Roy Roundtree looks like he will be an integral part of the 2010 offense.

There’s not much left to say about the 2009 season, so I’m going to go ahead and take a look at what the 2010 team will look like. First up is the offense, which should see little turnover from a very young unit. Just a note: I’ll be referring to players by what class they will be in for 2010 (for instance, I’ll be calling Tate Forcier a sophomore).

Quarterback: There will be a lot of speculation about the quarterback position, especially with the way Tate Forcier finished his freshman campaign. Forcier obviously has the inside track at the starting position in 2010, with a full season as the starter in Rich Rodriguez’s system under his belt. Denard Robinson has shown value as a situational quarterback, but hasn’t shown the passing ability to be a full-time solution at the position. The wild card will be the presence of incoming freshman Devin Gardner, Rivals.com’s #1 quarterback in the Class of 2010 and a threat to start from the moment he steps on campus. Unfortunately, Gardner will not be able to enroll early, and will have a tough time learning the offense quickly enough to unseat Forcier. In all likelihood, we’ll see the same quarterback rotation that we saw in 2009 — I doubt Rich Rodriguez wants to put his job on the line with another true freshman starting at the most important position on the field. Forcier should be an improved player when we see him next fall, and hopefully the rookie mistakes that marred the Ohio State game will be largely absent from his game a year from now.

Running Back: Michigan loses two talented (but oft-injured) tailbacks in Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown, but there is still a lot of talent returning at the position. Junior Michael Shaw and sophomore Vincent Smith should provide a solid one-two punch similar to how Michigan rotated Minor and Brown when they were healthy. They could be pushed for playing time by redshirt freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint (a highly-regarded four-star who put up very impressive numbers in high school) and redshirt sophomore Mike Cox, who at the very least will provide some depth at the position. Smith showed flashes of real promise in the second half of the season, and scored Michigan’s only touchdown against Ohio State on a nice 18-yard reception — he has showed an ability to run between the tackles despite his small stature, and could turn into a workhorse-type back. Shaw is more in the Carlos Brown mold (right down to the consistent nagging injuries), a guy with track-star speed who is a threat to take any run the distance. The Wolverines will also add Livonia Stevenson running back Austin White, a three-star tailback who is a very good receiver out of the backfield, and the large (6-0, 235 lbs.) Stephen Hopkins in the freshman class, although both will have an uphill climb for playing time. Despite losing two senior backs, Michigan looks to be in good shape at running back in 2010.

Outside Receiver: Michigan only loses two players, Greg Mathews and LaTerryal Savoy, from a unit that couldn’t consistently produce in 2009. Juniors Darryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway are your likely starters for 2010, and have the potential to provide Forcier with two solid deep threats if they continue to develop as players. Michigan will also return sophomore Je’Ron Stokes and redshirt freshman Cameron Gordon, a couple of four-star players from the Class of 2009, and will add some young talent in incoming freshmen Ricardo Miller, Jerald Robinson, D.J. Williamson, and Jeremy Jackson. Miller, an early commit who moved to Ann Arbor after playing his first three high school seasons at Dr. Phillips (FL), has the best chance to see the field early, although Jerald Robinson is the highest-rated player (Rivals.com four-star, #45 wide receiver) of the true freshmen and could also have an impact early on. The issue with the outside receivers isn’t talent — Stonum, Stokes, and Gordon were all four-star recruits, and Hemingway has been impressive when healthy — but consistency. Expect to see a lot of rotation at receiver until somebody steps up and establishes themselves as a consistent threat.

Slot Receivers: An injury to Martavious Odoms gave Roy Roundtree an opportunity to show his ability at slot receiver, and Roundtree may have edged out Odoms as the starter with his performance over the latter half of 2009. Both players should see ample playing time in 2010, and Roundtree’s emergence as Forcier’s go-to guy could mean Michigan shows more four-receiver sets next fall. Before his injury, Odoms had established himself as Michigan’s most consistent receiver under Rich Rodriguez, and also garnered praise for his downfield blocking and knowledge of the offense. Each player brings a different set of skills to the table, and Michigan will likely utilize both with regularity in 2010. There is a lot of depth at this position, with junior Kelvin Grady, sophomore Terrence Robinson, and redshirt freshman Jeremy Gallon all returning, to be joined by incoming freshmen Drew Dileo and Tony Drake. Grady, who saw his playing time decrease as Roundtree’s role expanded, could see more playing time as his transition from basketball to football continues. Many thought Gallon would contribute this season, but a late start because of academic clearinghouse issues forced him to redshirt — he’s a dark horse guy who could have a breakout season if he gets the opportunity. Overall, there’s a lot of talent in the slot, and Michigan should once again see the majority of their receiving production come from the position.

Tight Ends: Big things were expected from the tight end position, especially junior Kevin Koger, in 2009, but a strong start from Koger was followed by a disappointing string of drops as the position became more of a non-factor as the season wore on. However, there is still a lot of talent at tight end, with Koger joined by senior Martell Webb and redshirt sophomore Brandon Moore. The position will be one to watch in 2010 — Rich Rodriguez rarely utilized tight ends at West Virginia, but Koger has shown the potential to be a huge weapon in the spread. Along with Webb, who also struggled with drops this season, Koger may just be playing for the survival of the tight end position at Michigan next season. If he can catch the ball, Koger could be an All-Big Ten player next year, and a great safety valve for Forcier.

Offensive Line: The unit with the most turnover is the offensive line, which loses starters Mark Ortmann and David Moosman, as well as backup Tim McAvoy. However, Michigan returns five players who earned starts in 2009 in Steve Schilling, David Molk, Mark Huyge, Perry Dorrestein, and Patrick Omameh. Schilling (right guard) and Molk (center) will likely hold down their current positions, but the other three spots on the line are up for grabs, with a bevy of talented linemen all competing for playing time. Omameh performed well at right guard in the last few games of the season, and will likely earn a starting spot somewhere on the line. Huyge is another player that can play multiple positions, and should compete with Dorrestein and redshirt freshmen Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield for a shot at one of the tackle positions. On the interior of the line, redshirt sophomores Ricky Barnum, Rocko Khoury, and Elliott Mealer, as well as redshirt freshman Quinton Washington, will provide depth and push for playing time. Regardless of who earns starting spots on the line, the experience and talent at every position should mean an improved unit for 2010.

2010 Outlook: The 2009 offense improved drastically from a disastrous unit in Rich Rodriguez’s first year at Michigan. With Tate Forcier having a full year at Michigan under his belt — and hopefully with a greater appreciation for holding on to the football — the Wolverines should once again have an improved offense in 2010. Forcier will be the key — the offensive line should be better with experience, and there is a lot of talent and depth at all the skill positions. If Michigan can get more efficiency from the quarterback position — and they should — we could be seeing one of the nation’s most potent offenses next season.

Similar Posts:

• How Much Can We Expect Tate Forcier To Improve?
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Tight Ends & Fullbacks
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• The Denard Conundrum
• Recruiting Update: Part I (Early Enrollees)

With a (relatively) healthy Brandon Minor ready to go, Michigan needs to feed him the ball.

Before I start on the keys to the Purdue game, I guess I’m obligated to go over the ones for last week. Ugh.

1. Run, run, run — Yes, Michigan ran 43 times, so I guess they literally ran, ran, ran. However, 2.6 yards per carry and four misses from the one-yard line puts this squarely in the “fail” column.
2. Keep the Illini off the board early — I guess this should have been “Keep the Illini off the board late,” since Illinois scored 31 of their 38 points in the second half. I guess this is a pass.
3. Show me something, safeties — Congratulations to Mike Williams for somehow amassing an incredible -12 on Brian’s UFR, thanks to his complete inability to keep contain on Juice Williams and blowing a couple coverages to boot. In other news, Jordan Kovacs remains a freshman walk-on who is physically unsuited to play deep safety. The safeties did manage to show me something — unfortunately, that something was “disaster”.
4. Get the outside receivers involved — Final totals: Mathews — 3 catches, 34 yards; Hemingway — 2 catches, 87 yards; Savoy — 1 catch, 7 yards. Hemingway’s numbers are helped immensely by a 66-yard bomb caught when the team was already down 31-13. The team still is not getting much production whatsoever from the outside guys.
5. Just go for it — I was hoping Rich Rod would open up the offense and take some shots. Instead, we didn’t see any deep passes until after Illinois had built a sizeable lead. The obnoxious part was that the deep passes worked. We can’t win even when we win.

Alright, now allow me to never talk about that game again (or at least any time in the near future). On to Purdue!

1. No more Turnover Tate — I hope Tate Forcier was instructed to walk around campus this entire week with a football tucked firmly between his elbow and his chest, Mike Hart-style. His carelessness with the ball has taken more potential points off the board than I care to think about. I love how the kid plays, and I want to see him keep being aggressive and trying to make things happen, but ball security is Priority 1A. I can forgive a freshman interception. I have a lot tougher time letting it go when he fumbles while holding the ball like a pigskin lunchpail.
2. Feed Brandon Minor — With proclamations that Brandon Minor is getting healthier coupled with the news that Carlos Brown is battling tendinitis in his knee, Michigan should get Minor a lot of touches this weekend. Add in the fact that Purdue boasts the 88th-best rushing defense in the country, and it’d be inexcusable (barring injury) for Minor not to get at least 20 carries tomorrow. He has proven time and again that, when healthy, he is a force to be reckoned with. [Insert played-out "Minor needs to be Major" pun here]
3. Don’t break — Yes, the whole “bend but don’t break” defense thing is a totally overused cliche, but at this point, bending is really the best we can hope for from Michigan’s defense. If the offense can keep from turning the ball over, the defense may need to make only a couple timely stops (and maybe force a turnover for the first time in four games) and hold a couple red zone possessions to field goals for this team to get a much-needed victory.
4. Force Joey Elliott to be Joey Elliott — Yes, Elliott has 17 total touchdowns this year (14 pass, 3 rush), but he’s also thrown 11 picks. Get in the guy’s grill (I’m looking at you, Brandon Graham), and even our sorry secondary could be on the receiving end of some gift interceptions. I’d like to see Greg Robinson get aggressive early — if our safeties can’t guard anyone, you might as well see if you can get to the quarterback before he has the time to exploit them.
5. Play with an edge — This team has shown the ability to play with a chip on their shoulder — they looked ready to take down all comers after the Freep scandal threatened to destroy the 2009 season before it ever began. Last week, this team looked just about ready to quit on Rich Rodriguez. With the stakes now higher than ever, how will the team respond? They’ve battled through adversity once already, and it’s time to do it again.

I might feel like an idiot (won’t be the first time) for making this prediction, but for some reason, I’m confident that this team can will its way to a victory before all of southeast Michigan reaches for the pitchforks. I think Tate will look like the kid we saw in the first four games, Brandon Minor will run angry, and the defense will do just enough (and I mean just enough) to secure a bowl-clinching victory: Michigan 36, Purdue 33.

Similar Posts:

• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Defensive Ends
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Defense
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• Wolverines on the Web Lays Bricks
• Wolverines on the Web Goes Old School

The Wolverines could use a resurgence from Junior Hemingway.

It’s that time of the week again, the time for “Five Things…”. First, a look back at last week’s keys:

1. Contain Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton — Kirlew forced the Denard Robinson fumble, and Middleton came away with two sacks (for seven yards lost), but I actually thought Michigan did a fairly good job keeping these two quiet for most of the day. However, results are results, and the line did allow Indiana’s two big-play defenders to come through with big plays.
2. Gel on the offensive line — To quote myself: “Losing the center is tough, however, since he is the man tasked with making the calls up front, as well as shouldering the responsibility of making sure the ball gets safely to the quarterback. Moosman and Forcier will hopefully have built a solid rapport in practice this week, as Michigan has already dealt with a few fumbled snaps this season.” Oops. The coaching staff is working on Moosman’s snap technique, and hopefully he’ll be much more comfortable getting the ball safely to each quarterback against MSU.
3. Re-establish a deep threat — Michigan’s outside receivers combined for a grand total of two catches and nine yards (one catch each by LaTerryal Savoy and Junior Hemingway). Against a solid opponent, that’s just not going to get the job done.
4. Shore up the run defense — On 32 of Indiana’s carries, Michigan gave up only 112 yards for a solid 3.5 yards per carry allowed. However, Indiana had 33 carries, and Darius Willis tacked on 85 yards and a touchdown in a critical fourth-quarter situation. Ryan Van Bergen has admitted fault for making the wrong check on that play, but a lot of things have to go wrong to allow a run of that length (namely, an Indiana tailback out-running the entire secondary). Hopefully, that play was a one-time-only mistake, and Michigan will do a better job of containing what has been a sub-par Spartan rushing attack.
5. Keep Brandon Minor healthy — Minor was limited to 12 carries and looked generally healthy, especially when tasked with converting a late 3rd and one on Michigan’s last drive (when he trucked a safety to convert the first down). Carlos Brown was the MVP of the first half, scoring two long touchdowns and tallying over 140 all-purpose yards on the game. Minor is a go for Michigan State and practiced yesterday. Check.

Well, that looks like 1/5 to me, which isn’t exactly surprising considering we barely eked out a victory over Indiana. Let’s move on to the key’s for Saturday’s game:

1. Continue the success of the return game — This game shapes up to be a shootout, so field position will be incredibly valuable. Darryl Stonum had a huge game on kick returns against Indiana — his 218 kick return yards were the highest total by any Big Ten player this season — and came very close on several returns to taking one all the way. If Stonum allows Michigan to start at the 35 or better after every MSU score, I like Michigan’s chances of out-gunning the Spartans.
2. Limit the freshmen mistakes — One of Tate Forcier’s desperate sack-avoiding tosses finally found its way into the arms of a defender, and Denard Robinson practically handed the ball off to Indiana on a seemingly innocent run. It’s tough to stress just how important ball security is in this game: it’s completely cliche, but one turnover can completely change the outlook of this game.
3. Get to the quarterback — Again, duh, this is part of winning football. However, Michigan could only muster one sack against Indiana, and has just four sacks in four games (good for 100th in the country). Anybody who watched the MSU/Notre Dame game knows that getting a little pressure on Kirk Cousins can lead to some spectacular errors on his part — get to Cousins (and Nichol) and Michigan could receive a few gifts from Sparty on Saturday.
4. Seriously, re-establish the deep threat — I’m just going to keep making this one of the keys until it finally happens: Michigan needs a consistent, viable deep threat. Rich Rodriguez’s offense is predicated on spreading the field horizontally and vertically, but since Junior Hemingway’s week one “breakout” against Western Michigan, Michigan’s only pass play over 40 yards was the 61-yard screen-turned-touchdown to Carlos Brown last week. That’s going to have to change at some point if Michigan wants to keep winning, and that point may very well be Saturday.
5. Stay tough in the red zone — If you want to point to one reason that Michigan managed to beat Indiana despite allowing 467 yards of total offense, it is this: The Hoosiers made it into the red zone five times, and five times they were forced to settle for field goals. Michigan State tops the conference in total offense and is fourth in scoring offense — they’re going to get their yards against Michigan. However, if the Wolverines can hold the Spartans to field goals while punching the ball into the end zone when given the chance on offense, well, my basic math skills tell me we’re going to win.

I have a really hard time seeing this game play out in any way other than a tightly-contested shootout, and when it comes down to it, I trust Forcier to make the plays to win the game that Kirk Cousins just hasn’t made yet. Now, let’s all say a prayer that he’s close to 100% come Saturday… Michigan 38, Michigan State 34

Similar Posts:

• How Much Can We Expect Tate Forcier To Improve?
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Defense
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• Wild Recruiting Weekend Recap
• The Denard Conundrum

I love watching Denard run, but Michigan needs to establish him as a passing threat.

Once again, it’s time for “Five Things I Hope to See…” First, a look at back at last week’s keys:

1. Force the Irish to become one-dimensional — Well, not so much. Notre Dame had a ton of success through the air and on the ground, and Michigan never got a lot of pressure on Jimmy Clausen. This is certainly cause for concern (especially the Irish’s success picking on Boubacar Cissoko), but I also don’t think Michigan fill face another offense with as dangerous an aerial attack as Notre Dame.
2. Get pressure on Jimmy Clausen — Another miss, as Michigan didn’t record a sack on Jimmy Clausen, and the only time they recorded any pressure was when Greg Robinson brought heat. Somebody besides Brandon Graham needs to step up on the defensive line when Michigan only rushes four.
3. Another outside receiver steps up — Not just one, but two outside guys had very good games (Darryl Stonum and Greg Mathews), and even Laterryal Savoy had a few big catches (and the drop, but that was tipped). It look like outside receiver has gone from a big question mark to a major strong point on this team.
4. Michigan gets an 100-yard day out of a running back — Hello, Brandon Minor.
5. Utilize the bubble screen — As noted by Brian, Notre Dame brought up their corners into press coverage to stop the bubble screen, so Michigan almost completely stayed away from it. However, Rich Rodriguez actually did a great job of adjusting to this by having the tight end/H-back block the crashing DE on the zone read, and this was the cause for several of Minor’s big runs. It’s been great to watch Rodriguez stay one step ahead of opposing defenses with his schemes.

Against an opponent the quality of Notre Dame, 3/5 isn’t bad, especially when the success on offense managed to (barely) outweigh the shortcomings of the defense. Now, on to Eastern Michigan:

1. Establish Denard Robinson as a passing threat — We all know Shoelace can run, but thus far Michigan has almost exclusively utilized him as a rusher. Notre Dame knew Michigan wasn’t fully comfortable with him as a passer, and sold out on the run when Denard was in at QB. With an opponent the quality of EMU, Michigan now has the perfect opportunity to showcase Denard’s ability to pull up and throw the ball. I fully expect to see a lot of Shoelace on Saturday, and if he can show an ability to hit receivers while still remaining a home run threat on the ground, future opponents will have to respect the pass or risk giving up big plays through the air.
2. Establish dominance up front — To put it bluntly, if Eastern has a lot of success on the ground or Michigan can’t get any pressure on QB Andy Schmitt, this defense will be in a lot of trouble. Ryan Van Bergen has to show that he can hold the point of attack at DT, and if he can’t show that this game, Greg Robinson should strongly consider realigning the defensive front. This game is the perfect opportunity to experiment with different guys up front, and establish the front seven for the course of the season.
3. Obi Ezeh bounces back — While everybody was talking about Boubacar Cissoko’s subpar performance, Ezeh has a pretty miserable game himself, looking tentative and allowing himself to get taken out of plays as a result. If Ezeh doesn’t show he can recognize a play and attack with confidence, I’d like to see J.B. Fitzgerald get a chance at middle linebacker.
4. One of the young tailbacks shows starting potential — Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw should both see a lot of playing time, and one of those two will likely be the starting tailback at this time next year. Shaw showed a lot of potential last year, even while battling injuries, and Smith was the breakout star of spring practice. I would love to see one (or both) put up big numbers and show an understanding of the spread offense.
5. A cornerback besides Donovan Warren actually plays well — Boubacar Cissoko had a really rough game against Notre Dame, and J.T. Floyd got torched in limited action against Western Michigan. Highly touted freshman Justin Turner has not seen any game action after he made it on campus late due to academic issues. Ideally, Cissoko would bounce back and show he can play man coverage and either Turner or Floyd would show that Michigan has a viable option after Warren and Cissoko.

Hopefully, Michigan will be geared up and ready to go from the opening kickoff. Personally, I expect the team to come out fired up, and I don’t think the foot will be taken off the gas as the team tries out backups at practically every position: Michigan 52, EMU 16

Similar Posts:

• Report: Jay Hopson to Memphis
• Putting Michigan’s Recruiting Class in Context
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• Wild Recruiting Weekend Recap
• The Denard Conundrum

Michigan fans hope Nick Sheridan stays on the bench this season.

Last week, I gave you five hopeful predictions for the 2009 season. Unfortunately, as we all know, Michigan is a rather flawed team with a whole lot of question marks surrounding them. Therefore, it’s time for some critical self-reflection as I give my five “less hopeful” predictions for 2009.

1. We see Nick Sheridan in at least three of the first four games — One outstanding characteristic of football coaches is that, almost to a man, they’re loyal to a fault towards veteran players. With Rich Rodriguez reiterating that he will play all three quarterbacks in the Western Michigan game, it is clear that this is the case with him and Nick Sheridan. I would love to see Rodriguez start Tate Forcier and stick with him as he battles through some freshman mistakes (which are inevitable) instead of throwing in Sheridan when his ceiling is hovering somewhere around “at least he only throws one pick a game”. However, all the preseason buzz and my gut instinct tells me that Sheridan will be on the field in the early going instead of holding a clipboard.
2. Michigan loses to a team that wins five or fewer games — Last week I predicted Michigan would beat one of the four toughest Big Ten teams on their schedule (Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois). However, I also think they’ll drop a game to a team they shouldn’t. Whether it’s the quarterbacks making untimely errors, or returners putting the ball on the ground, or the secondary giving up a few huge plays, this seems like a team with too many flaws to be able to consistently perform every week. I’m certainly not predicting a Delaware State victory, but a team like Indiana, Purdue, or even Wisconsin (if they collapse, which isn’t entirely unfeasible) could pose a dangerous threat to Michigan’s bowl hopes.
3. Michigan converts less than 65% of their field goals this season — The battle nobody seems to be focused on (or worried about) is the one for starting placekicker. Word out of camp is Brendan Gibbons, the scholarship freshman everyone expected to step up and take the job, has not shown the consistency necessary to earn a place on the field. That leaves Jason Olesnavage, a 5th year senior walk-on who has never attempted a field goal, with the inside track to earning kicking duties this fall. Does that scare the crap out of anybody else, or is it just me?
4. Greg Mathews ends his career as a backup — The senior has not impressed in fall camp, and his uninspired play leaves a lot to be desired out of a guy who came into this year as the clear number one outside receiver. With Junior Hemingway coming back from a medical redshirt, LaTerryal Savoy pushing for a starting role, the talented Darryl Stonum entering his sophomore season, and freshmen Je’Ron Stokes and Cameron Gordon on campus, Mathews could see his role severely diminish if he doesn’t step it up in September.
5. Michigan finishes (again) with a negative turnover margin — I realize that turnover margin, as a general rule, fluctuates from year to year and at some level seems completely random (I’d provide a link, but I just spent 20 minutes trying to find the article I was thinking of and finally gave up). However, with punt returners dropping punts in practice, Michigan playing two freshmen and Nick Sheridan at quarterback, and the defense fielding an inexperienced secondary, I have a hard time seeing Michigan come out positive when it comes to turnovers. I really hope I’m wrong here, as this could be the difference between an 8-4 bowl team and a 5-7 disaster.

Similar Posts:

• How Much Can We Expect Tate Forcier To Improve?
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• Wild Recruiting Weekend Recap
• The Denard Conundrum

Can Darryl Stonum realize his potential in 2009?

Fall practice begins today (actually, it began about an hour-and-a-half ago), and there are a ton of unanswered questions when it comes to the Michigan football team. Here are five things I’m keeping a close eye on as fall practice progresses:

1. The quarterback situation — Well, duh. All eyes will be on Tate Forcier as practice begins, and they should be: he holds the key to Michigan’s success this season. However, I’m just as interested in the backup quarterback situation. If Denard Robinson comes in and establishes himself as the backup, I’ll be pleased. If Nick Sheridan still holds the backup spot when fall practice ends, I’ll be very concerned. It’s as simple as that. Also, we’ll see how many specific packages (if any) are designed specifically for Robinson.
2. Which receivers emerge? — Besides Greg Mathews and Martavious Odoms, there really isn’t a receiver on the roster who is guaranteed anything in terms of playing time, and even those two will have to battle for their starting spots. Will Junior Hemingway bounce back from a season lost to injury and illness? Who, out of Hemingway, Darryl Stonum, LaTerryal Savoy, and Je’Ron Stokes, will step up and take the second starting spot on the outside? Can Terrence Robinson or Jeremy Gallon make an immediate impact in the slot? Hopefully, all these questions will be answered by the time Michigan takes the field on Sept. 5.
3. The safeties — The scariest position group on the team right now (for Michigan fans) is at safety, where currently a true freshman (Vlad Emilien) and a converted corner (Troy Woolfolk) are slated to start. No matter what, the Wolverines will have two first-time starters in the last line of defense. If the news out of fall is anything but great regarding the safety play, there is much reason for consternation about the defense.
4. Impact freshmen — I’ve already mentioned Stokes, Gallon, and Emilien as freshmen who could contribute immediately. Will Campbell will almost certainly see significant playing time at the thin defensive tackle spot. Tailback Vincent Smith had a very strong spring and is vying for playing time in a crowded backfield. Will players like Craig Roh (quick), Fitzgerald Toussaint (tailback), or Justin Turner (DB, assuming he qualifies) push for playing time as well?
5. Stevie Brown — The much-maligned safety is now at the spinner (LB/S hybrid) position, and could be the key to a successful defense. Fans could not be pleased with his performance in the spring game, as he was undressed by David Cone, of all people, giving up a 40-yard run to a quarterback whose 40 time is on the wrong side of five seconds. Will this be the season he finally stops giving up big plays and performs at the high level he was expected to play at two years ago?

Similar Posts:

• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Defense
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• Wild Recruiting Weekend Recap
• The Denard Conundrum
• Wolverines on the Web is All Manny, All the Time