Texas vs. Michigan Week 2 Preview: Offensive Players to Watch

A new look Michigan offense led by athletic skill players will look to put up big numbers in the first big game of the post-Harbaugh era.

Maize Team running back Tavierre Dunlap (22) runs against Blue Team during the second half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas Longhorns' first big test of the 2024 season will come at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines, traveling over 1,100 miles to The Big House in Ann Arbor to face the defending national champs.

Texas is sure to bring its A-game on offense with the brain of head coach Steve Sarkisian, the arm of Quinn Ewers and the speed of the skill players on the field, but Michigan isn’t as known for its offensive excellence.

Michigan had one of its best offensive seasons last year, averaging over 35 points per game in its undefeated run. The problem is, that most of that offense is gone. Head coach Jim Harbaugh moved on to the NFL, while Michigan lost eight of 11 offensive starters. Michigan lost one of its best quarterbacks in school history, JJ McCarthy, to the first round of the draft, as well as the nation’s scoring leader, running back Blake Corum, and four of five offensive line starters.

But all hope isn’t lost for Michigan’s offense in 2024. The new-promoted head coach Sherrone Moore was the team’s offensive coordinator last season, bringing continuity to the system. And just because they lost a lot of talent doesn’t mean the Wolverines are lacking in the skill position departments. 

So for Texas, which players will Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense have to worry about heading into Week 2 of the 2024 season?

1. RB Donovan Edwards

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards lifts the trophy to celebrate the 34-13 win over Washington in the national championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re aware of the hype surrounding the new EA CFB 25 video game releasing in July. For Texas fans, excitement is at an all-time high with one of three athletes being their prized QB Quinn Ewers. Who else is on the cover? Colorado’s Travis Hunter, a dynamic two-way player, and Michigan’s Donovan Edwards, one of the most athletic and energizing runners in the nation.

Edwards has lived under the shadow for the duration of his career, but with his main competition gone, the backfield is ready for an explosion from a Michigan native. Edwards had an up-and-down 2023 season, decreasing in many efficiency and volume stats at the hand of Corum’s surprising return after the 2022 season.

 But Edwards’ ceiling knows no bounds. In just 11 games in 2022, Edwards ran for 991 yards and seven touchdowns, adding another 200 yards in the air. In 2022’s thrashing of rival Ohio State in Columbus, Edwards ran for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

Edwards is a big game player, averaging 169 yards per game against ranked opponents in 2022. Though he was quieter in games against Alabama and Ohio State in 2023, Edwards’ 104 yards and two touchdowns in the national championship game more than made up for it. Texas will have to keep Edwards’ explosiveness in check before he can run away with the game. 

2. TE Colston Loveland

Michigan tight end Colston Loveland celebrates a play against Washington during the second half of U-M's 34-13 win in the College Football Playoff national championship game in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Regarded as the top tight end in the nation heading into 2024, Loveland brings size and secure hands to the Michigan passing game. Standing at 6’5, Loveland was known for his tough-catch creation in 2023 as just a sophomore. Loveland finished second on the team in receiving yards in 2023 with 649, even eclipsing future Charger Cornelius Johnson at wide receiver. 

Loveland has been ranked No. 1 in Pro Football Focuses’ top-10 tight end list for 2024, and is their number one tight end draft prospect for the 2025 draft, ranking as the only first rounder at the position. Loveland is poised for a breakout in his third full year in college, and there’s no better game to get it done than against Texas. The Longhorn secondary and linebackers will have their hands full with the secure hands of the Michigan offense.

3. QB Alex Orji

Blue Team quarterback Alex Orji (10) makes a pass against Maize Team during the second half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

There is no quarterback Texas will see all season with less throwing film than Michigan’s new gunslinger. In two years at Michigan, Orji has yet to throw a pass, only being used as a Wildcat-style rusher, similar to how the Longhorns have used players like Roschon Johnson and Savion Red in the past 

Orji is a dynamic athlete, a new pattern in the post-Harbaugh Wolverine team, and is currently listed at 6’3 236. The QB is built like a freight train and would’ve weighed the most and been the third tallest at the position at the 2024 NFL Combine. The big question with Orji is if he’s ready for a game of this magnitude, but something about a Texas native in his second career start just sounds destined to perform in a game like this.