms, Gallon, Grady, Smith, etc.), which should help ease his transition.
3. Craig Roh records at least five sacks — Not a whole lot is known about Roh’s role at this point, as he wasn’t one of the early enrollees from this year’s freshman class. However, he is a pass-rushing demon who seems like the perfect fit at the ‘quick’ position, especially as a situational pass rusher. His size (listed at 6-4, 238 on the official roster) is far too small to play DE in Greg Robinson’s system, but he should have no problem rushing from a two-point stance off the edge.
4. Kelvin Grady catches at least 20 passes — This sounds a bit bold, to say the least, since only Martavious Odoms and Greg Mathews had more than 20 receptions last year, and Grady spent the last two years on the hardwood, not the gridiron. However, Grady has impressed in fall camp, and from what I’ve seen of him he has a very impressive set of hands to go along with the speed and quickness we all witnessed while he played point guard for John Beilein. He could be very dangerous in the open field, and should be one of several players (including Odoms, obviously, as well as Jeremy Gallon, Roy Roundtree, and maybe Terrence Robinson) to see significant time in the slot. I’d love to see what he can do with a well-executed bubble screen; he could be a home-run threat for the Michigan offense.
5. As a team, Michigan averages over 5 yards per carry — The Wolverines’ offensive line will be much-improved from last season (they have to be, right?), and with Brandon Minor, Carlos Brown, and Michael Shaw all returning (plus the arrival of freshman Vincent Smith, a spring standout), Michigan should improve markedly on their 3.9 yards per carry average from last season. Don’t forget that Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson will be running the quarterback keepers instead of Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan. Plus, with a full year under Rich Rodriguez’s offense, Michigan should be ready to bust out some trickery this season, and we should see more big runs from a team whose longest run in 2008 came from the plodding Threet (58 yards against Wisconsin). All this adds up to at least a one-yard improvement per run this season.

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