'22 Depth Chart (per Harbaugh's comments)
The first thing to note is...when Jim Harbaugh calls you a "starter," it doesn't mean you're literally starting the game. It means he sees you as starter worthy and part of the first group. For example, he calls Karsen Barnhart a starter.
Which, some people will say is "dumb," but it makes sense. It means that you're first team in at least one base package. But the playcall will determine who is on the field or you're in an "OR" situation. So if we have the opening kickoff and pin the other team on the 2, we're probably going to trot a different unit out than we would if the kick was run back go the 38. You might see a Mason Graham over a Mike Sainristil in that first scenario, knowing they're probably going to run and try to get out from the "shadow of their own endzone."
But that doesn't mean Sainristil isn't a starter. He just didn't take the first snap that game due to circumstance.
Anyway, here is my attempt to piece it all together.
QB: Cade McNamara / J.J. McCarthy
3. Davis Warren
4. Alan Bowman
5. Alex Orji*
6. Jayden Denegal
RB: Blake Corum
2. Donovan Edwards
3. C.J. Stokes**
4. Tavierre Dunlap**
5. Isaiah Gash
6. Leon Franklin
WR: Cornelius Johnson
2. Darrius Clemons
3. Peyton O'Leary / Cristian Dixon
WR: Roman Wilson
2. Andrel Anthony
3. Amorion Walker
SLOT: Ronnie Bell
2. A.J. Henning
3. Tyler Morris
4. Eamonn Dennis
H-Back: Matthew Hibner / Max Bredeson
3. Joel Honigford
TE: Erick All / Luke Schoonmaker
3. Matthew Hibner
4. Carter Selzer / Colston Loveland
6. Louis Hansen
7. Joel Honigford
8. Marlin Klein / Hunter Neff
LT: Ryan Hayes
2. Karsen Barnhart
3. Andrew Gentry
4. Trevor Keegan
5. Tristan Bounds
LG: Trevor Keegan
2. Karsen Barnhart
3. Giovanni El-Hadi
4. Alessandro Lorenzetti
C: Olu Oluwatimi
2. Greg Crippen
3. Reece Atteberry
4. Raheem Anderson
RG: Zak Zinter
2. Karsen Barnhart
3. Reece Atteberry
RT: Trente Jones
2. Karsen Barnhart
3. Jeffrey Persi
4. Connor Jones
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NT: Mazi Smith
2. Cam Goode
3. Kenneth Grant
4. Ike Iwunnah
DT: Mason Graham
2. Rayshaun Benny
3. Dominick Guidice
DT/DE: Kris Jenkins
2. Julius Welschof
3. George Rooks
4. Charlie Lovell
EDGE: Mike Morris
2. Taylor Upshaw
3. Braiden McGregor / TJ Guy / Eyabi Anoma / Derrick Moore
ILB: Junior Colson
2. Nikhai Hill-Green*** / Kalel Mullings***
4. Michael Barrett***
5. Jimmy Rolder / Deuce Spurlock / Micah Pollard
inj: Jaydon Hood
ILB: Nikhai Hill-Green / Kalel Mullings
3. Michael Barrett***
4. Jimmy Rolder / Deuce Spurlock / Micah Pollard
inj: Jaydon Hood
OLB: Jaylen Harrell / Taylor Upshaw
3. Kechaun Bennett
4. Joey Velasquez
5. Tyler McLaurin
CB: D.J. Turner
2. Will Johnson
3. Jalen Perry / Keshaun Harris
5. German Green
6. Myles Pollard
inj: Ja'Den McBurrows
CB: Gemon Green
2. Will Johnson
3. Jalen Perry / Keshaun Harris
5. German Green
6. Myles Pollard
inj: Ja'Den McBurrows
NB: Mike Sainristil
2. Rod Moore
3. D.J. Turner
4. Zeke Berry
5. Kody Jones
FS: Rod Moore
2. Makari Paige
3. Caden Kolesar
4. Zeke Berry
SS: R.J. Moten
2. Keon Sabb / Quinten Johnson
inj: Damani Dent
K: Jake Moody
2. Tommy Doman
3. Rhett Anderson
P: Brad Robbins
2. Tommy Doman
KR: Roman Wilson
2. Blake Corum
3. Michael Barrett
PR: A.J. Henning
2. Ronnie Bell
3. DJ Turner
*Orji also has practiced snaps as the Wildcat QB/RB.
**Per Harbaugh, Stokes is the #3, but Dunlap outranks him in pass protection situations (3rd down)
***Hill-Green is questionable for Week 1, but whoever doesn't start between Hill-Green and Mullings, becomes the #3. Barrett is still more Nickel and Dime packages only.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
...and I know there's another thread, I'm a visual person. I prefer to see it laid out than in quote form from an interview that doesn't include all players.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
This seems plausible. Also, it's random story time...
"He just didn't take the first snap that game due to circumstance."
This reminds me that Sam Sword - a prototypical middle linebacker that never saw a pass he could cover - took the first snap against Ryan Leaf's WSU in the 1998 Rose Bowl. It was Lloyd's way of saying 'we aren't changing what we do because of what you do'. And then Lloyd changed what he did and ran a LOT of nickel and dime coverages without Sam on the field.
Anyway, this has nothing to do with anything, so carry-on with your inane QB bluster...
August 28th, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
Absolutely the best Sam Sword scouting report I’ve read! Guy couldn’t cover his shadow in pass game
August 28th, 2022 at 3:58 PM ^
Sword did have at least one huge play in coverage in 1997. He made the game-clinching interception in the big come-from-behind win over Iowa that year.
August 29th, 2022 at 10:43 PM ^
Tommy Hendricks moved from SS to WLB in that game. Dewayne Patmon joined Ray at Safety. It was a hell of a gameplan.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^
Thanks for the clear layout of info. Perhaps this would fit in the post "Harbaugh reveals Depth Chart" 3 posts down (sorry if this sounds snarky).
Edit: you beat me to it! Still think it belongs there though. Posts are leaving the front page at a never-before-seen fast rate.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
I think this post is way more worthy of being a stand alone post then many of the others. It actually contains well thought out content that shouldn’t be buried.
August 28th, 2022 at 12:55 PM ^
If you were to rank all the posts of the last three or so days in the way you describe, I completely agree.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:22 AM ^
One discrepancy I saw with your chart is that Peyton O’Leary is backing up CJ at the x receiver, not DC. Might be one of the biggest storylines out of this whole thing after the Cade/JJ thing and Mason Graham at DT.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:33 AM ^
And I think he said Taylor is on kick returns instead of Corum.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:48 AM ^
Taylor who?
August 28th, 2022 at 9:52 AM ^
Swift?
August 28th, 2022 at 10:05 AM ^
Upshaw….it’s the power formation.
August 28th, 2022 at 10:14 AM ^
Harbaugh said Joe Taylor is likely the off- returner on kickoffs.
August 28th, 2022 at 4:14 PM ^
Trivia: Joe Taylor's dad (Adam) played baseball at the University of New Mexico. As far as I can see, he also played a few years of minor league baseball.
August 28th, 2022 at 10:10 AM ^
Also, Rooks, not Welschof, is backing up Kris Jenkins, per the transcript.
I had no idea who Joe Taylor was before today.
Many thanks for your work in putting together the depth chart in a more familiar format.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:56 AM ^
I was going to post this as well.
August 28th, 2022 at 2:21 PM ^
Harbaugh always shows love to a walk on receiver for some reason…if O’Leary gets more snaps than Clemons I would be shocked.
August 28th, 2022 at 2:31 PM ^
Was it McCurry that got the hype a few years ago? Hoping O'Leary's is more legit.
August 28th, 2022 at 2:47 PM ^
Yes…lol! I see it as him wanting to show some love to a guy that’s been competing in camp day in and day out. Highly doubt it translates into meaningful snaps compared to the other receivers.
August 28th, 2022 at 4:10 PM ^
Yeah, we don't need O'Leary to be a stud WR right now. If he happens to be some surprise slot ninja, it's icing.
August 29th, 2022 at 10:45 PM ^
He said O'Leary is backing up CJ...didn't say Clemons wasn't ahead of him.
I'm taking the word of every insider and the position coach that Clemons is still ahead. O'Leary is still backing up CJ in this scenario. So is Clemons.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:29 AM ^
Looks about right...good summary
August 28th, 2022 at 9:38 AM ^
Jaylen Harrell might be ready for a breakout season which I’m hoping is key for the season. He sets the edge well and finds the ball in space.
The Mason Graham news is interesting. He may be passing relatively inexperienced but talented guys in Benny, Rooks and Ike but to do it as a true freshman is crazy. His wrestling skills give him an advantage. He not only must be just an animal but im guessing he is technically skilled with good balance and hand combat from wrestling.
The article below shows a wrestling clip. Add in college weight training and conditioning and this is going to be fun.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/story/2021-10-20/servite-lineman-mason-graham-michigan-man
I think we are loaded at DT right now. Jenkins is going to do crazy things with his added size and natural athleticism. Mazi is a beast.
I like this defense.
August 28th, 2022 at 12:48 PM ^
I am optimistic bur concerned. D line and LB will be as interesting to watch the first 3 weeks as QB. As long as it is humming by IOWA.
August 28th, 2022 at 1:18 PM ^
I think we are loaded at DT right now.
Wow, I hope you are right. Was it just 3 years ago that the cupboard was on the verge of being essentially bare? Wasn't Harbaugh calling out Bench Mason for looking good as a DT before the season began?
Someone mentioned this earlier or in another post, but I'll put my name on the list of people who are grateful for the issues we are worried about this year. Couldn't be more excited for next Saturday.
August 28th, 2022 at 2:06 PM ^
lol, yes 'Bench Mason' did receive playing time as around a 265lb defensive tackle,... terrible outcomes, experiment went badly, very badly.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
I prefer to see it this way, thanks.
August 28th, 2022 at 11:31 AM ^
I'm not sure if this is a statement on our schedule or a comment about NIL and the portal, dudes want to know where they are at, but this is a huge amount of info relative to early Harbaugh years where we plumbed opponent scouting for 2 deeps.
I appreciate this as I had notes from the commentary already penned, and I got it wrong. Now we just need star charts and funny tik-tok hyperlinks along with Nike camp infographics.
Or maybe this is just a bunch of old men talking.
August 28th, 2022 at 12:02 PM ^
This seems like a smart approach by Harbaugh. Why risk the hard feelings a strict depth chart can lead to? Listening to the interview, he was really breaking it up into 'starter' and 'next man up.' As long as you get enough opportunity to show what you can do to get drafted, in the end it's in the interest of the players to have less tread on the tires. And it keeps everyone in a good headspace when there are a lot of mouths to feed.
August 28th, 2022 at 12:05 PM ^
Thanks for the work on this. Just listened to the interview last night, and realized his new coachspeak term is "surging," which at first sounds like the guy is about to be a dude but is actually just a new addition to my list of Harbaughspeak synonyms for "don't expect too too much." My rough translations of offseason coach hype:
"Surging"= might get some play here and there in real situations
"Improving every day"= could get some mop-up duty
"In the mix"= maybe in the 4th quarter of UConn
"He's been doing some good things"= not gonna see them on the field this year
Others?
August 28th, 2022 at 1:12 PM ^
You thought we needed more reason to dissect our games against CSU and Hawaii? Although I think Cade will be our starter, He could potentially be making his last start on 9/3. Even then whoever doesn’t start will still get time.
August 28th, 2022 at 1:16 PM ^
In the transcript on Michigan Insider, Harbaugh says "Yeah, Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards are your two number ones."
I don't see a "starting" RB named.
August 28th, 2022 at 2:03 PM ^
Correct, both #1's
August 28th, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
I see Barnhart as #2 on the depth chart for multiple OL positions. Unless he has improved from last year, that could be a disaster.
August 28th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
If there's one thing that frustrates me about MGoBlog, it's that Brian and Seth (along with big parts of the community) are too quick to write off players. Young guys are allowed to get better as they get older, and sometimes the light really does come on for some players...it's not just a cliche we use to describe underachievers. Just look at DJ Turner last year as a prime example. I think the coaches have largely earned the benefit of the doubt, at least when it comes to identifying and cultivating talent.
August 28th, 2022 at 3:01 PM ^
Best way I've found to really find out the new contributors is to look at last year's freshman previews.
August 28th, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
Hasn’t he played since he was a true freshman? I don’t think she’s been a disaster.
August 28th, 2022 at 5:57 PM ^
He's good and is the 6th lineman and will be the first to go in save at center.
August 28th, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
Ike Iwunna at nose tackle. Love the name.
Iwunna see him play.
August 28th, 2022 at 3:59 PM ^
My God that Wolverine backfield and receiving corps is ri-goddamn-diculous.
But the DL depth chart seems worrisome.
August 28th, 2022 at 5:56 PM ^
Graham starting as a true freshman. I had predicted Hutchinson to be all American when he was a freshman, and I'm saying Graham at minimum will be first team All Big Ten and likely All American in some fashion whether it be honorable mention. And I suggested it was Graham that Harbaugh was referring to as gift from God's, then everyone convinced me it was Grant, but seeing him starting I stick with my first thought.