What we know about health of J.J. McCarthy, Will Johnson and Michigan offensive line
Michigan football's offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore has never claimed to know the future, however there are a few certainties he's learned across his coaching tenure.
It's why when senior offensive guard Zak Zinter went down with a brutal injury − he's out the rest of the season after he broke both his tibia and fibula in Saturday's 30-24 win over Ohio State − nobody flinched, even though he and the team were devastated.
"The offensive line when we started the season, I tell them every year it's not gonna be five guys to help us get to where we want to go," Moore said. "It's not going to be six, it's not going to be seven. We're going to need 10.
"Those guys just prepare every week like they're on first group, everybody knows they're next man up."
THREE-PEAT INCOMING: Blake Corum not looking past Iowa, but confident in Big Ten title game
The Wolverines, always in search of their "best five combination" in the trenches, opted not to bring in reserve guard Giovanni El-Hadi to replace Zinter, but rather bump Karsen Barnhart (who began the season at left tackle, then moved to right tackle) inside to guard and slot graduate lineman Trente Jones in at right tackle.
Barnhart, a 6-foot-5, 313-pound standout from Paw Paw, Michigan, was frequently singled out as U-M's top offensive lineman this summer by Harbaugh and called "Mr. versatility" by his position coach earlier this week.
It's now clear why; Barnhart is scheduled to start at his third different position this year.
JIM HARBAUGH: Michigan football's win over Ohio State 'one of the happiest moments of my life'
“It's crazy because he can go from right to left, to inside to outside," Moore said. "It's a credit to him and his study and what he does and physically how capable he is to do all that. I'm just glad we got him.”
Meanwhile, Jones, who on Monday coach Jim Harbaugh called "one of his favorite players" has played in 38 career games, 34 on the offensive line with nine starts.
A three-time academic All-Big Ten honoree and member of each of the past two Joe Moore Award winning offensive lines, Jones, who stands 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, started six games at right tackle a season ago and has been the extra offensive lineman on jumbo packages this year.
"I love seeing No. 53 out there," Harbaugh said. "He's been an extra o-lineman, he's been a selfless player and went in at right tackle and played great. You hate to see Zak is hurt, but what an opportunity now for Trente.
"What he can do as that next man up, so excited to watch him."
ON TOP: What we learned about Michigan football before its third straight Big Ten title game
The Wolverines plan to keep Arizona State transfer Ladarius Henderson starting on the left side, fifth-year senior and captain Trevor Keegan next to him and Stanford transfer Drake Nugent in the middle and it won't be a surprise if former Stanford standout Myles Hinton serves as the extra offensive lineman in heavy sets.
Moore said "I think so" when asked if that will be the lineup when Michigan (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) faces Iowa (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) in the Big Ten Championship on Saturday (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“We’ll see. We obviously have other guys and we're ready, but I feel comfortable and (thought we) finished off the game on a really good note," he said. "Especially running the football for that long drive in the fourth quarter."
McCarthy health improving, Johnson's status uncertain
J.J. McCarthy hasn't once denied in recent weeks he's been hobbled by an ankle injury.
Still, the junior quarterback wouldn't use it as an excuse for his sub-par play in his final two road games of the season, when he completed just 19-of-31 passes for 201 yards and an interception against Penn State and Maryland.
He looked much more fluid Saturday, when he completed 16-of-20 passes for 148 yards and his first touchdown pass in a month − a third-and-10 throw that could lead his highlight tape when he threaded the needle through a pair of defenders for the touchdown pass to Roman Wilson.
"My lower leg injury is almost perfectly healed," McCarthy said. "I mean, it was a rough couple of weeks, but the athletic training staff did a tremendous job and I attacked treatment every single day. So it’s doing good; I appreciate you asking.”
It wasn't just the numbers on Saturday for McCarthy, who now has completed 191-of-257 passes (74.3% completions) for 2,483 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions this season, but also he looked more fluid to the eye test.
WINDSOR: Jim Harbaugh says Michigan-Ohio State can get unhealthy. U-M fans beg to differ today.
After weeks of not extending plays, McCarthy ran four times for 17 yards against the vaunted Buckeyes defense. That included a 15-yarder in the third quarter that helped set up the go-ahead score.
“I think he’s better,” Moore said Monday of McCarthy. “I think he showed that when he took off and ran down the sideline, and ran past those guys. He’s feeling good.”
As for star cornerback Will Johnson, it's not yet clear what his status will be for Saturday's clash with Iowa. The sophomore defensive back left the game against Ohio State in the second half with a "lower body injury" according to Moore and neither he nor Harbaugh had an update on his status.
"As of right now, we'll see how things proceed," Harbaugh said Sunday. "Get him looked at today. Treatment, etc., and evaluation. Possibly will know something later in the week or tomorrow."
Johnson is perhaps U-M's most talented defensive back and despite missing the vast majority of the non-conference season as he recovered from off-season knee surgery, still has 20 tackles, four pass breakups and three interceptions; one of which he returned for a touchdown, another which came in the first quarter vs. Ohio State and set up the game's opening touchdown.
The injury is not believed to be long-term.
"I think he'll be alright," Moore said.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football: Latest health updates on J.J McCathy, Will Johnson
