Michigan football offensive awards, superlatives for 2023 season

The Michigan Wolverines finished the regular season 13-0 for the second year in a row and now have their sights set on a national championship as they head to the Rose Bowl to take on Alabama. With a break in the action and the “new season” beginning in the College Football Playoff, it’s time to hand out some hardware.

Here are our offensive awards for Michigan for the 2023 football season.

Most Valuable Player: Quarterback J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy finished the regular season with 2,630 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions, extending his record as Michigan’s starting quarterback to 24-1 in his career. His dual-threat skill set makes him the program’s first quarterback to go in the first or second rounds in the NFL Draft since Chad Henne in 2008. Head coach Jim Harbaugh called him a “once in a generation” quarterback at Michigan, and he still has a chance to add to his legacy in the CFP. McCarthy’s efficient play and improvisational skills are something that has taken the offense to the next level in terms of balance.

Offensive Player of the Year: Running back Blake Corum

Blake Corum rushed for 1,028 yards with a school-record 24 touchdowns this season and was nearly automatic at the goalline and in short-yarage situations. He could have been in the NFL this year, but elected to come back to finish the business he could not be a part of at Michigan last postseason. While is burst and explosiveness may not be exactly what it was when he first burst onto the scene, Corum still showed he could handle the load and delivered in the big moments when his name was called, mostly on the doorstep of the endzone.

Breakout Player: Wide receiver Roman Wilson

Coming out of training camp, Roman Wilson switched to the No. 1 jersey, which has traditionally been reserved for the best of the best at wide receiver in program history. Wilson responded by leading Michigan with 41 catches – second only to Cornelius Johnson’s 42 – for 662 yards and 11 of McCarthy’s 19 touchdown connections. The Wolverines needed someone to step up with Ronnie Bell graduating and Wilson responded in a big way during his senior season.

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Right guard Zak Zinter

Michigan’s offensive line was a step or two below the Joe Moore Award-level standards it had set the previous two seasons, but Zak Zinter more than did his part. He was another who could have easily been in the NFL this year but decided to run it back one more time. He was a dominant road-grating guard whose name we heard very little of, which is a compliment for an offensive lineman. Zinter’s broken leg in the Ohio State game will prevent him from playing in the College Football Playoff, which is heartbreaking for a guy who came back with unfinished business.

Newcomer of the Year: Center Drake Nugent

Drake Nugent was banged up in spring ball and got off to a bit of a slow start this season, but quickly solidified into a strength of the offensive line along with Zinter and Trevor Keegan on each side of him. Pro Football Focus grades him as the No. 13 center in college football (77.3), posting rock-solid numbers in both pass protection (77.2) and run blocking (75.2).

Freshman of the Year: Wide receiver Semaj Morgan

The Wolverines brought in a class that ranked lower than some would have hoped, but the Michigan staff still found players it felt could make an immediate impact. Enter former West Bloomfield HS wideout Semaj Morgan, who was not the first freshman receiver to make his way on the field this year, but certainly the most impactful when it was all said and done. He finished the regular season with 17 receptions for 183 yards and two touchdowns while adding three carries for 61 yards and two scores. The math adds up to a touchdown every five touches in the Michigan offense.

Best performance: McCarthy carves up Sparty

Coming off a week of whiplash with the emergence of the sign-stealing allegations and a rivalry tilt with Michigan State, McCarthy saved his best passing performance of the season for the in-state rivals. He finished the night 21-for-27 for 287 yards and 4 touchdowns, a career-high mark for the talented passer, and was in complete and total command of the offense. It helped to go up against a porous pass defense and team that was helmed by an interim head coach, but it was an emphatic message sent on a Saturday night in East Lansing.

Best play: Corum’s 6-5 tribute

One play after Zinter went down on the field and had to be carted off against OSU, Corum immediately breathed life into a stunned Michigan Stadium. With The Game tied at 17-17 in the third quarter, Corum ripped off a 22-yard touchdown run on the next play from scrimmage to help Michigan take the lead back in its rivalry showdown. After getting into the endzone, Corum ran up to the first camera he could find and flashed “6-5” on his fingers as a tribute to his fallen teammate, who had been carted off and taken to a local hospital before going into surgery.