2021 First Glance Preview: Week Ten (Michigan Wolverines)
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Written By: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)
Week Nine: Michigan Wolverines
Date & Time: Saturday, November 6, 2021, Time: TBA
Venue: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
TV: TBD
Wolverines at a Glance
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh
Entering his 7th year as Michigan’s Head Coach, Overall Record: 49-22 (34-16)
Last Season: 2-4 (2-4) Tied Fifth in the Big Ten East
Wolverines’ Returning Leaders
Passing: Cade McNamara (43-71 passing (60.6%), 425 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs)
Rushing: Hassan Haskins (61 rushes, 375 yards, 6.1 YPC, 6 TDs)
Receiving: Ronnie Bell (26 receptions, 401 yards, 1 TD)
Tackles: LB Josh Ross (53 tackles, 28 solo, 1 Sack, 1 INT)
Michigan Preseason Predictions
Athlon: 4th in Big Ten East
Phil Steele: 4th in Big Ten East
Impact Newcomers for the Wolverines
- QB Alan Bowman (Transfer from Texas Tech)
-QB J.J. McCarthy (Five-Star Freshman)
-DT Jordan Whittley (Transfer from Oregon State)
-WR Daylen Baldwin (Transfer from Jackson State)
Biggest Questions Facing the 2021 Wolverines
1. How does the defense look in new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s system?
2. Can Harbaugh work his quarterback magic?
3. Is this the year Michigan lives up to its expectations?
Program Preview
Once again, we find ourselves amidst an offseason in which Jim Harbaugh finds himself in the hot seat. After a disappointing 2-4 season last year, Harbaugh survived the winter; the same cannot be sad of numerous staff and players, who were let go or opted to leave the program. Now, we enter a new season which truly feels like a make-or-break year for the coach entering his seventh year at the helm – but, we also realize this has been said countless times before. To preserve his job and satisfy Wolverine fan’s expectations, Harbaugh must recapture his “quarterback guru” mojo and trust in his new defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, to turn the defense back around. The talent is certainly there, but it has to start translating to marquee wins before Michigan’s patience wears thin.
Offensive Preview
For the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era, the Wolverines will start the season having already publicly named a starting quarterback. Cade McNamara, the lone quarterback that remains that saw time last season, was named QB1 after a strong spring. McNamara beat out Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman and five-star freshman J.J. McCarthy for the job. The position is certainly still up for grabs with an impressive fall camp showing, but at Big Ten media days Harbaugh claimed that “It just does not look like Cade’s going to let that go.”
With that issue hopefully resolved, Harbaugh and staff can focus on the rest of the offense. At tailback, they’ll find one of the most talented rooms in the conference. Zach Charbonnet left to the transfer portal, but he left behind leading rusher last season Hassan Haskins, sophomore Blake Corum, and early enrollee Donovan Edwards. Haskins and Corum combined for 450 yards last season, while Edwards was the top recruit from the state of Michigan and the Wolverines’ second-best recruit in the class.
The strong bunch of running backs will be running behind an offensive line that led the Big Ten with the fewest tackles for loss allowed per game last season, and four starters will return. None were stars last season, but with another offseason of growth should blossom into something special this year. Tackle Andrew Stueber is the most decorated of the returning bunch.
And finally, McNamara will be stocked with three of the top four receivers from last season, losing only Giles Jackson to the transfer portal. Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson both return and averaged over 15 yards per catch and combined for four touchdowns.
Defensive Preview
The quarterback situation had the most eyes on it entering the spring, but with a starter having been named, the biggest question mark entering the season likely shifts to the new look defense. After five seasons with Michigan, Don Brown was fired from the staff and Harbaugh elected to hire Mike Macdonald to replace him. This has to be a culture shift, as Brown has been coaching for a decade longer than Macdonald has been alive. However, this may be just what the Michigan defense needs. The unit allowed 434 yards and 35 points per game in 2020. It has steadily decreased in production over the last five seasons, dropping all the way to the nation’s 56th ranked defense last year after finishing the season as high as 2nd in 2016. A new, youthful coach may be exactly what this team needs.
While you knew what to expect with Michigan’s defense under Brown, we are not quite as sure with Macdonald. He joins the Wolverines after three seasons with Georgia and the last seven with the Baltimore Ravens. He has kept his tactics close to the chest but has mentioned at times to expect a similar defense as the Ravens played. Going off of that, we should expect a base 3-man front with a pass rush coming primarily from the second level of the defense.
Macdonald will have an immediate star on the defense in Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson has first-round 2022 NFL draft hype and is crafting his body to fit into Macdonald’s system. While he primarily plays with a hand in the dirt at defensive end, he has dropped some weight over the offseason to be more versatile and potentially drop back into a rush linebacker role.
Joining Hutchinson on the ends of the line will be Taylor Upshaw, Mike Morris, and Gabe Newburg. Donovan Jeter and Chris Hinton return as starters at the tackle position, while former four-star Mazi Smith and Oregon State transfer Jordan Whittley will also compete for time in the middle of the line.
Familiar faces in leading tackler (53) John Ross and third-best tackler (44) Michael Barrett return at the linebacking corps. The secondary returns all key players, but they will need to have improved the most. Michigan came up with just two interceptions last season, only one of which came from the secondary. Daxton Hill and Brad Hawkins return at safety and both will need to be rock solid with what looks to be a fluid situation at cornerback, though Gemon Green and Vincent Gray did start each game last season.
Special Teams Preview
Michigan opted to share kicking and punting responsibilities between four players last season, but with Quinn Nordin and Will Hart’s departures, just two remain and should assume full-time responsibilities at their respective positions. Jake Moody will take place-kicking duties. He was nine of nine on extra points last year but did make just one of four field goals, with a long of 40 yards. Brad Robbins will likely assume punting duties, though incoming freshman Tommy Doman was highly touted as a punting recruit. Robbins punted 23 times for 1,041 yards last season (45.3 average) and a long of 66 yards in the loss against Indiana.