Predicting Michigan Football Offensive Depth Chart In 2023

Michigan football kicks off in over a week and while camp battles are still happening, here is what the Wolverines' offense may look like in Week 1.

In just a little over a week, Michigan football will officially be back. The Wolverines are set to open the season in Week 1 against East Carolina and while we may know what the starting lineup might look like when the offense takes the field -- there are battles still happening. 

I'm going to do my best to predict what the Michigan offense will look like this fall. Here is what I think the two-deep is going to look like, plus I'll show what the other 'depth' options look like. 

Quarterback:

Starter: J.J. McCarthy

Backup: Davis Warren

Depth: Jack Tuttle, Alex Orji

The starting option here is as easy as they come. McCarthy is back for his junior campaign and hopes to improve off of his 2,719 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions sophomore year in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines say they want to throw the ball more this year, so that will bode well for the former five-star QB. 

Jim Harbaugh brought in veteran Jack Tuttle from Indiana via the portal this offseason, but I think Michigan likes what it has from junior Davis Warren. Warren looked good during the 2022 and 2023 spring games. He completed 5-for-9 passes and 89 yards in '22. But don't be shocked to see all four quarterbacks listed here during the first few games of the season, especially when Michigan takes a commanding lead. 

Running Back:

1A: Blake Corum

1B: Donovan Edwards

RB 3: Benjamin Hall

Depth: Kalel Mullings, CJ Stokes, Tavierre Dunlap, Cole Cabana

Michigan has a crowded running back room with two studs leading the way. Blake Corum is back for his senior year after rushing for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. His season was cut short due to his knee injury, but he was still in the Heisman race. 

Donovan Edwards is also back for his junior -- and probably last -- season. Edwards filled in nicely for Corum during the final three games last year when he ran for 520 yards and three scores. Expect to see Edwards lined up all over the field in 2023. 

The big battle here is who gets RB3? My gut says freshman Benjamin Hall and that's strictly from what I saw during the spring game and how much the coaches praise him. But Michigan likes to rotate the running backs so Mullings and Stokes will most likely see action too. 

Wide Receivers:

Starters: Cornelious Johnson, Roman Wilson, Tyler Morris

Backups: Darrius Clemons, Peyton O'Leary, Semaj Morgan

Depth: Christian Dixon, Fredrick Moore, Karmello English

Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson are both back and are locked into starting roles. Wilson primarily played the slot in 2022, but the Jim Harbaugh told the media that Tyler Morris entered fall camp as a starter. With Morris having a smaller frame at 5-foot-11, it makes sense if he transitions into the slot with Wilson playing on the outside. 

Darrius Clemons has been battling an injury but with his 6-foot-3 frame, he should be a solid target once he gets his feet under him. O'Leary was another spring game standout and players and coaches have had plenty of good things to say about him. 

Jim Harbaugh has raved about Fredrick Moore, Semaj Morgan, and Karmello English saying they are all ahead of schedule and are doing things freshmen shouldn't be doing. It sounds like the Wolverines may be playing a ton of receivers in '23. 

Tight End:

Starter: Colston Loveland

Backup: AJ Barner

Depth: Matthew Hibner, Max Bredeson, Marlin Klein

Colston Loveland is entering his sophomore year and he may have the most hype of anyone on the offense. Loveland can do it all: block, catch, and run great routes. Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore believes he has the potential to be the best tight end in the country.

I put Barner as a backup, but as we all know, Michigan lives for its two-tight end sets, so Barner will technically see starter-level snaps. He is another player the Wolverines got from Indiana via the portal. Barner is a good catching tight end, but he is more of that blocking tight end. He should be a good asset for the offense. 

Offensive Line:

Starters (from left to right): LaDarius Henderson, Trevor Keegan, Drake Nugent, Zak Zinter, Karsen Barnhart

Backups: Myles Hinton, Giovanni El-Hadi, Greg Crippen, Andrew Gentry, Trente Jones

Depth: Raheem Anderson. Jeff Persi, Connor Jones, Tristan Bounds

This is the toughest to predict because Jim Harbaugh really believes he has 10-to-12 starting offensive linemen at Michigan this season. We know Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter are locked into starting roles for the season, but Harbaugh says there is a battle at the other three spots. 

LaDarius Henderson and Drake Nugent are both too good not to start. Henderson was charged with just two sacks during the past two seasons at Arizona State and Nugent was a top-five run-blocking center in 2022 -- he graded out better than Olu Oluwatimi. 

I'm going a little off the track here by putting Karsen Barnhart at right tackle since Harbaugh said he is battling Henderson for the left tackle spot. But with how well Barnhart did at RT last season, I think he might end up being there when it's all said and done. 

Michigan is using the 'Michigan Method' during the first couple of games this season, so we will see some different offensive line looks, but this is what I think the line will look like once Harbaugh makes his final decision.

Expect to see a ton of Myles Hinton and Giovanni El-Hadi subbing in and out of rotation.