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Michigan spring football game: 5 young players we're watching today

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•04/02/22•

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Michigan defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is on the mend. (Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)

Michigan will play its annual spring scrimmage in game format today, televised by the Big Ten Network. It’s a throwback to the winners get steak, losers get hot dogs era … and it’s long overdue.

RELATED: What to look for in Saturday’s Michigan football spring game

College football has changed, of course, with lower scholarship numbers and coaches not wanting to risk injury in practice. And though head coach Jim Harbaugh won’t completely call off the dogs, he’s going to err on the side of caution when it comes to hitting.

Guys nursing minor injuries, too (freshman corner Will Johnson, for one), could be limited. It only makes sense.

We expect the starters to get less than a half total, opening the door for some of the younger guys or backups to get more run. Here are some we want to see in action when that happens.

Darrius Clemons, WR: Yes, the hype has gotten a bit crazy. But yes, this this Michigan frosh is special. He’s 6-3, has an incredible catch radius and runs so well there are only a few guys who can stay with him.

The room is filled with veteran receivers, including Ronnie Bell and Roman Wilson. Still, Clemons could be hard to keep off the field. We expect to see him catch a few balls today. More than anything, we want to see him run.

Davis Warren, QB: His story is fantastic — overcame leukemia and then had his senior season cancelled due to COVID-19, so people really haven’t seen much of him. But folks close to it say he’s got a Power 5 arm and is just scratching the surface of his potential. “He’d start for pretty much any MAC program right now” is what we’ve heard — well, we want to see it for ourselves.

We believe he’ll be third on the Michigan depth chart this fall.

Keon Sabb, S: The Michigan true freshman is a specimen, and at 6-2, 200 pounds, is going to play. There are guys like Makari Paige who have gotten more run this fall with Rod Moore recovering from surgery. And we haven’t heard much about Jordan Morant. Sabb, though, was a top 100 player for a reason, and he’s opened eyes. We’ll be interested to see how he moves out there.

Rayshaun Benny, DT: What we saw of the big Michigan frosh in limited snaps last year was impressive. He moves well and has great potential. He’s also been challenged by defensive line coach Mike Elston to be more consistent. That’s what will determine how much he plays this year.

That sounds like veteran Michigan lineman Mazi Smith early in his career, and we see where that’s gone. Smith has become one of the Big Ten’s better tackles. Benny has that ability, too.

Louis Hansen, TE: In the clips we’ve seen, Hansen is the real deal as a pass catcher. He gets open, catches the ball and is often good for a big play or two in practice.

The second-year Michigan tight end is part of a crowded and talented room, but he’s held his own. He’s gotten much stronger, too, and could be a nice surprise this year.

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