Michigan Football: Three Position Groups To Keep Your Eye On

Top to bottom, the Michigan Wolverines have one of the most complete rosters heading into the 2023 season. However, there are certainly some position groups that are worth keeping an eye on throughout spring ball and into fall camp.

Top to bottom, the Michigan Wolverines have one of the most complete rosters in the country heading into the 2023 season. An experienced quarterback, a dynamic duo at the running back position, an experienced offensive line, and a defense that will likely be one of the best in the nation. 

With that being said, there are certainly some position groups that are worth keeping your eye on during spring ball and eventually into fall camp. 

Here are the top three: 

3. Wide Receivers

The Wolverines lost their top-two receiving targets from the 2022 season. Veteran wideout Ronnie Bell led the way with 62 receptions, while tight end Luke Schoonmaker was No. 2 on the team with 35 receptions. Of the 238 total receptions in 2022, Bell and Schoonmaker made up 40 percent of that production. 

So, who steps up in 2023? Michigan returns both Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, who accounted for a combined 57 receptions in 2022. Beyond those two receivers, there's certainly room for a handful of others to earn a significant amount of playing time in 2023. Here's a look at some of the WR candidates who are best positioned to take a big step forward in 2023:

• Cornelius Johnson
• 2022 Stats: 32 REC, 499 YDS, 6 TD
• Roman Wilson
• 2022 Stats: 25 REC, 376 YDS, 4 TD
• AJ Henning
• 2 Stats: 9 REC, 60 YDS, 0 TD
• Tyler Morris
• 2022 Stats: 3 REC, 25 YDS, 0 TD
• Darrius Clemons
• 2022 Stats: 1 REC, 7 YDS, 0 TD
• Amorion Walker
• 2022 Stats: 1 REC, 4 YDS, 0 TD

2. Offensive Line

Most expect Michigan's offensive line to be one of the best in the country again, but there's definitely some intrigue heading into the fall season. While there's little doubt that senior Zak Zinter and fifth year senior Trevor Keegan have the guard spots locked up, things start to get interesting beyond that. 

At tackle, Karsen Barnhart returns for his fifth year with 28 games and 16 starts under his belt. Trente Jones is another experienced tackle who's returning for his fifth year, having appeared in 26 games with six starts. Jeffrey Persi is also another intriguing candidate at tackle, appearing in all 14 games and making one start during the 2022 season Though all have experience, they'll certainly be fighting for a starting role in 2023 now that Michigan has added some significant pieces via the portal. 

The Wolverines brought in two experienced tackles in Myles Hinton (6-7, 320 pounds - Stanford) and LaDarius Henderson (6-5, 310 pounds - Arizona State). Additionally, Harbaugh and Co. landed center Drake Nugent (6-1, 300 pounds - Stanford), who is widely regarded as one of the top interior linemen in the country. All three transfers combine for a total of 69 starts during their collegiate career, meaning they'll certainly be pushing for a starting role in Ann Arbor this fall.

This is definitely a position group worth keeping your eye on during spring ball and fall camp. 

1. Cornerback

Christopher Breiler

It's no secret that Will Johnson is the top cornerback on the roster. Entering his sophomore season, Johnson is already considered to be one of the top returning corners in the country. Beyond that, there's a big question mark as to who will fill the starting role at corner opposite of Johnson. 

Here's a look at some of the guys who are currently in the hunt:

Ja'Den McBurrows

The 5-11, 206-pounder has dealt with some injuries while at Michigan but during his true freshman season he was getting some solid reviews. It'll be interesting to see if he can get back to that in 2023, his third year on campus.

Keon Sabb

Sabb was viewed more as a safety coming out of high school but at 6-1, 208 pounds he's got great fluidity and could probably play corner if he started working out there. He didn't play much this past year as a true freshman but he could get a look opposite Johnson.

Zeke Berry

Berry is a similar type of player in terms of his background. He was once a four-star safety, but at 5-11, 197 pounds, he does have more of a cornerback build and he's been practicing there some per someone close to the program.

Kody Jones

At 5-11, 193 pounds, Jones also has a more traditional cornerback build but he's not quite as lengthy as Berry. He doesn't look like he could bulk up as much as the others, so his future appears to be more at nickel. If he's got the opportunity to learn under Mike Sainristil, he should capitalize on that.

Myles Pollard

Pollard looks more like Johnson — long, lanky and plenty capable of matching up with bigger-bodied wide receivers. At 6-1, 191, he's a little slight, and probably has the furthest to go in terms of technique and being ready for regular reps, but he's got some nice physical tools to work with.

Amorion Walker

The biggest question mark of them all is Walker. The rising sophomore is listed at 6-3, 180 pounds, but he's bigger than that. He's all of 6-4 and has certainly bulked up during his time at U-M. Currently listed as a wide receiver on Michigan's roster, Walker actually played some in-game reps at cornerback earlier this season. The reps didn't last, but he's obviously getting a hard look on the defensive side of the ball. If he's smart, like Sainristil was, he might want to move over there since passing isn't a huge part of Michigan's offense.

The biggest question mark of them all is Walker. The rising sophomore is listed at 6-3, 180 pounds, but he's bigger than that. He's all of 6-4 and has certainly bulked up during his time at U-M. Currently listed as a wide receiver on Michigan's roster, Walker actually played some in-game reps at cornerback earlier this season. The reps didn't last, but he's obviously getting a hard look on the defensive side of the ball. If he's smart, like Sainristil was, he might want to move over there since passing isn't a huge part of Michigan's offense.

Michigan did ink three cornerbacks in the 2023 class — Jyaire Hill, Cameron Calhoun and D'Juan Waller Jr. — but none of them bring Johnson-like skills to the table as rookies, so expecting one of them to step up is probably unrealistic. There is always the transfer portal as well, which Michigan has been using perfectly thus far. If defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale and Co. identify someone in the portal who could help out at cornerback, it's very realistic that U-M would pursue them with an impeccable track record of landing who they want from that pool.