The big news since our last bits was Harbaugh went through pretty much all 120 guys on the team (and some trying to make it), including some major injury updates. Let's catch up on the offense.

Quarterback

"'Backup QB looks great' is a free space in Spring Hype Bingo." –Alex Cook [Patrick Barron]

What we want to hear: Shea is loving this new offense, McCaffrey had made it a competition because that's what they say about backups in spring when the backup is not bad.

What we're hearing: Take it for what it's worth in the first week of April, but I've got multiple practice observers who say McCaffrey's push for the starting job is not just a "Shea can't put his heels up" competition. They're saying things like "McCaffrey has been outplaying Shea," and "McCaffrey truly is one snap away from beating out Shea this spring," and "They're getting equal snaps in practice," and most helpfully (paraphrasing) "Shea's been slower to adapt to the new system." I can actually publish the real quote for the last one because it came directly from Jim Harbaugh's presser:

“Yeah, Shea in particular, when the new system came in it takes some time. Thought there was some indecisiveness—natural indecisiveness. The last two practices he’s been very decisive going through his reads and knowing where all 11 are on the field and making good decisions and being quick with his decisions and accurate. He’s really doing well. Last two practices are showing that.

“Dylan’s also picked it up extremely fast and doing well. Little mistakes here and there but they have to get a feel for the reads and decisions that they make. I would say really all are progressing well in that area.”

What it means: I've got two possibly relevant historical examples of talk like this in early spring. The first was 2009, when people watching practice starting going all "Denarrrrrd!!!" and we were like "Lol right, like anyone's going to beat out MOXIE after a year of starting!" The second is the "McCaffrey be coming!" talk from last year.

As much as we like to comp Shea to Good Tate (and that QB competition turned out to have as much to do with Tate's work ethic, i.e. lack thereof, as a rising transcendent talent), Shea Patterson-Dylan McCaffrey 2018 is the most relevant precedent for Shea Patterson-Dylan McCaffrey 2019. That was a competition in that Harbaugh gives the top two guys equal reps, but wasn't one because Shea has a mountain of experience on McCaffrey; a 15 seed and a 2 seed get equal time on the floor; one remains a massive favorite.

Since we're hearing it the first week of April after an offense switch, the explanation Harbaugh gave makes the most sense: Shea has probably been slow to pick up the Gattis stuff, and McCaffrey, as you should know by now, is smart, diligent, brave, ambitious, and a lot of other traits you appreciate in a good heir. The real question is where are we after Practice 30, not Practice 7, when Shea's got his feet under him, and the consensus is Patterson will reassert himself over the feisty challenger.

So I'm pumping the brakes: if McCaffrey has the kind of spring game that forces Ace to make a highlight video, then we can talk about that time MTSU upset Michigan State for a few months.* If on the odd chance we come back in August and start hearing we have to put away the Weapon of Choice video for Flash Dilithium, well, I can live with that.

* [Or now, if you like.]

Depth chart: Shea, McCaffrey, Milton, [big gap], the other guys.

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Running Back

Who's hurt/out:

• Chris Evans: academic suspension, back in fall or next year or not at all.
• Zach Charbonnet: light surgery, back for fall camp
• Christian Turner: hamstring since Day 2, back in a week or two
• Lucas Andrighetto: torn ACL, out for the year
• Hassan Haskins: meniscus, limited this spring
• Jared Char: hamstring, back maybe end of spring

Geezus! Who's available?

This lamb right here.

Luiel Qorban is 3'2/85, has not fumbled once in practice, and RB coach Jay Harbaugh has been raving about his peripheral vision. Insiders confirm Qorban, though an even-toed ungulate, is getting the majority of the snaps, had one crazy catch out of the backfield where he tip-hoofed down the sideline for a touchdown, and is absolutely freaking adorable.

Num Num, a goat, and Schechita the Bull have also been getting carries. Num Num came in as a slot receiver/corner prospect but Rivals confirmed she's exclusively a running back. Schechita was at fullback last year. These are the only other running backs on the roster. Nope, no other running backs at all.

[After THE JUMP: A mountain goat, and Martin references]

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Definitely Not Running Back

Wh..where is everybody? [Bryan Fuller]

What we want to hear: Angry Michigan Running Back-Hating God didn't hit the jump.

What we're hearing about people who are not running backs, swear: Here's a complete list of people available right now:

1. Tru Wilson
2. Ben VanSumeren
3. Julian Garrett, a 5'9/200 walk-on RS sophomore who had military offers
4. Some student named Nick Capatina who's trying out for the team

Harbaugh explained BVS isn't quite a running back except when he is:

“Yeah, tailback but he can also—I would call it a hybrid in the sense that a tailback can also be an H-back. But he is definitely cemented in in the running back rotation as well. Right now Tru Wilson is the starter.

Coach also accidentally put Garrett ahead of VanSumeren, which could mean nothing or could be Freudian or could be an attempt to throw off some Old Testament being from the new moose:

The other guy who's seeing a crack of light and running through it—literally—is Ben VanSumeren. He's playing this sort of running back/tight end hybrid position. He's showing speed, he's showing a cutting ability that we didn't foresee as well. lightness on his feet to be able to stop/start/get back up to speed. He also has the ability to finish—to finish through the soft shoulder to use a Jack Harbaughism.

The way Harbaugh talked about Andrighetto's injury is confirmation he thought they had a Tru Two:

Lucas Andrighetto unfortunately tore his ACL in our last practice and it was just…makes me physically sick. He was doing so well. He switched positions from safety to running back and was doing great. I mean, he was up high on the depth chart, right in there with VanSumeren. But he’ll be back. He’ll have his surgery here in a week or two when the swelling goes down.

…plus a dump of Andrighetto's high school career.

What it means: Everybody who needed some practice with the Gattis changes is barely or not available for spring. This sucks; fall carries are going to be limited and there's a lot left to sort out. I don't subscribe to Brian's theory that you can plug in a running back and instinct takes over unless you're qualifying that with "as opposed to other positions." Protections, routes, calls, and a feel for how the holes are going to pop make a huge difference in converting chances to yards with any consistency. Backs who don't have that feel down start bouncing and generating drive-ending plays.

That said, I am intrigued by this hybrid position, for Ben reasons as well as Harbaugh reasons.

Depth chart:

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Wide Receivers & Slots

A Martin reference! [Patrick Barron]

What we want to hear: Okay, I'm getting a little peeved at the lack of Tarik Black/Oliver Martin talk. Let's have some of that already. Also some good news on DPJ/Nico recoveries, and BOMBS

Who's hurt/out:

• Donovan Peoples-Jones: Groin, probably back by fall practice.
• Nico Collins: Light surgery, back for fall practice
• Jake McCurry: Lisfranc fracture in recent practice, surgery, back by fall practice or September
• Nate Schoenle: "Soft tissue" injury (usually this means a pull), back this week hopefully

What we're hearing:

So the big news is Donovan Peoples-Jones has a lingering groin injury that's keeping him out of spring. This was some worst possible phrasing right here:

And also injury, two guys: Donovan Peoples-Jones [and] Michael Dwumfour. Looks like, by all indications, they have more serious injuries than we previously thought. Both have not participated very much in any practice or all winter and concern is that, and the worry really, is that it’s more serious—that if they can get back to their previous form and level.”

And…

Just to follow up on Donovan and Dwumfour, are they injuries that could keep them out of the season? When you say serious, what does that mean exactly?

“It could. I’ve always been kind of just… as a coach but also when I played, I put a lot of stock in what a player, how their body feels, how they respond. So that’s the feedback. All indication we’re getting is that they really can’t do much at all. You always hope for the best.”

Are they injuries that require surgery?

“No, no. Donovan’s has been a soft-tissue injury, a groin injury. And Michael had a torn plantar fascia right before the bowl game. You start to worry when injuries linger longer than previously thought or longer than the time it usually takes, but I think nobody knows their body better than the actual person or athlete.”

This led to some PANIC that people inside the program immediately thought was overblown.

Collins appears on track at least…

“Nico’s doing really well. Nico is progressing. Watched him run yesterday. So he had a surgery, Nico Collins had a surgery before spring practice and watching him run yesterday, he is right on track in his rehab.”

As for the guys who aren't hurt: LOOK AT SWEETNESS GO!

Some times in order to teach you must show! If you know me you must master the details on 2nd level releases!
Head/eyes/hips ✔️
Inside foot stays in the ground✔️
Re-stem snap the head pin the shoulder on the out✔️#Crafting101
ft: young @MikeSainristil pic.twitter.com/IA92zbJKVL

— Josh Gattis (@Coach_Gattis) April 1, 2019

Harbaugh doesn't like hyping up the early enrollees but couldn't resist when it came to his newest slot toy:

Mike Sainristil in high school was really quick-twitch and explosive. Has that translated? Have you seen that sort of—you’re smiling now. He’s been as advertised, I suppose?

“Yes. He’s been really good. Yeah, he has a level of quickness, change of direction, speed that has been really eye opening and really good for the team, but he’s also tough. He’s blocking. There’s probably three examples where you can really just see him second, third, fourth effort down the field, sometimes twenty, thirty, forty yards downfield blocking for whoever does have the ball.

And there was this on Harbaugh podcast, as the second guy mentioned behind Spring Hype Magnet Donovan Jeter as young guys popping:

"He’s really been outstanding. He’s getting open. He’s fast. He’s added a level of speed and quickness to our offense. Has been outstanding. Josh talks about ‘speed in space,’ and Mikey’s doing a heckuva job in that area. And also blocking. There have been times where it’s showed up where he’s blocking 45 yards downfield, getting touchdown blocks. He’s really done great and continued to learn the offense, learn football, get the time on task. That’s really the place that he can most improve his game. Really happy with Mike Sainristil.”

And this from guy-who-emails-Seth-and-Borton-things:

Sainristil is real. He won’t start, but will play a lot.

In non-tiny slot bug news, Harbaugh gave us a depth chart accounting; I'll add the injured and summarize in a table:

Flanker (Z)	Split End (X)	Slot (H)
Peoples-Jones	Nico Collins	Jake McCurry
Tarik Black	Oliver Martin	Mike Sainristil
Ronnie Bell	Nate Schoenle	Erick All

…with Bell really the backup at both WR positions and All more of a flex TE. McCurry was "in that top four" before he was hurt, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but that's a very tentative first spot that'll be up for debate once the rest of Sainristil's classmates get here.

What it means: My take on the DPJ injury is that "I put a lot of stock in what a player thinks" is Harbaughspeak for "It annoys me when players aren't practicing because they're healing even though I've been told it shouldn't." I gather from comments inside the program and from Dwumfour's response on Twitter that both are going to be fine. If Harbaugh's football coach instinct to expect players with minor injuries to practice has been reduced to howling at the moon about it, that too is fine.

Oliver Martin over Ronnie Bell is good news—we have seen what Bell can do and were getting a little worried about the lack over Martin talk since that insane grab last spring. Given Bell's profile—late flip to football, basically McDoom in the offense last year—there's not a lot of likelihood of a step back from him, meaning any gains made by guys above him are good.

As for Sainristil that sound in the background was me using broken bits of sugar candy to stab the three-star complainers in Sainristil's hello. That's some advanced route running in the embed, and about a yard and a half of separation Sweetness created vs. Sammy Faustin. If we get video confirmation of this supposed blocking (blocking!!!) aspect I might have to put on some dreads and go trick or treating in Pahokee.

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Tight End

I shouldn't be reading too much into the lack of reading material on them, right? [Bryan Fuller]

What we want to hear: Next steps, big plays, awesome blocking, and something from the freshmen—not All, we know you like All, the redshirted ones.

What we're hearing: I had one insider and a parent both tell me to pull back on the reins with my "elite" talk for Sean McKeon after Harbaugh said this on his April 1 podcast:

"Sean McKeon has become elite as a tight end in his blocking and route running, while Erick All is doing an unbelievably great job there. Everything he does is at full speed.

So okay—we've seen enough of McKeon at this point to have a fair idea of who he is.

The podcast also had some stuff on the next two guys:

Schoonmaker, Muhammad and Eubanks are all progressing well. Eubanks and McKeon are the two starters, and Muhammad is in a backup role right now. He needs to be more consistent, and will be a big factor for us once he does.

Harbaugh's roster rundown:

“And tight ends. Sean McKeon has been outstanding. Nick Eubanks is the other starter at tight end. Erick All we talked about. Mustapha Muhammad, Luke Schoonmaker, both right in there as a two or a three at tight end. And Joey Files continues to do his incredible job as a player, coach, Go Blue guy all the way. Doing fantastic.

What it means: McKeon and Eubanks are your guys, All is impressing the coaches obviously, and Muhammad and Schoonmaker continue to be just names the coaches bring up because they're doing the thing where they say all the names. I'm trying to remember what we were getting about McKeon at this point but I don't think we got anything until he was the preferred target of Brandon Peters in the spring game.

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Offensive Line

Steuber-Mayfield is the battle of the Spring they want you to see. [Eric Upchurch]

What we want to hear: That Hayes stuff was cool. Maybe something more for 2020 and down the road?

What we're hearing: More about walk-ons. The right tackle battle between Jalen Mayfield and Andrew Stueber will continue until morale improves, but at least one insider thinks Mayfield "should" come out ahead. Same guy confirmed that Onwenu is truly ("Finally") in shape.

The Harbaughcast revealed another guy they like outside, though he remains outside the two-deep:

Jim: Last podcast we talked about Ryan Hayes, and his emergence at tackle, and now another guy has emerged at tackle. Watching the practice tape of practice six, this offensive tackle showed up five times in the good play cut-up. And offensive coordinator Josh Gattis even pointed him out saying 'Who is this guy? Who is this number 79?

Jack: YES! YES!

Jim: Greg Robinson! Jack Harbaugh's been pounding the table for literally two years for senior tackle Greg Robinson, and he's EMERGED!

Apparently Robinson came close to winning a starting job a couple of years ago (the Ulizio/Runyan/JBB year), but Robinson got hurt as soon as he started impressing. They note Robinson has another year of eligibility so there's a chance he's in the mix next year when they've got to replace Runyan, Bredeson, and Onwenu. He's 290 on the roster, but that's from a year ago.

Of course Harbaugh confirmed in the presser that the second-team depth chart reads LT Hayes, LG Filiaga, C Spanellis, RG Joel Honigford, RT whoever loses the starting job. The nominal 3rd string RG might be in a competition for 2nd string:

We’ve got a lot of good depth there as well. Joel Honigford is at right guard backing up and Griffin Korican is having a really good spring. Really happy with him.

The context of this—after Harbaugh had started naming walk-ons—might mean something? Korican is that preferred walk-on from Seattle we plucked from Oregon State's class last spring so he'd be the least surprising non-scholarship player to pop whose last name isn't Glasgow.

What it means: The right tackle fight isn't as intriguing as last year, since neither is close to bumping Runyan from left tackle. I read zero into Mayfield "should" win—yes he's a year younger so he's got more upside, but that didn't help James Hudson last year.

Re: Onwenu, I care more about his targeting, because it's impossible for us to watch film and determine if, say, Onwenu was too gassed after a long play to be effective in the redzone. If memory serves, he was plenty effective. The Robinson bit might matter if an Angry OL Hating God comes down this year and the RTs aren't ready to play left.

Anyway did you notice who hasn't been mentioned at all this spring, even with Harbaugh and Warinner drilling down to the all-walk-ons line? Phil Paea, who got in two games last year in garbage time. I'll update if I find out after press time; my guess is he's back at defensive tackle because of the need there.

Depth chart:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Runyan	Bredeson	Ruiz	Onwenu	Mayfield/ Stueber
Hayes	Filiaga	Spanellis	Honigford
Robinson	Vastardis	Speight	Korican	Jokisch

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Special Teams

We're all watching; no pressure. [Barron]

Who's hurt: Peoples-Jones.

What we want to hear: Look man, if you're gonna give me a special teams update I'll take whatever.

What we're hearing: On the kicking competition:

“It’s neck and neck right now. Charting all the kicks, it’s extremely close. Quinn’s like maybe 15-of-17 or 16-of-17. Jake Moody is like 15-of-16 or 15-of-17. They’re right there, neck and neck. So it’s a good competition going on at kicker.”

There was this on the podcast that might be referring to a punter?

We also have a grad transfer coming in as well—Matt has said that I can't say his name.

The context was punter or long snapper, and they've got Hart (Harbaugh says he's solid) for the former and Cheeseman for the latter. It might also be a Foug, or like a short range punter? Only interesting names currently in the portal are Maryland's Wade Lees, an Aussie who's 1) older than Ace, and 2) awful; and former many-first-named Michigan kicker Andrew David. I have no idea.

And Harbaugh gave us a complete depth chart, albeit one that leaves out DPJ. Interestingly it names Ronnie Bell the starter at both KR and PR.

Depth chart:

Kicker	Punter	Kick Returner	Punt Returner
Jake Moody Quinn Nordin	Will Hart	Ronnie Bell	Ronnie Bell
	George Caratan	Ambry Thomas	Mike Sainristil
Alan Selzer	Brad Robbins	Michael Barrett	Oliver Martin
-	-	Mike Sainristil	Michael Barrett

What it means:

I'm sure the program will make DPJ earn it back the way all injured guys have to, but I don't think you're taking DPJ off of punt returns unless he's too gassed. On the other hand: Ronnie Bell! Like, if you're going to take Braylon Edwards 2.0 off of returns for someone, it might as well be the closest thing we've had to Steve Breaston since 2015. Best guess: DPJ on punts, Bell on kicks, and punts when DPJ needs a breather.

I like Barrett on the list because I watched Khaleke Hudson's high school highlights way more than a normal person ought to.

The titanic kicking competition is probably fun to watch but Moody's got three years of eligibility left and Nordin has two.