Harbaugh reveals Depth Chart
August 27th, 2022 at 8:57 PM ^
615, to add a link, click the icon at the top of the Comment box that looks like a link in a chain.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:09 PM ^
I’ve given up trying to help people with it. It’s like me with adding a gif, its been explained, I just don’t learn. No use of explaining it to me again.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
Playing this schedule changes the calculus of info release from the submarine - another benefit of the early cakewalk.
August 27th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
Yeah wow this Blake quorum guy seems like he could have been a secret weapon, and then we just went ahead and spilled the beans about it
August 28th, 2022 at 5:39 AM ^
Sounds like something our money hungry AD would say to justify not playing a meaningful game until October.
August 28th, 2022 at 8:26 AM ^
These days "money hungry" is the first thing in every Power 5 AD job description.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:33 PM ^
Although I have always been of the admittedly deeply cynical view that the depth chart is not the depth chart per se, it always does make for an interesting talking point.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:48 PM ^
Is Hansen gone? He's not one of the top 8 tight ends?
August 28th, 2022 at 6:46 AM ^
MMMBop lives forever.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:48 PM ^
Feels like JJ being the starter is inevitable, and Harbaugh is just being extra respectful of Cade. Just my opinion. There are some Kaep and Alex Smith similarities. We know Harbaugh favors arm/athletic talent to some degree.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:43 PM ^
That's true. I forgot that Harbaugh has been faced with a decision like this in the past and was courageous enough to go with the more talented guy. Question is, how close is JJ to Cade with all the little things Cade does well? If he really is close and comes out firing against Hawaii like we know he can (zero turnovers, high efficiency moving the ball, getting the offense in line), JJ could supplant Cade at QB. Suddenly the Hawaii game becomes interesting.
August 28th, 2022 at 6:45 AM ^
Some of that stuff you just need to see in a game situation to know. Although it’s a weird approach, I think what Harbaugh is doing makes sense for the particular circumstance.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:50 PM ^
I agree. Especially after he listed the metrics like points per drive, redzone, third down, 2 minute efficiency.
we had to bring jj in for those situations. Redzone is a perfect example.
August 28th, 2022 at 6:48 AM ^
After reading the transcript, I feel like betting on Michigan to cover in week one is looking better and better. I would not bet against Cade’s determination to rack up as many points as possible to try to keep his starting position.
August 28th, 2022 at 8:17 AM ^
Will Cade get the same game plan that JJ gets? I mean, we all believe that JJ will have the entire offense at his beck and call, and that Cade is seemingly 'limited' to what his wheels and arm allow. Will Cade get the chance to show he can run a RPO like JJ will get 100 of? Will JJ have to read some defenses and decide where the ball goes before the snap - and then get it there? These are things I need to know!
August 28th, 2022 at 8:25 AM ^
Yeah, I am not one who thinks a decision has already been made and this is just ceremonial. If McCarthy looks great and J.J. struggles, what then? Then again, Harbaugh does not always seem to think very far ahead so perhaps he just hasn’t thought of this scenario.
August 28th, 2022 at 8:30 AM ^
" If McCarthy looks great and J.J. struggles, what then?"
Don't worry, something tells me this scenario is physically impossible
August 28th, 2022 at 9:25 AM ^
Then Cade will be backing up McNamara. Duh!!
August 27th, 2022 at 8:56 PM ^
It's happenin'!
August 27th, 2022 at 8:59 PM ^
Some interesting nuggets that I found:
(1) the freshman WRs (Clemons, Morris, Walker) were mentioned, but behind the more established WRs (Bell, CJ, Anthony, Wilson, Henning)...Peyton O'Leary is a name I've not heard, but he seems to be the team's "Cooper Kupp" and backing up CJ at the X position
(2) NHG is dealing with a "soft tissue" thing, might not play week 1, Mullings and Barrett there
(3) Stokes (maybe the better runner, needs to become a better blocker)/Dunlap mentioned as RB #3, Mullings only mentioned on defense...Isaiah Gash mentioned as short-yardage, 3rd down type
(4) Will Johnson mentioned along with Turner/Green/Sainristil in the starting CB mix
(5) no surprises at all on the O Line
(6) Henning doing punts, Roman Wilson returning kicks
(7) it was good to see Harbaugh go through his checklist comparing Cade and JJ, who is ahead in which aspects of the position
(8) mentions a lot of guys as "surging" which read to me like those guys are not going to see a ton of playing time as starters, but it's Harbaugh's way of amping them up about the future
August 27th, 2022 at 9:06 PM ^
I think Harbaugh mentions some guys just bc they try hard and give effort -- not necessarily bc they're going to get playing time. Its the "just Pratt" effect.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:18 PM ^
Mullings on D vs on O is the only thing we need to glean from this. And it’s disappointing.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:47 PM ^
I wouldn't say that it's disappointing. Mullings looked good at RB during the spring game but LB is the position he is needed at most right now. If he's playing well and worthy of a starting spot next to Colson then that sounds great to me. He's super athletic and I'd rather have 2 super athletic LBs instead of 1 and Nikai Hill-Green.
August 27th, 2022 at 11:33 PM ^
(7) it was good to see Harbaugh go through his checklist comparing Cade and JJ, who is ahead in which aspects of the position
A remarkable and startling level of transparency, frankly. Not that all of the things he discusses are surprises, but how frankly he was discussing them absolutely is.
Helpful to armchairs like us.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:04 PM ^
Mason Graham. Kid must be a stud.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:44 PM ^
Hope so. A true freshman starting on the DL is normally a huge red flag, unless he’s some top-10 overall recruit with uber-athleticism in an already NFL-ready body like the Bosa kids or Chase Young were.
I do think Mason Graham will be really good in his time here. He may be really, really stinking good. But it is just a wee bit concerning that he’s already labeled a starter.
August 28th, 2022 at 6:20 AM ^
I’m surprised as Benny seemed to be coming on there. Wonder if he’s a little banged up or something? Either way graham always looked like he would be a monster as a recruit so it says something about him
August 27th, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
Tim Brando is a happy announcer. He gets Michigan's depth chart
Link for those who forgot or didn't know
August 28th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
Forgot about that, but man, fuck that guy. If so many members of the media weren't self-righteous assholes, maybe the media wouldn't be hated so much...
August 27th, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
What I believe lines up well is.. the first three opponents. The schedule should permit a number of players on the depth chart to see game action. And, that game action will provide another point the staff can use to assess players who seem to be close to each other during practice.
The key is for both O & D to “do their thing” - and open up solid leads - so, the talent can be viewed by “enquiring minds”, like most of ours…
August 27th, 2022 at 9:22 PM ^
Keith looking at the offense roster...
August 27th, 2022 at 9:43 PM ^
Well at least Brian will be relieved with Henning (not Bell) listed at Punt Returner and Wilson (not Corum) on KR.
I think both can do a fine job at returns and the depth at WR is plentiful behind Bell and CoJo.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:50 PM ^
This was on my mind as well. Glad Harbaugh cleared that up. I love Seth's analysis but I don't care how "reliable" Caden Kolesar is, you put your best athletes at the returner spots. No question. It's not that hard to learn to field a punt. Henning did a decent job last year after a couple early hiccups and he's had an entire offseason to get better.
August 28th, 2022 at 6:54 AM ^
I am curious as to what informs you here. Sure, one can improve with practice but here there seems to be an innate element in play-for the ability to do it well. I would rate fielding a punt as, perhaps, the most difficult, error-prone and treacherous task of the game.
August 28th, 2022 at 3:59 PM ^
I wish a freshman wr was going this. Henning is a strong transfer candidate next year and it would be best to keep some of the young guys happy. Money and playing time can easily lure a kid away...
August 27th, 2022 at 9:59 PM ^
Damn I'm starting to believe Harbaugh about this D being better than last year's!!
Based on the starters he named in the article we will be starting 16 guys & anytime you can play 16 v 11 you have an advantage so kudos to Jim & staff
August 27th, 2022 at 10:34 PM ^
I'm pretty sure he just named about 30 starters.... which I guess does give us a numerical advantage
August 27th, 2022 at 11:03 PM ^
It’s surging season!
August 27th, 2022 at 11:45 PM ^
Good stuff. Will really be interested to see how the team looks going into UConn, which feels list the end of the "preseason" and the time when the depth chart will be sorted.
I'm in the minority but I think Cade emerges as the starter at QB but with JJ seeing the field a bunch.
August 28th, 2022 at 8:10 AM ^
Anybody else noticed that Julian Welschof wasn’t mentioned at all?
August 28th, 2022 at 8:38 AM ^
I'm surging after reading this.
August 28th, 2022 at 9:02 AM ^
Anyone think we will run any 404 tite like the Rams D? I'm not a real great X's and O's guy, but I was intrigued by this video. Sounds like you don't need all world pas rushers, just competent run defending hybrid tackle/end personnel. Say a Morris, Mazi, Jenkins line?
August 28th, 2022 at 10:25 AM ^
Maybe a crazy thought, but I wonder if this has anything to do with the strength (i.e. lack thereof) of our early season opponents. This is the first time in the Harbaugh we haven't played a decent team early in the season. In 2015 we opened at Utah, 2016 we had Colorado (although they weren't projected to be good, they're still a P5 team, and they ended up having a great year--also the last time Harbaugh put out a preseason depth chart, per the article), 2017 we opened with Florida in Jerryworld, 2018 and 2019 we had ND, 2020 after the delayed start we opened at a ranked Minnesota and had MSU next. and last year we had Washington. Even if it's debatable whether there's really an advantage to be gained by withholding the information, there were at least teams worthy of trying to gain an advantage. This year, we should have no problem pasting our first three opponents (if we struggle with any of them, we have bigger problems), so maybe Harbaugh felt it just wasn't necessary to play the games (and by the time conference play starts, preseason information will be way less relevant than the actual film).
Also, probably even crazier, but I could potentially see Harbaugh providing the information because he doesn't want the team to have that advantage (again, if there even is any). We certainly shouldn't need that kind of help against our opening three opponents, so might as well see how the players perform straight up instead of with an element of surprise. Plus, might help their development as well (iron sharpens iron).
Again, probably way off base, but who knows; definitely out of character for Harbaugh regardless...
August 28th, 2022 at 1:53 PM ^
I wish he used other positive adjectives more often, instead of "strong" and "tremendous" all the time. Can't put my finger on it, but over the last, gosh, I don't know, seven or so years I've come to associate frequent use of those with a weak, undeveloped vocabulary...