Following the spring game, we got a bit more clarity on what Michigan’s offense should look like this fall. Here’s our prediction of the Wolverines’ offensive depth chart at the end of spring:
Spring football has come and gone with Michigan playing its spring game this past Saturday, and fans were able to get a bit more clarity on what things should look like for the offense under first-year coordinator Chip Lindsey.
The spring game featured some breakout performances, as well as some underwhelming ones, but it appears the offense is in a better place than it was at this time last season.
With the new information we learned and seeing who stood out on Saturday, we have a better idea of who could be contributing this fall, as well as which under-the-radar players fans need to buy some stock in. Today, we’ll predict what the offensive depth chart looks like at the end of spring ball.
Quarterback
Starter – Bryce Underwood
Depth – Mikey Keene, Jadyn Davis, Chase Herbstreit, Davis Warren (injured)
Bryce Underwood didn’t exactly light the world on fire in the spring game, but he showed some glimpses of why he was the No. 1 overall recruit in the country. The freshman showcased his rocket of an arm and great mobility, but had some spotty accuracy and poor decision making at times. Make no mistake, he has the talent to play right away, but there will be some growing pains.
Part of the reason for pencilling in Underwood as the starter is the unknown status of Mikey Keene. He’s been hampered by an injury and didn’t play on Saturday. His experience could be useful, especially at the start of the season if the coaching staff doesn’t want to throw Underwood into the fire right away. If Keene is 100 percent healthy, I’d expect him to be the starter Week 1, but it’s Underwood’s job as long as we’re unsure of Keene’s health.
Behind Underwood and Keene is redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis, who completed 6-of-17 passes with two interceptions on Saturday.
Running Back
Starters – Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall
Depth – Micah Ka’apana, C.J. Hester, Bryson Kuzdzal
There are no real surprises at this position so far this spring. Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall should be the co-starters for the Wolverines and represent the strongest position group on offense. Haynes, in particular, had a great showing on Saturday with 51 yards on six carries.
Behind the starters, redshirt freshman Micah Ka’apana got 15 carries in the spring game and figures to jump into the No. 3 role, but Bryson Kuzdzal might have closed the gap considerably with his 105-yard outburst. Newcomer CJ Hester, who recently committed to Michigan via the transfer portal, will jump into that mix as well. In 2024, Hester had 529 yards on 119 carries for UMass.
Wide Receiver
Starters – Donaven McCulley, Fred Moore, Semaj Morgan
Depth – Channing Goodwin, Andrew Marsh, Anthony Simpson, Peyton O’Leary, Kendrick Bell, I’Marion Stewart, Jamar Browder
One of the positions we hoped to get the most answers about was wide receiver, and it’s safe to say the picture is still a little cloudy even after the spring game. Donaven McCulley, Fred Moore and Semaj Morgan were all favored to be starters heading into the spring, and there’s not much of a reason to expect otherwise at the moment.
Behind those three, things get a bit more interesting. It appeared Channing Goodwin might have climbed the ladder this spring, as he received nine targets from Underwood on Saturday. His development could be important as Michigan looks to infuse some juice into its vertical passing game.
Andrew Marsh, Peyton O’Leary, I’Marion Stewart and Jamar Browder each had multiple targets on Saturday. Marsh and Browder will be the names to watch this summer as freshmen who could make some noise if they quickly acclimate themselves to the offense and the college game. Transfer Anthony Simpson will also be added to the mix when he arrives this summer.
Tight End
Starters – Hogan Hansen, Max Bredeson (H-back)
Depth – Marlin Klein, Jalen Hoffman, Zack Marshall, Brady Prieskorn, Eli Owens
Hogan Hansen didn’t play in Saturday’s game, but he was a player that gained plenty of attention as a freshman last season. With Colston Loveland out of the picture, he could be poised for a breakout season as one of Michigan’s top receiving options. Marlin Klein isn’t far behind and should be in line to receive just as much work. Max Bredeson will reprise his role as the starting H-back.
Jalen Hoffman was the star of Michigan’s spring game with 148 yards on seven receptions. Originally thought of as an H-back option, he showed he can be a viable receiving option as well, boosting his stock heading into the summer.
Overall, with the emergence of Hoffman, the potential of Hansen and the experience of Klein, the tight end group is in good shape for right now.
Offensive Line
Starters – (LT) Evan Link, (LG) Gio El-Hadi, (C) Greg Crippen, (RG) Nathan Efobi, (RT) Andrew Sprague
Depth – Andrew Babalola, Brady Norton, Blake Frazier, Lawrence Hattar, Luke Hamilton, Jake Guarnera, Kaden Strayhorn, Luke Hamilton, Ben Roebuck
Much like the wide receiver group, we were looking to get some more answers about the offensive line after an underwhelming 2024. Following the spring game, Sherrone Moore mentioned Gio El-Hadi, Greg Crippen and Andrew Sprague as likely starters, leaving two spots up for grabs still.
Nathan Efobi and Evan Link were the favorites for starting jobs entering the spring, and we’ll stick with that original prediction for now. However, Andrew Babalola could be a player coming on quicker than expected. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the spring game draft and got plenty of run with the maize team at left tackle, although did surrender a sack to Dominic Nichols. If he continues to impress, it wouldn’t be too big a surprise if he’s starting in Week 1.
Brady Norton has been getting some buzz this spring as well after transferring from Cal Poly. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s able to crack the starting five heading into the season, but that will likely be predicated on him adding more weight to his frame and the coaching staff figuring out which position is optimal for him.