Michigan team motivated by Jim Harbaugh, Sherrone Moore suspensions, has 'trust' in play-caller Kirk Campbell

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football‘s sideline will look different Saturday, when the team makes its 2023 debut against East Carolina (noon ET at Michigan Stadium). Head coach Jim Harbaugh will be out the first three games with a school-imposed suspension stemming from an alleged NCAA violation, while offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore will be out against the Pirates after U-M and the NCAA agreed on a resolution for his own alleged violation.

“Definitely motivation,” Michigan graduate wide receiver Cornelius Johnson of how the players feel about the suspensions. “We need a lot of leaders on this team throughout the season. We’ve always talked about that. Obviously, we have coaches and captains, but it really trickles down to just leading yourself, making sure you’re holding yourself accountable, taking someone else one on one or talking to a whole group of people. Just having leaders on the team is what we’re going to focus back on when it gets hard.”

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As a result of the suspensions, in addition to defensive coordinator Jesse Minter serving as acting head coach, Michigan quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell will call offensive plays, and analyst Nick Gilbert will most likely be elevated to help with the offensive line (Moore’s position group) for the first game. Though he hasn’t called plays or previously been a position coach at the Power Five level, Campbell was offensive coordinator at Old Dominion (2020-21) and Alderson Broaddus (2012-16), while Gilbert has experience working with the offensive line elsewhere, including at Colorado (quality control specialist; 2022), Idaho (OL coach; 2021), Memphis (quality control analyst; 2020) and other stops.

“He’s just another one of our guys,” Johnson said of Campbell. “Our guys are just our guys — from the top down. He’s one of our trusted people we’ve got in this building, and me personally, I trust him with the play calls he goes with, and whatever he calls I’m going to go out there and execute it the best I can.”

Asked if Campbell will throw the ball more than usual given that he’s Michigan’s quarterbacks coach, Johnson replied: “He’s the quarterbacks coach, but we’re just trying to get a victory against the East Carolina Pirates, so he’s going to do everything he can to do that, I’m sure.”

There’s an ongoing battle between offense and defense in any college football fall camp. But this week, everyone has the same goal in mind: to win and make a great first impression against East Carolina. Minter and the Michigan offense are on the same team.

“I’m on the offensive side of the ball, mostly surrounded by the offensive staff, but with a defensive coach being appointed as head coach, that puts things into a different perspective,” Johnson said. “But I’ve seen how he carries his business throughout the day and how he conducts his assignments. The way he prepares is going to put us in a great position, and I really trust him leading us into battle there.”

Johnson said that the little conversations between offensive players and defensive coaches, and vice versa, add up, and that the relationships are still strong even if they’re less intimate.

All in all, Johnson and his Michigan teammates are excited to hit players with different colored uniforms.

‘Relief’ is a good word, because it’s almost like everything you’ve done the whole entire year is coming into the game week,” Johnson explained. “It’s a whole process, but seeing it all play out is a beautiful thing.”

Chemistry with J.J. McCarthy and other Michigan wide receivers standing out

Johnson had a huge game in Michigan’s 45-23 victory at Ohio State last November, scoring a pair of 75-yard touchdowns on passes from junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan signal-caller threw 3 touchdowns against Purdue the following week and posted a career-high 343 passing yards in the Fiesta Bowl against TCU, with the aerial attack heating up at the end of the year. The Maize and Blue are looking to keep that late-season momentum going into the 2023 campaign.

“J.J. and I’s friendship has grown throughout the year, and with all of the different receivers as time goes on,” Johnson said. “The relationship correlates onto the field and any other stuff going on. It’s just good to see us bonding together, whether it’s on the field, off the field. And then growing into passing and getting that timing down, I feel like that matters a lot throughout the season.

“Just trying to build off last year, the confidence we had in games and then building that into a new season. Obviously, it’s a new season, so it’s a completely different team, but it’s still stuff that happened and stuff you put on tape, so you’ve gotta build off that tape to this year’s tape.”

The other receivers considered Michigan starters are senior Roman Wilson and sophomore Tyler Morris, Harbaugh revealed near the beginning of camp. Johnson has been impressed with his teammates.

“We’ve had a really good camp, just trying to focus on approaching this game week. Obviously, camp is camp. It’s going to be hard — a lot of ups and downs,” Johnson said. “But we’ve seen a lot from the newcomers and those two, Tyler and Roman. Throughout this offseason, they’ve taken their games to new levels. They’re just trying to come in and find time to get extra routes in, whether that’s on an off-day or that’s on any random day of the week.

“We’re always trying to hold each other accountable and get some extra catches — and I think that’s going to end up paying off in the fall for all of us.”