2023 College Football Catalog: Previewing the Michigan Wolverines

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Jul 9, 2023
Michigan Wolverines
Dec 3, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh runs on the field before the Big Ten Championship against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Just like the NFL season is right around the corner, college campuses are preparing to welcome back their football squads for the fall season. As the summer progresses we will be taking a look into how many of the FBS college football programs fared in 2022, what they did during the offseason, and how they can find success during the 2023 season. As we continue our tour through the Big Ten, today, we move onto the reigning conference champions, the Michigan Wolverines.

Overview

Dec 31, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh reacts from the sideline during the second half in the Orange Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Results

  1. W vs. Colorado State, 51-7
  2. W vs. Hawaii, 56-10
  3. W vs. UConn, 59-0
  4. W vs. Maryland, 34-27
  5. W @ Iowa, 27-14
  6. W @ Indiana, 31-10
  7. W vs. (10) Penn State, 41-17
  8. W vs. Michigan State, 29-7
  9. W @ Rutgers, 52-17
  10. W vs. Nebraska, 34-3
  11. W vs. Illinois, 19-17
  12. W @ (2) Ohio State, 45-23
  13. W vs. Purdue, 43-22 (Big Ten Championship)
  14. L vs. TCU, 45-51 (Fiesta Bowl)

All-Big Ten Members

  • QB J.J. McCarthy (Coaches Third-Team, Media Second-Team)
  • RB Blake Corum (Coaches and Media First-Team)
  • WR Ronnie Bell (Coaches and Media Third-Team)
  • C Olusegun Oluwatimi (Coaches First-Team, Media Second-Team)
  • G Zak Zinter (Coaches and Media First-Team)
  • G Trevor Keegan (Coaches First-Team, Media Second-Team)
  • OT Ryan Hayes (Coaches Second-Team, Media Third-Team)
  • DL Mike Morris (Coaches and Media First-Team)
  • DL Mazi Smith (Coaches and Media First-Team)
  • LB Junior Colson (Coaches Second-Team, Media Third-Team)
  • LB Michael Barrett (Coaches Third-Team)
  • DB D.J. Turner (Coaches Second-Team, Media Third-Team)
  • K Jake Moody (Coaches and Media First-Team)
  • PR A.J. Henning (Coaches and Media Second-Team)

Recent Vikings Draft Picks

  • S Josh Metellus (2020 Draft; R6, P205)
  • LB Ben Gedeon (2017 Draft; R4, P120)

Every Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Draft Pick

2023 Draft Selections

  • R1, P26: DL Mazi Smith (Dallas Cowboys)
  • R2, P58: TE Luke Schoonmaker (Dallas Cowboys)
  • R2, P60: CB D.J. Turner (Cincinnati Bengals)
  • R3, P99: K Jake Moody (San Francisco 49ers)
  • R5, P151: DE Mike Morris (Seattle Seahawks)
  • R6, P217: P Brad Robbins (Cincinnati Bengals)
  • R7, P238: OL Ryan Hayes (Miami Dolphins)
  • R7, P253: WR Ronnie Bell (San Francisco 49ers)

2023 Schedule

  1. 9/2 vs. East Carolina
  2. 9/9 vs. UNLV
  3. 9/16 vs. Bowling Green
  4. 9/23 vs. Rutgers
  5. 9/30 @ Nebraska
  6. 10/7 @ Minnesota
  7. 10/14 vs. Indiana
  8. 10/21 @ Michigan State
  9. 11/4 vs. Purdue
  10. 11/11 @ Penn State
  11. 11/18 @ Maryland
  12. 11/25 vs. Ohio State

Notable Additions

Indiana’s AJ Barner (88) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the Indiana versus Penn State football game at Memorial Stadium on Satruday, Nov. 5, 2022. Iu Psu Fb Barner Cele 1
  • ATH Brandyn Hillman (four-star recruit)
  • QB Jack Tuttle (transfer portal, Indiana)
  • RB Cole Cabana (four-star recruit)
  • WR Karmello English (four-star recruit)
  • TE AJ Barner (transfer portal, Indiana)
  • TE Deakon Tonielli (four-star recruit)
  • OT Myles Hinton (transfer portal, Stanford)
  • OT Evan Link (four-star recruit)
  • IOL Amir Herring (four-star recruit)
  • IOL Nathan Efobi (four-star recruit)
  • IOL Drake Nugent (transfer portal, Stanford)
  • IOL LaDarius Henderson (transfer portal, Arizona State)
  • DL Enow Etta (four-star recruit)
  • EDGE Josaiah Stewart (transfer portal, Coastal Carolina)
  • LB Ernest Hausmann (transfer portal, Nebraska)
  • LB Semaj Bridgeman (four-star recruit)
  • CB Jyaire Hill (four-star recruit)
  • CB Cameron Calhoun (four-star recruit)
  • CB Josh Wallace (transfer portal, UMass)
  • K James Turner (transfer portal, Louisville)

Notable Losses

NCAA Football: Fiesta Bowl-Texas Christian at Michigan
Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Mazi Smith (58) celebrates a play against the TCU Horned Frogs in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
  • QB Cade McNamara (transfer portal, Iowa)
  • QB Alan Bowman (transfer portal, Oklahoma State)
  • WR Ronnie Bell (NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers)
  • WR A.J. Henning (transfer portal, Northwestern)
  • WR Andrel Anthony (transfer portal, Oklahoma)
  • TE Louis Hansen (transfer portal, UConn)
  • TE Erick All (transfer portal, Iowa)
  • TE Luke Schoonmaker (NFL Draft, Dallas Cowboys)
  • OL Ryan Hayes (NFL Draft, Miami Dolphins)
  • DL Mazi Smith (NFL Draft, Dallas Cowboys)
  • DL Mike Morris (NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks)
  • DL George Rooks (transfer portal, Boston College)
  • DL Julius Welschof (transfer portal, Charlotte)
  • EDGE Taylor Upshaw (transfer portal, Colorado)
  • LB Nikhai Hill-Green (transfer portal, Charlotte)
  • LB Deuce Spurlock (transfer portal, Florida)
  • CB D.J. Turner (NFL Draft, Cincinnati Bengals)
  • S RJ Moten (transfer portal, Florida)
  • K Jake Moody (NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers
  • P Brad Robbins (NFL Draft, Cincinnati Bengals)

Keys to 2023

Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up for the spring game Saturday, April 1, 2023 at Michigan Stadium. Umspring 040123 Kd1843

Continuity in the Backfield

For awhile, it seemed that the Michigan Wolverines were going to lose their star running back Blake Corum to the NFL after a 2022 season where he tallied 1463 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, but the first-team All-Big Ten member elected to return to the program for his senior season. He along with junior QB J.J. McCarthy hope to continue to lead a Michigan offense that was a high-flying group in 2022, scoring 40.4 points per game.

A Bolstered Offensive Line

One of the deciding factors in Corum’s return was likely all the improvements made to the offensive line this year. Michigan returns their all-conference guard duo of Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan, and they landed a trio of starting caliber transfers in Drake Nugent, Myles Hinton, and LaDarius Henderson. For a program that remains a bit lackluster in the receiver department, they will continue to pound the football in the trenches.

Experienced Defense

The thing that truly made Michigan elite in 2022 was their defense, and especially in the backend of their group heading into 2023, they remain a veteran group. Junior Colson and Michael Barrett continue manning the linebacker position this year while Rod Moore and Makari Paige will hold down the fort at safety. Expect this program to put forth another top 10 defense in the nation this upcoming fall and compete for another Big Ten title.

Prediction

  1. W vs. East Carolina
  2. W vs. UNLV
  3. W vs. Bowling Green
  4. W vs. Rutgers
  5. W @ Nebraska
  6. W @ Minnesota
  7. W vs. Indiana
  8. W @ Michigan State
  9. W vs. Purdue
  10. W @ Penn State
  11. W @ Maryland
  12. W vs. Ohio State
    Overall Record: 12-0 (9-0)
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.