HuskerOnline – Nebraska Opponent Spring Review: Michigan

As Nebraska enters a crucial fifth season below head coach Scott Frost in 2022, we determined to take a look at the place issues stand with the Huskers’ 12 opponents popping out of spring practices.

Right this moment, we proceed with Michigan, a workforce that’s seeking to proceed its dominance after making the 2021 School Soccer Playoffs.

Josh Henschke from the Maize and Blue Evaluation gave his ideas on the Wolverines’ offseason and their matchup with Nebraska after an intense battle in 2021.

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1. Changing Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo

Michigan misplaced its finest defensive participant to the NFL draft when Heisman runner-up Aidan Hutchinson was chosen as the general No. 2 decide by the Detriot Lions. The defensive finish had 16.5 tackles for loss in 2021 with 14 sacks and 62 complete tackles.

The Wolverines additionally want to interchange linebacker David Ojabo, who was chosen within the second spherical of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Ojabo was a second-team AP All-American and first-team All-Huge Ten choice. He recorded 35 tackles, 12 for loss and 11 sacks with 5 pressured fumbles.

Ojabo was projected to be picked within the first spherical however tore his Achilles throughout a drill at Michigan’s professional day.

Senior defensive ends Mike Morris and Taylor Upshaw are two gamers with expertise that Michigan is popping to for an enormous season.

2. Two new coordinators

Jesse Minter, who was the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Vanderbilt, is Michigan’s latest defensive coordinator. Mike Macdonald left to grow to be the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.

Henschke mentioned Minter and Macdonald have related programs so there hasn’t been an enormous change on protection. The identical goes with the offense.

Matt Weiss was Michigan’s quarterbacks coach in 2021 and added the co-offensive coordinator title for 2022. Sherrone Moore, the opposite co-offensive coordinator, is getting into his second season of being an OC and the offensive line coach.

Michigan will nonetheless be a run-heavy offense and is worked up about working backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards within the absence of Hassan Haskins. The Wolverines’ 2022 class had a pleasant corridor with large receivers so Henschke mentioned they may throw the ball extra with the expertise on the surface.

3. The fan favor – Quarterbacks

An important storyline for Michigan to Henschke was changing its draft picks, nevertheless, he mentioned the followers have their eyes on the quarterback scenario.

Senior Cade McNamara has the QB1 job locked down as he led Michigan to the School Soccer Playoffs in 2021. He accomplished 210-of-327 go makes an attempt for two,576 yards with 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

Behind McNamara is sophomore J.J. McCarthy, who Michigan followers are excited to see develop, in response to Henschke. As a freshman, McCarthy performed in 11 video games and accomplished 34-of-59 passes for 516 yards with 5 touchdowns and two interceptions.

McCarthy was sidelined this spring because of a shoulder harm however is now throwing with out ache. Relying on his restoration, it is very attainable McCarthy takes a much bigger function in Michigan’s offense and runs sure performs or drives.

Henschke: “It is fascinating as a result of that recreation final yr was in all probability one which Michigan actually should not have gained.

“I feel Nebraska is hungry. It is clear they’ve finished a very good job with the switch portal, so this is not going to be the identical Nebraska workforce that Michigan noticed final yr. The blokes who’re getting back from that recreation final yr aren’t going to overlook about what occurred.

“So I personally suppose it is gonna be a very fascinating recreation. You are gonna have a very mad, and admittedly, higher Nebraska workforce that is gonna present up. This is not a workforce that Michigan or their followers ought to take evenly. They have been improved.

“Scott Frost acquired one thing to show as nicely as a result of he is below the microscope along with his efficiency and his contract. So I anticipate a far, much better workforce to point out up towards Michigan this yr.”

Henschke: “It is powerful as a result of Michigan’s schedule is extraordinarily favorable this yr. You have acquired the Michigan States and the Penn State’s on the report, and clearly, you gotta go to Penn State this yr. However the nonconference is straightforward.

“You could possibly realistically see a scenario the place Michigan may have 10 or 11 wins, heading into Ohio State the place they go to Columbus. Not even to say what they did final yr, I feel something in need of 10 wins this yr is mostly a failure, for my part, simply contemplating they return majority of what they’d final yr. It will be, to me, a failure in the event that they get something lower than 10 wins.

“I am all the time hesitant to say that Michigan is gonna beat Ohio State since you simply by no means know. However I’d not be shocked in the event that they had been 11-0 going into Ohio State to play for all of the marbles this yr. So I will say, I feel they’re going to go 11-1 and I feel they’re going to lose Ohio State in Columbus.”