'Comfortability' has Michigan football's sophomores expecting a big leap forward

For months, the "gifts from the football gods" delivered their benefits to Michigan football in anonymity.

In summer 2022, head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke of his then-new roster and praised a pair of freshmen using that phrase. But for months, no one knew who he was referring to; it wasn't until midway through the season he revealed the duo — defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

They impacted the game to varying degrees in their first collegiate seasons, but each made his mark on Jesse Minter's defense. Particularly Graham.

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The 6-foot-3, 318-pound interior lineman finished with 27 tackles, 2½ sacks, one quarterback hurry and one pass breakup. His 80.3 grade from Pro Football Focus was tops among all true freshmen defensive linemen in the nation, but the California native still has his sights on taking a sophomore leap.

"My goal this year: even to go beyond that," Graham said Wednesday. "I think I've gotten better in my pass rush. Collectively as a D line, that was our main goal this year is taking that step in the pass rush. Creating more tackles for losses, more negative plays for the offense, put us in a better position."

For Graham, the emphasis on the pass rush manifests itself in a number of ways. It starts with more film.

"Seeing what the top guys are doing," he said. "What moves are working? How can we beat guys? How can we be more productive putting pressure on the quarterback to help our back end?"

It continued with a focus on communication. Graham said the interior line and edge room have had "full unit" defensive line meetings this year, a change from a season ago.

In 2022, there was a tendency for each group under the direction of defensive line coach Mike Elston would get so locked into their own mission, they'd forget to do Job 1: Free up somebody to go get the ball in the backfield.

Although the sample size is small, the early returns have been promising, according to Graham.

"I feel like we're more on the same page than we were last year," he said.

Graham played the most snaps of any true freshman in Ann Arbor, but he's far from the only player expected to improve as a sophomore. Another, on the same side of the ball, is star cornerback Will Johnson, a former five-star recruit from Grosse Pointe South.

U-M's top corner had offseason knee surgery in the spring, but that hasn't slowed expectations surrounding him.

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Johnson ranked No. 21 on PFF's list of the nation's top 50 players entering 2023, following a 2022 in which he earned a 91.1 grade in man coverage (leading all Power Five cornerbacks) and an 88.2 overall grade, tied for the best among all Power Five true freshmen.

He also earned his way onto the preseason watchlist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's best defensive back.

"I'm one of the older guys now, we lost two seniors at corner," Johnson told the Free Press earlier this summer. "I have to be more of a leader and grow from last year."

On the other side of the ball, no second-year player is expected to make as notable an impact for the maize and blue as tight end Colston Loveland. Last year, the freshman from Idaho began the season under the radar, catching four passes in the first three games, then going nearly two months without a touch.

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From there, though, he was unleashed, with 11 receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns in U-M's final five games.

These days, nobody has received more praise than Loveland.

"I think the secret is out with him," Harbaugh said at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis last month.

Former teammates Luke Schoonmaker and Joel Honigford said he might be the best tight end in America right now. Former Wolverine Jake Butt, an All-American tight end and now an analyst for Big Ten Network, said he could be "one of the best, if not the best” tight ends in program history.

Loveland is just taking it all in

"I don't know what my ceiling is," he said. "I do know that I can compete with anyone, and I'm going to work my butt off to become the most complete tight end I can — run game, pass game, pass pro.

"But I do appreciate the coaches and everyone for showing love, definitely."

The Wolverines are no strangers to sophomore surges in this era. Last year, it was quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Donovan Edwards and safety Rod Moore; the trio built on solid freshmen campaigns to become household names in the Big Ten.

All are expected to earn all-league honors this year and perhaps All-American nods.

Several other sophomores who could make leaps, as well.

Defensive backs Amorion Walker and Keon Sabb, EDGE Derrick Moore and wide receiver Tyler Morris have been singled out by either teammates or coaches as players who've taken their game to the next level after a year of seasoning.

When Loveland took the dais in Schembechler Hall this week, his demeanor was noticeably different than a season ago. The lights — both on the cameras in his face in August and the ones that will be above his head in the Big House at some point — are still bright, but not blinding like they were then.

The biggest difference for Loveland between then and now?

"Overall comfortability in the program," he said. "Getting the trust from other guys. Strength, speed, size. And the playbook — I’m super locked-in on playbook. Obviously had a year, another year, so now I can really fly around, move fast, work on little techniques.

"Run game, pass game, whatever that is."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football second-year players poised to become stars