Tell me about this O'Korn future. [Eric Upchurch]

The Question: Five things you want to hear coming out of spring practices?

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David:

1. De'Veon Smith is not missing holes that do exist. After struggling most of the year with hitting holes with consistency, Smith appeared to get 'Lasik Surgery' before the Citrus Bowl.  He definitely had his best game of the season in terms of vision.  Hopefully, it was not just against a defense that was checked out and it will be obvious as Spring Practice picks up.  Also, hopefully, the offensive line, who has mostly been together for a few years, will give him something to see.

2. John O'Korn's decision-making is ahead of schedule. With Gentry apparently moving to TE and Peters taking his first reps as a collegian, it should be O'Korn's job to lose.  He's always had the arm and measurables.  The only question has been his head.  Making the right reads and understanding the offense early in Spring will be a great sign.

3. Devin Bush Jr's reactions are impressive. With Ben Gedeon being the only LB left on the roster to see significant playing time, snaps at LB are wide open.  DBJ fits Don Brown's LB profile very well.  He also enrolled early for a reason.  There's a good chance Michigan will need him to play right away.  Usually the main issue with young players is the speed of the game.  If he's reading and reacting well from the get-go, that will be a very encouraging sign.

4. No new serious injuries. Injuries in football are usually unavoidable. Two of the past 3 seasons Michigan has had a devastating Spring injury (Ryan in '13 and Butt in '14). It was very nice to not have one of those in 2015 -although, Mone was lost in Fall Camp. I would be happy with a major injury-free Spring.

5. The attitude around the program is not winning but dominating. Time for my #hottake. In Spring Training of '86, Davey Johnson told the Mets that he didn't expect them beat teams but to dominate them. The Mets put some pieces together in '84 and '85, but they didn't put together final piece or have the experience of knowing what to expect down the stretch. After keeping things close initially, the Mets blew the doors off the league in the 2nd half and had one of the most dominating teams in last half century.

This is the attitude that I expect from Team 137. They played well last season but were just not good enough in a few crucial moments. If you think that multiple guys turned down the NFL just for a B10 title, you're crazy. This team is talented enough, they're deep enough, they have the experience, now. There is no reason to think that anyone they play is legit better. I don't want to just see them beat the opposition. I'd like to see them dominate the game play.

[Hit THE JUMP for what else we're ready to hear]

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Adam:

gimme a Kugler [Bryan Fuller]

1. There is a center and he will deservedly start this fall and he does things like snap the ball and block people. Whether it's Mason Cole or Patrick Kugler really just means different line combinations; if Cole wins the job that opens the door for Grant Newsome to step into the starting lineup, whereas Kugler winning could mean the same line as last season with Kugler swapped for Glasgow, or an established starter losing his job to get Cole and Newsome on the field at the same time.

2. Dymonte Thomas is more boring than Property Brothers four episodes into a binge. Oh, that house looks nice? Well guess what, you can't afford it and yes, we know you don't want to renovate but have you not seen this show before that's what happens every single time. I sincerely hope Dymonte Thomas is similarly repetitive and dull. He came on strong the last quarter of 2015, but hearing something positive about him coming out of spring camp would quell any lingering fears about the loss of Jarrod Wilson.

3. De'Veon Smith [right: Fuller] is a fullback/H-back/blocky-runny dude. The subtext here is that one of the other backs will have won the starting job, which is unlikely if the vision Smith showed in the bowl game is consistently present through spring. Still, there are two fullbacks on the roster right now (Henry Poggi and Khalid Hill), and we saw last season that a Harbaughfense needs a bunch of guys who can both block a linebacker and run one over.

4. We're one phase past the Annual Lawrence Marshall Spring Hype Train. What comes after a hype train? An actuality sailboat? A physical-entity shuttle? If Marshall can hold serve at weakside defensive end he could split time with Rashan Gary (I'm all for Gary playing WDE his freshman year and moving him inside in 2017 because holy massive human whose speed defies natural laws, Batman), and that would allow Taco Charlton to move back to SDE and split time with Chris Wormley while also allowing Wormley to slide inside to spell Maurice Hurst.

5. Michigan's still spread punting. Please, please, please don't go back to dinosaur punting. SportSource Analytics tweeted last week that Michigan's punt efficiency improved by 17% in 2015. Harbaugh doesn't want to lose laser tag to an 11-year-old so stepping away from a schematic change that was a quantifiable improvement isn't likely, but I want to hear someone say they're sticking with the spread.

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BiSB:

1. The offensive line is holding its own (or better) against the defensive line. The one thing we think we know about this team is that the DL will be pretty dang solid, so any indication that they are not consuming running backs like snacky cakes in an unfettered manner would be great.

2. Mo Hurst is consuming running backs like snacky cakes in an unfettered manner. Yes, I'm a hypocrite. Shut up. But it WOULD be nice to get some buzz about Taco at WDE.
3. They have a secondary depth situation that isn't panic-inducing. Two guys have emerged from the pile of Kinnel and... uh... player-to-be-named-later... as competent backups at safety, and there is competition between Stribling, Clark, Watson and Canteen for playing time on the outside.

4. With Chesson out/limited, it'd be nice if a 3rd outside receiver emerged, whether it's Drake Harris, Moe Ways, or whomever.

5. Florida is lovely this time of year.

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Alex:

1. I want to hear that John O'Korn is playing well and has a stranglehold on the starting QB spot coming out of spring practice. Michigan has plenty of returning starters on both sides of the ball, but obviously the open spot at quarterback is the biggest question mark (save for linebacker, arguably) coming into next season. O'Korn has received some hype already -- and certainly has the physical tools to be successful -- but winning the job decisively in spring would be a welcome development.

No Houma, no Kerridge. Who's gonna make the holes now? [photo: Fuller]

2.  Hopefully a fullback emerges, as Joe Kerridge and Sione Houma (who didn't get a redshirt (THANKS BRADY)) ran out of eligibility. Houma, the Tongan Thunder, developed into an awesome weapon in the first year under Harbaugh, and Kerridge was also a clearly above-average fullback as well. Apparently Khalid Hill is moving to that spot for spring, Henry Poggi played a little fullback / H-Back last year, and maybe De'Veon Smith could make an impact there with his physicality and blocking ability as well. Let's just hope someone has a breakout spring.

3. Because of Michigan's deep and terrifying defensive line, it would be nice to hear that the offense is doing a good job of running the football during spring. The run defense is pretty much a known quantity at this juncture, but the run game on offense was decidedly short of the Harbaugh ideal in year one. Will Kareem Walker immediately stand out as a potential impact player in year one? Will a returning running back show more than they did last year? Is the offensive line going to gel better with 4 returning starters? There are a lot of questions in the running game.

4. Linebackers! I'm hoping that Don Brown doesn't tinker too much with what was already a very good defense; a 4-2-5 alignment best suits Michigan's personnel and optimizes Jabrill Peppers's amazing skill set, but we still need two linebackers to hold it down. I'm assuming that Ben Gedeon's failure to beat out Joe Bolden for substantial snaps is a tiny red flag, but he's a great physical specimen and probably the likeliest starter. Can Devin Bush Jr. make an impact as a true freshman? It's good that he's getting in early to get a better chance of doing so.

5. Jim Harbaugh to stay active on Twitter. Jim Harbaugh's Twitter is the best. If you're not on Twitter, join so you can follow him. Will he throw shade at the SEC? Will he post selfies with the most random B- and C-list celebrities possible? Will he provide Michigan fans with an unlimited supply of Harbaughisms? Only time will tell.

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Brian:

This with a frontrunner would be nice.

1. More O'Korn hype. There's been plenty over the last year and I want to hear plenty more. O'Korn is a strapping gentleman with large upside and a big arm; I can understand why he's easy to hype. He was also pretty bonkers at Houston, which is no doubt an artifact of his youth and a deteriorating coaching situation... but is also just kind of who he is. So, to be specific, I want to hear about O'Korn's steady boring Rudock-esque maturity, because if he adds that to a 6'4" dude who can throw 40 yard ropes on the run we are in business.

2. That Mason Cole is playing a lot of guard. Patrick Kugler does still exist; he's trending towards another "OL recruiting rankings are ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" story, unfortunately. I'd love for him to emerge over spring into a real contender for the job, even if he doesn't win it. That might give Michigan options to push the three returning non-Cole starters, and it would make me feel a ton better about 2017, when Kugler and Dawson are likely to start.

3. Taco Charlton is lighter and mean as hell. Charlton played at 273 last year as a strongside end and managed to collect 8.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks despite playing fewer than half of Michigan's snaps. He'll move to the weakside as a senior; shave a few pounds off of him and get another increment of talent to go with a pile of playing time and Michigan could have a major breakout star on their hands. Charlton was always a physical freak who needed time, and he started delivering a year ago. With more opportunity and a spot that's more natural for his skillset he's a guy who can go from unknown to the first round of the draft.

4. Jeremy Clark is like Jourdan Lewis, except tall. It could happen. Clark reminded me of early-career Lewis last year in that he was constantly in position to make plays but was on the gypsy's bad side. The back-shoulder corner against Minnesota, that underthrown fade against Indiana, the TD against OSU where his hand was literally on the ball... very few of the big completions he gave up could be blamed on anything but bloody-minded fate. (The TD he gave up against MSU is an exception, but even that wasn't a physical or technique failing--he just busted a zone.) A little more work at CB, a little more luck, and Clark is mentioned in the same breath with Lewis next year.

5. Tyree Kinnel is good. Since neither safety took a redshirt (thanks, Brady!) Michigan will replace both next year. Replace them with... uh. Ask again later, especially after Brian Cole got booted. Kinnel is the best combo of experience and crootin Michigan will have available, and if he doesn't start poking his nose through the door this year the dropoff there projects to be alarming.

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Ace:

1. Since everyone justifiably wants to hear O’Korn hype, I won’t pile on. As you might guess if you’ve listened to our audio #content, I’m ready to hear ample Brandon Peters hype, even if I’d prefer O’Korn wins the job. Michigan still needs a backup quarterback and the available options aren’t particularly comforting; I want to hear Peters would have that job in the event a long-term replacement for O’Korn is needed. (Peters wouldn’t burn a redshirt for spot snaps because Brady Hoke no longer coaches here.) I fully believe Peters is the most talented quarterback on the roster and I’d love the early returns to confirm that even if we don’t see him take the job for another couple years.
2. Kareem Walker is pushing for the starting job. There’s a clear ceiling on De’Veon Smith, Starting Running Back; even though Walker dipped in the rankings late, he’s got more potential, and if he’s ready to see extensive time that opens up the possibility of Smith joining him in the backfield as a run-first fullback. Walker has that one-cut ability and has more speed to break big plays than Smith. If he’s got the vision—and I won’t bother to guess based on highlights—he’s the best option in the backfield.
3. Moe Ways and/or Drake Harris becomes a legitimate option. With Darboh and Chesson graduating after this season, it’d be comforting to know that at least one non-freshman outside receiver is ready to step into a bigger role, whether it’s Ways as a reliable possession guy or Harris as a field-stretching burner.
4. Last year’s Bryan Mone hype returns in full force. Mone was supposedly pushing Ryan Glasgow at the nose, and Glasgow is really dang good, so if that’s even close to true we’ll see a defensive interior that won’t let up when it’s time to rotate—something we realized is of paramount importance late last season. Mone is more of a space-eater than Glasgow and could give Don Brown more flexibility with his defensive alignments, as well.

5. Mike McCray is healthy and playing like a starter. Michigan doesn’t need their linebackers to be lights-out given the strength of the team is right in front of them, but it’d be nice if it wasn’t necessary to throw a true freshman or former walk-on into the fire. McCray was a four-star recruit who flashed potential in limited time before a shoulder injury threatened his future on the field; even if he’s just there to provide rotational depth, I’d feel much better about the second level of the defense.

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Seth:

1. ​Hollywood's Devin Bush Jr. Making Immediate Impact. Spring hype is worth only so much (see: Marshall, Lawrence) but the coaches targeted Bush as a guy who could play immediately. I think we know what we have in Gedeon, and I'd love to see McCray pan out for the Ohio schadenfreude, but you need at least three startable linebackers for a base 4-2-5. It would be a bad sign for the competition--what little there is--but a good sign for Bush and the next four years if the early-enrollee is immediately demonstrating the intuitiveness that makes for great LBs.

2. Canteen in the Mix at Cornerback. Remember when we started hearing Jourdan Lewis was going to push Blake Countess or Raymon Taylor out of a starting job? Canteen switched to CB last year after his hands couldn't match his feet, then we didn't hear anything of him. But he's got the athleticism for corner, and that 6'3 frame gives him a lot of upside. Plus I really got behind the Freddy Footwork bandwagon once upon a preview, and if he doesn't start pushing for Stribling's snaps soon then Michigan needs to hit on every Harbaugh recruit to field a full backfield next year.

3. ​Drevno: Newsome, Cole Have Locked Down 2/5 OL Jobs The coaches showed last year when they burned his redshirt that they think Grant is going to be the next big thing at the big thing position. Braden, Kalis, and Magnuson are known quantities, so if Newsome passes them that's a sure sign his star is rising on at least the Mason Cole trajectory. And if the three longtime starters are still battling by the last week of spring that says good things about guys like Dawson and Kugler.

4. ​Mattison Expects Shelton Johnson on the Field this Fall This is in line with Taco at WDE chatter, but adding one more threat to the scariest line in Michigan history would pretty much lock that label down. Since Gary won't be on campus yet,  the DL depth chart in spring is expected to have Wormley at SDE, and Godin—who struggles in the interior—backing up Hurst at DT. But now figure Shelton Johnson is winning snaps at SDE and WDE. In one fell headline it would moot concern over Taco's backup,  allow Wormley to move inside to rotate with Hurst, and send Godin back out to 5-tech/SDE, where he was very effective at taking on offensive tackles and tight ends. A Shelton Johnson ascension thus gives Michigan 8 solid starters, as opposed to 6, and thus the luxury of a fresh dangerman at every spot on the line.

5. SEC, Some ACC Coaches Picketing Michigan Practices. Jimbo Fisher tells reporters this raises major ethical questions. Bret Bielema is standing outside with a harem of animate plastic surgery holding "Think of the Children" signs. Hugh Freeze is giving out duffel bags of cash to local columnists to cover the protest favorably. Kirby Smart gets arrested by local authorities after trying to throw stink bombs. Nick Saban comments "If this is what college football has come to I worry that we've lost our way." Doug Nussmeier bemoans how far Michigan has fallen and says that Dave Brandon never would have allowed this. One of Freeze's columnists mistakenly includes Big XII among present conferences because Barry Odom is there. Butch Jones sends a message of conference solidarity via the Tennessee penal system. Dan Mullen signs up as a speaker for the Harbros coaching clinic.