Too-early Michigan football 2024 starting offense prediction
Michigan football may have just won the national championship and has no idea who the head coach will be in 2024, but it’s never too early to look ahead to see who might take the reins, player-wise, for the upcoming season.
The Wolverines lose a great deal offensively via the NFL draft. J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, AJ Barner and six offensive linemen going pro this offseason. Thus, there’s only one bona fide returning starter from 2023 coming back in 2024: tight end Colston Loveland.
That doesn’t mean Michigan is bereft of experience on the offensive side of the ball. Far from it. Donovan Edwards, Giovanni El-Hadi, Myles Hinton and Tyler Morris have quite a bit of starting experience.
With that in mind and considering only players currently on the roster (not accounting for potential incoming or outgoing transfers), here is what our starting lineup on offense would be as of January 2024.
Quarterback
Alex Orji (OR) Jayden Denegal
Denegal received a great deal of publicity during bowl prep as a player who could make a big push for a starting role in 2024. But Orji, in his second year, received the J.J. McCarthy treatment of getting in about once per game.
Orji certainly gained some pivotal experience mimicking Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in preparation for the Rose Bowl and while we haven’t seen him throw since his bomb to Semaj Morgan in the 2023 spring game, we know that he can.
Based off what Michigan has on the roster, Orji likely gives the Wolverines the best chance to win, but Denegal certainly has a say.
Running back
Donovan Edwards
After announcing his return on Monday, the Wolverines officially become Edwards’ show. Though Kalel Mullings will likely get significant run, considering Edwards got scant carries in 2023 compared to 2022, the tailback is best when carrying at volume rather than getting a few carries per game.
Like in 2023, you can expect to see Edwards and Mullings on the field at the same time quite a bit, and there will likely also be packages for Benjamin Hall, Cole Cabana and Jordan Marshall, as well. Given Edwards’ skill set, expect Michigan to finally get a bit more creative with his usage now that Blake Corum isn’t around.
Tight end
Colston Loveland
This is about as much of a no-brainer as there is on offense as Loveland became a veritable star this past season. Entering his third year, expect that star to rise even more in 2024.
Without AJ Barner to complement him, the bigger question is who will step up to be that second tight end? Candidates include Deakon Tonielli, Marlin Klein and Zack Marshall, but don’t count out Max Bredeson, who’s used more primarily as a fullback.
Left tackle
Myles Hinton
The sole offensive lineman with 2023 starting experience, Hinton’s season was up and down, with the beginning of the season being down and the end being up. However, as he got better, he was marred with injuries, and now the former five-star recruit is returning to Michigan for his fifth year.
Still, expect Jeff Persi, also a fifth-year player, to challenge him in spring ball and fall camp.
Left guard
Giovanni El-Hadi
El-Hadi would have started last year if it weren’t for Trevor Keegan being ahead of him. The Macomb County native started multiple games in 2022 when Keegan was injured and there was little to no drop-off in the interim.
If there were a player who is a big candidate to take a giant step forward on the national stage, it’s El-Hadi, who could go from virtual unknown outside of Ann Arbor to a veritable All-American-caliber player in his senior year.
Center
Greg Crippen
This has to be the year for Crippen, right? The senior who was a standout at IMG Academy snapping for J.J. McCarthy has long bided his time. First, it was as a freshman watching Andrew Vastardis do his thing. Then Michigan brought in Olu Oluwatimi via the transfer portal the next year. Expected to take the reins in 2023, Crippen instead found himself in competition with the elder Drake Nugent, who transferred from Stanford.
Now Crippen, who has intermittently drawn rave reviews over the years, has his opportunity to cement his status as the starting center. Will he do it? We’re betting on it, at least at his juncture. Raheem Anderson (who could also play guard) may have a say, however.
Left guard
Josh Priebe
A transfer via Northwestern, though it wouldn’t be unusual to see a transfer offensive lineman not earn a starting job after starting elsewhere, we’re banking on Priebe attaining this role, especially since other candidates (Reece Atteberry, who moved to defense, or Raheem Anderson) are more likely to play other positions.
Priebe graded out well with the Wildcats last year and is the most likely to fill the role opposite El-Hadi at the guard position.
Right tackle
Andrew Gentry
A behemoth entering his junior year, Gentry is actually the age of a fifth year, since he went on an LDS mission before coming to Ann Arbor.
Last offseason, Jim Harbaugh said with regularity that Gentry would be difficult to keep off the field. While he was mostly sidelined, that was likely due to the experience ahead of him. Expect him not only to earn a starting position, likely on the outside, but for him to thrive in a similar fashion to how Zak Zinter did in his third year.
Outside wide receiver 1
Fredrick Moore
We saw a bit of Moore in the spring game, and the long, rangy wide receiver certainly looked the part and more capable than a typical freshman. We saw him intermittently throughout the early part of the season, but with Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson ahead of him, his use was sparing.
Now entering his second year and with Michigan having a distinct lack of taller wideouts, Moore is a shoo-in to see the field early and often in 2024, barring any incoming transfers. Regardless, he should be a big part of the offense, if not an outright starter.
Inside receiver
Semaj Morgan
Yes, Semaj can play anywhere, but expect him to settle into the role of being the primary inside receiver, playing more and more in 2024 compared to 2023. Morgan is probably Michigan’s best receiver at the moment and the most versatile playmaker outside of Donovan Edwards. But with Roman Wilson gone, the Wolverines will need to depend on him to be a chess piece who can be moved around and accounted for by opposing defenses.
Karmello English, who had injury concerns in 2023, could also step into this role in 2024, as could incoming freshman I’Marion Stewart.
Outside receiver 2
Tyler Morris
Though Morris is equally suited to the inside, expect him to finally take that big step forward as a Roman Wilson-esque target on the outside in 2024. He’s a much different receiver than Wilson, however. More Ronnie Bell-like but with Wilson’s speed, the goal will likely be to get Morris going in a similar fashion to last year’s No. 1 this upcoming season.
