Bruce Feldman: Michigan will have Jim Harbaugh's 'most talented team' in 2023

The 2023 Michigan football team could be the most talented since Jim Harbaugh took over nine years ago, according to The Athletic‘s Bruce Feldman. The Wolverines are coming off of back-to-back Big Ten titles and trips to the College Football Playoff and are a threat to once again compete for a national championship.

A lot of that has to do with with the returning production from this past season that includes running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards as well as quarterback JJ McCarthy. Although Michigan fell short in the CFP semifinals each of the past two seasons, Feldman believes the experience and talent give them a chance to break through this year.

“The guys I’ve talked to inside that program said this will be his most talented team,” he told On3’s Andy Staples. “Not only is it the most talented, Blake Corum is back, a lot of the offensive linemen, Zak Zinter, the leaders of the team, they are back. The two leaders of the defense, Michael Barrett and Mike Sainristil, they both are back.

“I think on paper, there’s a lot to like for Michigan. Certainly JJ McCarthy, Year 2 as a starter, looked really good against Ohio State on that stage. Really was up-and-down and looked really shaky against TCU on that stage. So we’ll see how he answers.”

Michigan had one of the best rushing attacks in the country this past season as Corum and Edwards combined for 2,454 yards and 25 touchdowns. McCarthy also showed off his dual-threat ability with 306 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

If the quarterback can find more consistency as a passer in 2023, it could be what propels the Wolverines offense to the next level. Despite leading the Big Ten in rushing this past season, Michigan ranked just seventh in passing yards per game (219.9). The Wolverines dropped back to pass on just 38.1% of their total plays in 2022.

It’s not just the returning players that will make a difference for Michigan in 2023. The Wolverines also brought in transfer offensive linemen Drake Nugent and LaDarius Henderson, the No. 31 and No. 36 players in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

Defensively, Michigan ranked sixth in the country this past season with 292.1 yards allowed per game. They must replace defensive end Mike Morris, who led the team with 7.5 sacks in 2022. However, leading tackler Junior Colson is back along with Barrett and Sainristil to give the Wolverines a chance at once again being the most feared defenses in the nation.

All this in mind, Michigan has a real shot at claiming its first national title since 1997. It’s a long season and time will tell if the Wolverines can get there, but as Feldman said, everything looks good on paper.

Michigan will kick off the 2023 season on Sept. 2 against East Carolina.