With Michigan gearing up to face Northwestern on the other side of the bye, it’s a good time to take PFF stock of what’s working well and what’s not.
Michigan heads into its second bye week in unfamiliar territory, sitting at 5-5 and well outside of the playoff picture.
Their most recent loss—a hard-fought 20-15 battle against No. 8 Indiana—was a particularly hard pill to swallow. Despite the usual offensive struggles, the Wolverines had one of the nation’s few remaining undefeated teams on the ropes, coming just one touchdown short of pulling off a major upset.
With one win still necessary for the team to obtain bowl eligibility, Sherrone Moore has plenty to address during this break, including inconsistencies with the offense, defensive lapses in the secondary, coaching issues, and more.
With the Wolverines gearing up to face Northwestern on the other side of the bye, it’s a good time to take PFF stock of who has been performing well and who could use some improvement.
Ten Best Offensive Grades (30 snap min.)
Kalel Mullings – 84.1 (308 snaps)
Colston Loveland – 84.0 (340 snaps)
Hogan Hansen – 75.0 (32 snaps)
Andrew Gentry – 74.5 (115 snaps)
Donovan Edwards – 74.2 (299 snaps)
Davis Warren – 72.7 (306 snaps)
Giovanni Ed-Hadi – 70.1 (548 snaps)
Greg Crippen – 65.3 (375 snaps)
Max Bredeson – 64.9 (267 snaps)
Alex Orji – 64.6 (189 snaps)
Colston Loveland and Kalel Mullings’ value to the Michigan offense through ten games cannot be understated. The Wolverines’ primary offensive weapons have been huge difference makers during a rough season, accounting for 1,300 yards (roughly 45% of the offense’s scrimmage yards) and twelve touchdowns along the way.
Outside of Mullings and Loveland, Donovan Edwards has also been an effective option for the offense, earning a solid overall grade of 74.2—an improvement from his 2023 grade of 71.1. The Wolverines have also seen flashes of potential along the offensive line from Giovanni El-Hadi (70.1) and Andrew Gentry (74.5), though injuries have limited the group’s full potential so far.
Five Worst Offensive Grades
Jack Tuttle – 29.1 (117 snaps)
Evan Link – 51.4 (524 snaps)
Jeffrey Persi – 52.5 (164 snaps)
C.J. Charleston – 53.5 (147 snaps)
Kendrick Bell – 53.8 (289 snaps)
Not surprisingly, seventh-year quarterback Jack Tuttle received the lowest grade on offense with a dismal 29.1 overall. This, of course, can be traced back to the multitude of turnovers that we saw from the veteran during his time under center, as well as finishing with a QBR of 21.2 during his only true start against Illinois.
Offensive lineman Evan Link has become somewhat of a PFF punching bag in 2024, so his 51.4 grade comes as no surprise. Realistically, Link has the potential to become a great Michigan offensive lineman beyond his first official year as a starter. However, to achieve that, he’ll need to improve his 28.6 pass-blocking grade, which has hindered his breakout season.
Ten Best Defensive Grades
Josaiah Stewart – 91.9 (378 snaps)
Mason Graham – 89.5 (479 snaps)
Rayshaun Benny – 84.0 (226 snaps)
Kenneth Grant – 80.6 (477 snaps)
Jimmy Rolder – 78.5 (167 snaps)
Will Johnson – 75.4 (279 snaps)
Derrick Moore – 74.6 (372 snaps)
Jyaire Hill – 74.4 (535 snaps)
TJ Guy – 73.6 (326 snaps)
Mason Curtis – 72.3 (60 snaps)
Josaiah Stewart has been contained in recent weeks, posting overall grades of 70.2 and 55.4 against Indiana and Oregon. However, that doesn’t change his status as one of college football’s great game-wreckers. Stewart leads the Wolverines’ defense with an impressive 91.9 overall grade, along with a 92.7 pass-rush grade that tops all Power 4 outside linebackers.
Here’s where most eyes might be drawn to All-American-caliber defensive lineman Mason Graham, but I’m more interested in the presence of Rayshaun Benny and his impressive 84.0 overall grade. Benny has been a force for the Wolverines down the stretch, boasting one of the team’s best run-defense grades at 85.0.
Five Worst Defensive Grades
Zeke Berry – 58.6 (478 snaps)
Makari Paige – 61.1 (544 snaps)
Enow Etta – 61.1 (52 snaps)
Wesley Walker – 62.3 (207 snaps)
Ernest Hausmann – 63.5 (579 snaps)
Zeke Berry is difficult to discuss here as one of the lowest-graded players, especially after his best performance of the season against Indiana. Upon switching to outside corner, Berry earned a commendable grade of 83.8 against the Hoosiers and notched a pivotal interception that kept the Wolverines in the game. If Lamar Morgan wants to get the most out of Berry moving forward, it might be worth shaking things up to see if this change continues to benefit the pass defense.