Michigan Football: Top 5 breakout candidates for 2017

Michigan football lost a wealth of talent from its 2016 team, but these five guys are poised to break out in 2017.

One of Jim Harbaugh’s biggest challenges is to replace all of the players and starters that left for the NFL after last season.

While the team trip to Rome will help build a bond between these players, the reality is losing a record 11 players to the NFL is something that will be tough to overcome.

However, it also means that it opens the door for a handful of players to have big seasons. Here’s my look at five players who are poised for big seasons for Michigan.

Last season Wilton Speight had a strong season throwing the ball for 2,538 yards, 18 touchdowns (and only seven interceptions) and completing 61 percent of his passes.

The result is Michigan flirted with their first trip to the National Championship playoff and Speight had a quarterback rating of 139.8.

All this while playing through a collarbone injury that limited his ability to throw like he wanted to.

This spring, Speight returned to the field 20 pounds lighter and more confident than ever. He’s also finally healthy and ready for a big season.

While there are some quarterbacks competing for his job, look for Speight to hold onto the starting spot and have a big season for Michigan while throwing for more than 3,000 yards and under 10 interceptions.