Michigan’s first spring under Kyle Whittingham is officially in the books, and while the game itself gave fans the most public snapshot of where things stand, the bigger picture is always shaped over the full stretch of practices.
Here are the position groups that helped their stock the most this spring.
Running backs
This group was already one of Michigan’s safest bets heading into spring, but the last few weeks only strengthened that feeling.
Jordan Marshall obviously remains the top option, but the biggest stock
boost comes from the depth. Savion Hiter consistently drew praise this spring and looked like a player who could force his way into the rotation right away. At 6-foot, 210 pounds, he already has the frame to handle Big Ten contact, and that power/burst combination we’ve heard about showed up in the spring game.
Jonathan Brown also helped himself. He may still be battling for a depth role, but his vision and burst gave Michigan another young player worth monitoring moving forward. Overall, Michigan still looks like it has more than enough in the room to keep the run game as a central piece of the offense.
Wide receivers
This group probably needed a strong spring as much as anyone, and there were enough positive signs to feel better about where things are headed.
Andrew Marsh and J.J. Buchanan still appear to be the top two in the room, but Salesi Moa was one of the biggest risers of the spring. Whittingham mentioned him making strides after arriving just a few months ago, and that showed up publicly with a few impressive flashes in the spring game. Jaime Ffrench also looked the part as another young option who should see significant playing time.
Michigan still needs this group to become more consistent in the fall, but compared to where the position has been the last couple seasons, there’s a much more interesting mix of options now.
Defensive line
There were valid questions entering spring, especially with Michigan needing to sort out roles and depth up front. But by the end of camp, this group looks like it could once again be a potential strength. Travis Moten was one of the standouts, flashing enough on the interior to look like someone who could push for a role in the two-deep. Nate Marshall also helped himself, while already-projected starters like Dominic Nichols, Enow Etta and Trey Pierce added to the sense Michigan may have more usable bodies than expected.
Even if the offense still needs time, a disruptive defensive front will go a long way towards keeping Michigan in games early while the other side figures things out.
Linebackers
The linebacker room entered spring with a ton of uncertainty, but it sounds like the young players made real progress. Jay Hill specifically pointed to the young linebackers that took steps forward, which is notable given how little proven experience Michigan returned. Troy Bowles, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and Chase Taylor all had a chance to establish themselves, and the overall buzz around the group was more encouraging than expected this spring.
There’s still a difference between spring improvement and being ready for a full Big Ten season, but this room at least appears to be moving in the right direction.
Quarterbacks
This one is a little complicated because Bryce Underwood is still the clear starter and Michigan’s ceiling depends heavily on how much cleaner he becomes by the fall. But as a position group, the quarterback room did help itself because of Tommy Carr.
Carr was one of the pleasant surprises of spring, and Whittingham even said if Michigan had to play right now, Carr would be the No. 2 quarterback. That’s meaningful, especially after Colin Hurley’s departure and with Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi not arriving until later this summer.
Nobody should turn this into a quarterback controversy, but Carr’s spring gives Michigan a better feeling about its depth at the position, which is huge.
Secondary
This one is less surprising, but the secondary kept everything in front of them during our brief spring game sample size and showed strong communication — something that tends to stand out early under a new defensive coordinator. There weren’t many breakdowns, and the group played with a level of discipline that allowed the defensive front to be aggressive.
We may not have seen any interceptions or many highlight plays in general, but the defense was also playing an incredibly basic brand of football during the spring game. This group looked steady and reliable, which echoes everything we’ve heard from the coaches coming out of spring practice up to this point.
The bottom line
Spring hype can fade quickly once real games arrive, but a few rooms gave Michigan something real to build on. The roster still isn’t finished sorting itself out, but the Wolverines don’t look short on options, and that’s a pretty good place to be this time of year.
