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.
Michigan’s top three receivers from last season in regards to total yards receiving are gone to the NFL.
Last season, Grant Perry only had one touchdown grab, but in his sophomore season he averaged 14.1 yards per catch and had the fourth most receiving yards on the team (183). While 54 of those yards came off his one touchdown catch, he’s shown an ability to spread the field, which could do wonders for Chris Evans and Karan Kigdon this season.
Jim Harbaugh received some heat from the media and fans for choosing to reinstate Perry despite sexually assaulting a woman last year. It turns out footballs aren’t the only thing Perry likes to grab. Perry will miss the first half of the season as part of the universities penalty for his actions. He also missed the teams trip to Rome.
But, once Perry returns, look for him to become the top receiver for Michigan the remainder of the season. He’ll also be fueled to prove that he deserved his second chance and to earn some positive headlines after the nasty ones he earned last season.
I almost feel guilty picking Chris Evans as a breakout star.
Almost, but not quite. Sometimes it’s okay to steal candy from a baby.
Michigan’s leading receiver from last season, De’Veon Smith, is playing for the Miami Dolphins now, and Evans, the speedy sophomore, averaged 7.0 yards every time he ran the ball as a freshman.
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Now that he’s heading into the season with a year of college football and the role as the main back, look for Evans to post monster numbers. But, for that to happen, he’ll have to be more consistent this season.
As a freshman, Evans averaged 14.0 yards per carry against Hawaii, 13.9 yards per carry against Rutgers and 16.0 yards on one carry against Illinois.
However, he only averaged 2.5 yards per carry against Colorado and 2.0 yards per carry against Michigan State.
That kind of feast or famine from game-to-game will prevent Evans from having a larger role in his sophomore season if Harbaugh can’t rely on him to be consistent. One would assume a larger workload combined with the experience from last season would help Evans to become more consistent this season. But, if not, he may not have the kind of breakout season many expect from him.
I wouldn’t bet against Evans this season.
This season won’t be all fun and games like it was for Michigan’s unofficial team photographer during the team trip to Rome.
While McCray was able to kick loose and have fun with teammates during Michigan’s trip to Rome, there will be a lot of pressure on McCray this season. The 2016 season was McCray’s first season fully healthy and in a large role, and that has put him on the Butkus watch list heading into this season.
Last season, McCray played in all 13 games after missing the entire 2015 season due to an injury. He stepped up with 45 tackles (13.5 for a loss) and had 4.5 sacks. He also had two interceptions and took one back 18-yards for a touchdown.
There could be a lot of pressure on McCray as he is the lone returning starter on defense for Michigan. However, after chatting with McCray at the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, he appeared relaxed, confident and ready for the challenge of leading Michigan’s defense this season.
Look for McCray to thrive as a leader of Michigan’s defense this season and be on the final list of Butkus candidates after this season.
Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? While nobody will be calling Maurice Hurst Jr the next Rudy, he has worked hard to move from a backup to a prominent cog in Michigan’s defense this season.
Hurst is a three-year letterman and he has appeared in 33 games along the defensive line, with four starts at defensive tackle. With Michigan losing a lot of upper classman after last season, his experience will be huge for Michigan this season.
It’s not just his experience that will be key for Michigan. Hurst contributed 73 tackles, 195 tackles for loss, eight sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup during his first three years at Michigan. Because of those numbers, he’s Mel Kiper’s top rated senior DT.
Despite the NFL hype – he passed on the NFL after last season because he wanted to return to Michigan and improve – and the preseason award lists, Hurst is someone who thrives on hype and proving people he deserves the attention and praise.
“I love it,” Hurst told The Detroit News of the preseason hype. “I love being able to listen to what other people have to say and use that as motivation. That’s my biggest thing is just being able to have whatever is being said and just try to either prove someone right or prove someone wrong. It’s all motivation to be the best player I can be.
Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017
“That’s always been my goal since I’ve been here to leave my legacy at Michigan and leave my legacy in college football. That’s something I definitely envisioned, and something I’m capable of doing. It’s something I really want to make happen.”
Look for Hurst to have a monster season and cement his legacy at Michigan.