Michigan football injury report, depth chart ahead of Fiesta Bowl against TCU
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Breaking down the Michigan Wolverines football depth chart heading into the Fiesta Bowl against TCU. We project at least two-deep at every position and add notes, starting with the Michigan offense and continuing with the defense and special teams. First, injury notes:
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Michigan football injury report
Michigan will get one of its most important pieces back for the Fiesta Bowl, with senior EDGE Mike Morris set for a return. He played 11 snaps against Ohio State but missed the Illinois and Purdue games with a leg injury. Now, he’s nearing 100 percent and ready to “give it my everything” versus the Horned Frogs.
Michigan sophomore wide receiver Andrel Anthony was limited in practice with a minor injury earlier in the week but was back out there Thursday. He said he expects to play, though we did notice him still a bit slowed by the ankle. Junior wideout A.J. Henning was also limited earlier in the week but practiced Thursday.
Out for season
• Junior running back Blake Corum (left knee)
• Junior linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green (soft tissue)
• Senior safety Caden Kolesar (knee)
• Senior long snapper William Wagner (knee)
Quarterback
| 1. | Sophomore J.J. McCarthy | 6-3, 196 |
| 2. | Sophomore Davis Warren | 6-2, 195 |
| 3. | Graduate Alan Bowman | 6-3, 217 |
| OR Freshman Alex Orji | 6-3, 235 |
Senior former team captain Cade McNamara entered the transfer portal and committed to Iowa, quitting the team before the season ended. McCarthy is backed up by Warren primarily. Bowman also entered the portal but is one of the few players in college football to remain on his current team while seeking future options.
Running back
| 1. | Sophomore Donovan Edwards | 6-1, 204 |
| 2. | Junior Kalel Mullings | 6-2, 232 |
| 3. | Freshman CJ Stokes | 5-10, 196 |
| 4. | Sophomore Tavierre Dunlap | 6-0, 217 |
| OR Junior Isaiah Gash | 5-10, 175 |
Edwards has emerged as the featured back with Corum out and amassed 401 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns over the last two games. Mullings, a linebacker by trade, has practiced almost exclusively at running back during bowl practices and scored 2 touchdowns against Purdue. Stokes appears to be No. 3, but Michigan hasn’t shown a ton of trust in those behind the first pair.
Wide receiver
| Position | X | WR / H | Z | |||
| 1. | Senior Cornelius Johnson | 6-3, 208 | Junior Roman Wilson | 6-0, 185 | Graduate Ronnie Bell | 6-0, 190 |
| 2. | Sophomore Andrel Anthony | 6-2, 190 | Junior A.J. Henning | 5-10, 185 | Freshman Darrius Clemons | 6-3, 214 |
| 3. | Freshman Amorion Walker | 6-3, 180 | Freshman Tyler Morris | 5-11, 185 | Sophomore Cristian Dixon | 6-2, 195 |
Anthony and Henning may not be 100 percent, but it’s expected that each will play. Other than that, Michigan’s wide receiver rotation should look the same as it has more of the season.
Also, keep in mind that many of these positions are interchangeable. For example, Bell has and will continue to play the slot ‘H’ position, Wilson has and will play outside, and so on.
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Tight end
| 1. | Graduate Luke Schoonmaker | 6-5, 250 |
| 2. | Freshman Colston Loveland | 6-5, 237 |
| 3. | Graduate Joel Honigford | 6-6, 260 |
| 4. | OR Junior Sophomore Max Bredeson | 6-2, 232 |
| 5. | Graduate Carter Selzer | 6-8, 257 |
| OR Matthew Hibner | 6-5, 245 |
Schoonmaker and Loveland have become Michigan’s dynamic duo at tight end. Honigford and Bredeson play situationally, typically when the Wolverines run the ball.
Offensive line
| Position | LT | LG | C | RG | RT | |||||
| 1. | Graduate Ryan Hayes | 6-7, 305 | Senior Trevor Keegan | 6-6, 305 | Graduate Olusegun Oluwatimi | 6-3, 307 | Junior Zak Zinter | 6-6, 315 | Senior Karsen Barnhart | 6-5, 308 |
| 2. | Junior Jeffrey Persi | 6-8, 309 | Sophomore Giovanni El-Hadi | 6-5, 317 | Sophomore Greg Crippen | 6-4, 301 | Junior Reece Atteberry | 6-5, 315 | Senior Trente Jones | 6-4, 311 |
Michigan had a lot of moving pieces due to injuries on the offensive line throughout the season, but is healthy now and rolling with the top five listed. The group won the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s top offensive line.
Defensive line
| Position | EDGE | DE | DT | NT | EDGE | |||||
| 1. | Senior Mike Morris | 6-6, 292 | Junior Kris Jenkins | 6-3, 285 | Freshman Mason Graham | 6-3, 317 | Senior Mazi Smith | 6-3, 337 | Junior Jaylen Harrell | 6-4, 246 |
| 2. | Graduate Taylor Upshaw | 6-4, 255 | Sophomore Rayshaun Benny | 6-4, 292 | Sophomore Rayshaun Benny | 6-4, 292 | Freshman Kenneth Grant | 6-3, 356 | Graduate Eyabi Okie | 6-5, 244 |
| 3. | OR Freshman Derrick Moore | 6-3, 279 | Graduate Cam Goode | 6-2, 323 | Junior Braiden McGregor | 6-6, 261 |
Morris should be full go, and he was the missing piece for a Michigan defensive line that has stayed healthy this season. Graham will see some time in base packages and as a backup nose tackle, even though he’s listed as a starter.
Linebacker
| Position | MIKE | WILL | ||
| 1. | Sophomore Junior Colson | 6-2, 235 | Graduate Michael Barrett | 6-0, 233 |
| 2. | Freshman Jimmy Rolder | 6-2, 228 | Junior Kalel Mullings | 6-2, 232 |
Mullings hasn’t practiced much at linebacker, but the Michigan junior did say that he meets with the defensive staff to stay up to date with the game plan.
Defensive back
| Position | CB | SS | FS | NICKEL | CB | |||||
| 1. | Senior DJ Turner | 6-0, 180 | Junior Makari Paige | 6-4, 200 | Sophomore Rod Moore | 6-0, 185 | Senior Mike Sainristil | 5-10, 182 | Freshman Will Johnson | 6-2, 194 |
| 2. | Graduate German Green | 6-2, 187 | Junior R.J. Moten | 6-0, 223 | Senior Quinten Johnson | 5-11, 202 | Sophomore Rod Moore | 6-0, 185 | Graduate Gemon Green | 6-2, 186 |
| 3. | Senior Jalen Perry | 6-0, 190 | Freshman Will Johnson | 6-2, 194 |
Johnson and Gemon Green are co-starters in our projection. The two have alternated starts lately. Both will see significant time, and Johnson’s size at 6-foot-2 may be important against TCU’s bigger outside receivers.
Special teams
| Position | PK | P | LS | KR | PR | |||||
| 1. | Graduate Jake Moody | 6-1, 210 | Graduate Brad Robbins | 6-1, 205 | Junior Greg Tarr | 6-2, 216 | Junior Roman Wilson | 6-0, 185 | Junior A.J. Henning | 5-10, 185 |
| 2. | Freshman Tommy Doman | 6-4, 208 | Freshman Tommy Doman | 6-4, 208 | Freshman Evan Boutorwick | 6-3, 231 | Junior A.J. Henning | 5-10, 185 | Graduate Ronnie Bell | 6-0, 190 |
