ANN ARBOR, Michigan – The reigning college football champions have many new faces in key positions.
Michigan promoted Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh, who left to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.
A new quarterback, possibly Alex Orji, will play in place of JJ McCarthy.
There is no longer a single regular player on the offensive line after six players from last year’s unit landed with NFL teams.
Harbaugh took defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and several of his assistants with him, forcing Moore to build an entirely new staff on that side of the ball.
And after having an easy schedule in recent years, the ninth-ranked Wolverines now have four games against the AP’s preseason top 25 teams: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Texas and No. 23 USC.
The game against the Longhorns – the second game of the season on September 7th at the Big House – has generated so much excitement that the cheapest ticket on the secondary market is trading for more than $300.
“There’s a lot of hype around both of our teams, which are historically great programs,” said Mason Graham, a preseason All-America defensive tackle. “I’m looking forward to these big games where our team will show its true colors and that will help us in the long run.”
Who is back
Michigan is missing many key players, including 13 players selected in the NFL Draft – a school record – but still has some elite players left for Moore’s first team.
Graham is one of three players on the preseason AP All-America team, along with cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland. Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant is the fourth player on the team projected as a first-round pick in 2025.
Donovan Edwards, who scored two 40-yard touchdowns in the national championship game against Washington, gets his chance to shine after splitting time with star Blake Corum for three years.
“We have maybe four or five guys who could be drafted in the first round,” Moore said. “We have enough talent.”
Under the middle
Moore’s selection of quarterbacks includes Orji, who didn’t throw a single pass in six games last year, Davis Warren, who threw 0-of-5 passes, and six-year quarterback Jack Tuttle. Like a veteran leader, the first-year coach hasn’t given any indication of who he might start in Week 1 against Fresno State.
Survey monitoring
The last time a national champion was ranked as low as Michigan in the preseason poll was in 2011, when Auburn was ranked No. 23. Before that, the only time a defending champion was ranked lower than No. 7 was in 1991 (No. 13, Colorado).
The Tigers and Buffaloes each won eight games the year following those national titles.
But Moore doesn’t lower the bar.
“When you’re in Michigan, you always want to win everything, and that should be our goal every year,” he said.
Persistent problem
The sign-stealing scandal that tainted last season is not over. Moore has and will continue to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation, adding that he looks forward to the release of his text messages with Connor Stalions, the former employee who breaks his silence on Netflix on Aug. 27.
The schedule
Michigan opens the season on August 31 under floodlights against Fresno State, which has won 29 games in the past three years.
The Wolverines play at home against Texas, USC (Sept. 21), Michigan State (Oct. 26) and Oregon (Nov. 2). They visit national runner-up Washington on Oct. 5 and the Buckeyes, who are at home on Nov. 30 and are eager to end their three-game losing streak in the rivalry.
