Live blog: Michigan football updates from Big Ten Media Days
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Big Ten Media Days is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, and marks the unofficial kickoff of the Michigan Wolverines football season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and four senior players — quarterback Cade McNamara, tight end Erick All, defensive tackle Mazi Smith and cornerback DJ Turner — are at Lucas Oil Stadium and will meet with reporters today.
Here’s the Michigan schedule for the day:
• Harbaugh on the stage (live on Big Ten Network) — 12:30 p.m. ET
• Michigan players at individual podiums (videos to come on The Wolverine Youtube channel) — 1:15-2:15 p.m. ET)
• Harbaugh at an individual podium — 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET
Throughout the day, TheWolverine.com will provide updates regarding Michigan and other pertinent Big Ten news. Follow along below, with updates listed in reverse chronological order:
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Live updates: Michigan football at Big Ten Media Days
4:25 p.m. – Harbaugh asked about Ryan Day asking for $13 million for NIL to keep the roster together. “I think we can do more. We can double it. I think that’s really possible at Michigan. And I think that’s where we are headed.”
• 4:16 p.m. – Harbaugh says Cade McNamara will take first snaps when camp opens and they consider him the starter entering camp. J.J. McCarthy will get the same shot as camp progresses. But pretty clear where things stand as of July 26.
• 4:08 p.m. – Harbaugh there was only one day of the offseason filled with uncertainty. Told the team he was going to interview for the Minnesota Vikings gig and it was out of their hands. Came back and said players said they knew he’d never leave. “I don’t apologize for staying at Michigan.”
• 4:05 p.m. – Asked about QB competition, Harbaugh lays out criteria: “Who plays better? Who plays the best? Both really good. How many times do you go in and lead the team to a touchdown? Cade (led the team to scoring drives and) did it over 50% of the time in games. Not turning the ball over. Taking care of the football. Playmaking ability.”
• 3:50 p.m. – Harbaugh refers to his team as a “no-star defense” in reference to hungry guys across the board and good competition. Says he thinks they have a shot to be even better. Said last year was a “no-star offense,” but “now you have some legitimate stars over there.”
• 3:45 p.m. – Harbaugh asked about playing at Ohio State for first time since 2018: “They’re not gonna flinch, if that’s what you’re asking. Our goal is to win the Championship and we’re gonna fight like hell to get that done.”
• 3:38 p.m. – Harbaugh takes the podium for his individual session with the media. His session is scheduled to run for approximately an hour.
1:48 p.m. — Smith said to “look out for Kris Jenkins,” Michigan’s junior defensive tackle who’s expected to start this season.
1:45 p.m. — Cade McNamara is confident Michigan can keep the QB battle cordial, believes that the whole group’s goal is to win football games, period.
• 12:43 p.m. — Harbaugh: “Our goals would be to beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same year, win the Big Ten championship and the national championship. Those would be our four goals.”
• 12:42 p.m. — Harbaugh on his offensive staff: “Matt Weiss is incredibly smart. He’s one of those people that is so detailed. … I’ve never met a play I don’t like, and always feel that our players can execute anything — just give them the chance and let’s just get started. … We have the perfect blend between Matt and myself, and then Sherrone [Moore] is the living embodiment of Matt Weiss and myself. He’s right there. And the most important because he’s coaching the offensive line. It’s an incredible group that way. Also, Mike Hart does a great job in the run game and blitz protections. Ron Bellamy is another guy like Matt Weiss — detailed, organized, analytical. And Grant Newsome is tremendous and will be a great coach and already is. It’s a tremendous group. We have some really great analysts, as well. I feel great about the offensive staff and defensive staff.”
• 12:40 p.m. — Harbaugh: “Defensively, it is a new coordinator that wasn’t on our staff last year, Jesse Minter. You might have to go back to the 2021 season when I was looking for a defensive coordinator, my brother, John, recommended two to me — Jesse Minter and Mike Macdonald.”
• 12:39 p.m. — Harbaugh on continuing momentum from Michigan’s 2021 season: “We’re just going to continue to attack. That’s what I love about this team — they literally attack everything that’s in front of them.”
• 12:38 p.m. — Harbaugh: “It’s been a really good continuation from last year’s team. Some of the players that were on the team, they put in the work, they know what it was like, that good feeling of seeing success. Guys like Aidan Hutchinson, Hassan Haskins, David Ojabo, who put in that work and how much it paid off for them. Using your head, using your noodle, it’s pretty easy to think, ‘Yeah, I want to do it just how they did it.’ It’s been a continuation of that this entire offseason.”
• 12:37 p.m. — Harbaugh on his quarterbacks: “Last year, we made it work both had phenomenal seasons … both played outstanding football. A really cool stat on Cade McNamara is over 50 percent of his drives end with points. Don’t know the number for J.J. but seems like he always led scoring drives as well.
On the battle: “The best player is going to play.” He adds that both players will be “tough to beat out.”
• 12:34 p.m. — Harbaugh’s opening statement: “It’s been a tremendous offseason for the Michigan Wolverine football program. From days after our game last year, our guys have been at work, attacking everything they do. There has been zero entitlement the entire offseason. … Life is good. the biological clock is ticking, and we’re ready to start and get training camp underway.”
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• 12:30 p.m. — Harbaugh has taken the stage at Big Ten Media Days and is the final coach to do so Tuesday.
• 11:00 a.m. — Coaches are speaking at the podium. Harbaugh will take the stage at 12:30 p.m. ET. Watch the live feed below:
• 10:41 a.m. — Warren: “I’m 100-percent supportive of College Football Playoff expansion. I’m excited that we will have some new members in the room that will have new ideas. … I’m confident that we will get College Football Playoff expansion.”
• 10:35 a.m. — Warren on media rights (the Big Ten’s current deal expires next summer): “We’re finalizing our deals, and I look forward to standing before you to make an announcement sometime here sooner than later.”
• 10:31 a.m. — Warren: “Name, Image and Likeness is an area that we’ve been talking about this past year. I’m a big proponent of Name, Image and Likeness. I am disappointed that we still have to operate with these various patchwork of laws from a state standpoint. We need federal regulations to put in more guardrails, to make it cleaner and make sure it’s not used as a recruiting inducement.”
• 10:27 a.m. — Warren on the Big Ten adding USC and UCLA: “We are blessed that we will have the footprint in the three major media markets — from New York to Los Angeles to Chicago. … I look forward to building a very successful and robust business in that area.”
• 10:20 a.m. — Warren has noted that the Big Ten is the only Power Five conference to have returned all of its head coaches, with all 14 from 2021 coming back this season.
• 10:03 a.m. — It’s the calm before the storm at Big Ten Media Days, with Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren set to take the stage in a matter of minutes. He’ll speak to the media and answer questions for 45 minutes.
• 9:33 a.m. — The Michigan contingent rode to Indianapolis in style. The Wolverines are coming from Northern Michigan, where they’re currently on a team trip around the state that has included stops in Flint, Grand Rapids, Arcadia, Traverse City and elsewhere.
Michigan back at Lucas Oil Stadium
Michigan is back in the building it won the Big Ten championship last season. The Wolverines beat Iowa, 42-3, earning the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff. That came one week after defeating arch rival Ohio State (42-27) for the first time since 2011. The Wolverines finished with a 12-2 record after losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl, marking their third-ever 12-win campaign.
The Maize and Blue were picked to finish second in the Big Ten East in the Cleveland.com media poll, with Ohio State checking in as the unanimous Big Ten favorite.
Michigan returns plenty of firepower on offense, including McNamara, an offensive line that Phil Steele rated No. 1 in the country and plenty of talent at the skill positions. The defense replaces seven starters and has a new coordinator in Jesse Minter.
