2009 Michigan Football PREVIEW

2008 was a season-long nightmare for Michigan football fans. Here is a brief recap of various streaks that were snapped and records that were set:

First losing season since 1967
Most losses (9) in a single season
First five game long losing streak to Ohio State
First loss to Michigan State since 2001

Add to those the belief among many critics that Michigan football is going in a poor direction and it becomes clear that 2009 is a critical year for Michigan football. Will Rich Rod's team rebound well? Will they continue their plummet? Let's break it down.


Offense


Quarterbacks

Undoubtedly, the quarterback play in 2008 was a huge reason for the poor play of the offense. Steven Threet wasn't mobile enough and Nick Sheridan's arm wasn't strong enough. Enter Tate Forcier. Anyone who watched Tate in the spring game came away nothing but impressed. Tate showed excellent quickness in evading defenders as well as superb accuracy. Forcier threw only a couple bad throws the entire scrimmage, and seemed to make good decisions throughout. Obviously, when he plays against defenses that are looking to knock him out of games, he may not be quite as accurate or as daring. But, Forcier proved that he has the ability that Threet and Sheridan lacked. Tate will start against Western Michigan, and I expect him to exceed true freshman expectations.

Tate Forcier is not the only true freshman quarterback that will see playing time in 2009. Denard Robinson will provide Rich Rod the breakaway speed at the quarterback position that he had at West Virginia in Pat White. For several weeks in the spring, Denard Robinson held the best 100M dash time of any high schooler in the country. Denard brings an athleticism to the quarterback position that has never before been seen in Ann Arbor. He will almost certainly see snaps as a result. Don't be surprised if you see Tate and Denard both in the backfield at some point.


Running Backs

The strength of Michigan's offense in 2008 becomes even stronger in 2009. Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown both return, and Rich Rod has hinted at using them in the backfield together in 2009. Minor is the power to Brown's speed. Add speedy newcomers Vincent Smith, Teric Jones, and Fitzgerald Toussaint to the mix, and offensive coordinator Calvin McGee has to be loving the options he has in the backfield. Vincent Smith came into Ann Arbor in the spring and impressed everyone that saw him. Just today, Rich Rod said that strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis told him that Teric Jones was the most impressive newcomer in the weight room. Barwis's praise is great to hear considering most of Jones's critics were concerned mostly about his size and strength. At fullback, Mark Moundros returns and is expected to see an even bigger role in the offense. Moundros is solid at a critical position in the spread offense. Expect to see a lot of different ball carriers and combinations in the backfield for Michigan this year.


Wide Receivers

This is the offensive position that I worry about most in 2009. There are lots of bodies at wide receiver, but someone needs to step up finally. At the slot, Martavius Odoms showed flashes of brilliance in 2008. If he can continue to improve and hold onto the ball, Odoms can be a valuable contributor at another critical position in the spread offense. Joining Odoms at the slot position are Roy Roundtree, Terrence Robinson, and Jeremy Gallon. Roundtree and Robinson were both redshirted in 2008. Roundtree has impressed people in practice with his good hands and football IQ. Robinson was injured in 2008. If he can stay healthy in 2009, T-Rob would provide the shifty complement to Odoms's straight-line speed. Jeremy Gallon is a true freshman who was one of the best wide receivers in the Army All-American practices in January. Gallon has already generated Steve Breaston comparisons. Look for Gallon to contribute on special teams immediately.

On the outside, Greg Matthews is a senior who has been fairly productive his entire career. He's not big or fast, but he has pretty good hands and gives the offense the steady option that any true freshman quarterback desperately needs. Darryl Stonum is a freak athletically, but needs to prove that he can be productive on the field. Coming off an injury, JR Hemingway is a question mark that could provide some depth among the outside recievers that is badly needed.

The tight end position might be the one saving grace. Kevin Koger was impressive whenever he touched the field in 2009 and Brandon Moore and Martell Webb will provide excellent depth.

Tate Forcier will need a couple guys to step up and be productive. If no one does, it could be another long year for the offense.


Offensive Line

The offensive line was another one of the biggest problems in 2008. With nearly everyone returning after an offseason working with Mike Barwis, there is plenty of reason to believe that the offensive line will be improved in 2009. Perhaps the most exciting news for the Michigan offensive line is that Mark Huyge has apparently stepped up enough to provide another legitimate right tackle starter. With Huyge at right tackle, Steve Schilling can move inside to right guard where he should be. The move of Schilling to guard is a huge move for the offensive line. Schilling has played out of position for two years and it has shown. Expect big things out of Steve Schilling this year. Mark Ortmann and David Moosman should start at left tackle and left guard, respectively. David Molk will remain the starting center and should continue to improve as he did during the 2008 season. If the offensive line plays to the level they are capable of, the Michigan offense should run much better in 2009.


Defense


Defensive Line

The defensive line is undeniably the strength of Michigan's defense in 2009. At defensive end, Brandon Graham has All-American potential. If he continues to progress normally, Graham should end up with 10+ sacks and even more tackles for loss. As a freshman, Mike Martin proved to be a force at defensive tackle. He's not huge, but he is extremely strong and is relentless in attacking the backfield and clogging up holes. In three down linemen sets, Martin will be the nose tackle. The third man in those sets will likely be Ryan Van Bergen. RVB came to Michigan as a defensive end, and has been a notoriously hard worker his entire career. Now a junior, Van Bergen should get his chance to start. Don't expect anything flashy from Van Bergen, but he should be solid enough. When Michigan runs a 4-3, RVB will probably shift to defensive end, leaving a spot alongside Mike Martin. That spot will likely go to either Ronald Sagesse or Will Campbell. Campbell is a raw, but extremely talented true freshman from Cass Tech. He may struggle his freshman year, but he's going to be an All-American someday. Sagesse has lost somewhere around 40 pounds and is in great shape. I would expect Sagesse to play the majority of time, with Campbell coming in occasionally to try to get to the quarterback.


Linebackers

The linebacker position was a glaring weakness in the 2008 Michigan defense. Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton return as starters. Ezeh makes a lot of tackles, but he is extremely poor in pass coverage. Mouton is a converted safety who is gradually learning the position. Mouton showed some progress in 2008. Hopefully, for Michigan fans' sakes, he continues to improve. New defensive coordinator Greg Robinson brings with him two new "hybrid" positions. The first is a DE/LB mix. Look for Brandon Herron or Marell Evans to start there. Evans struggled mightily when he played in 2008 but is supposedly a practice warrior. Herron is a little smaller and quicker, which might appeal to Robinson if he wants to get to the quarterback more. The second hybrid position is a safety/LB mix. Steve Brown is the starter there. Brown has struggled to the point of benching in his Michigan football career. But, his speed and talent are undeniable. Brown has shown an ability to run down and tackle the ball carrier on special teams. The move to closer to the line of scrimmage should help Brown a lot as most of his struggles have come in pass coverage. If the Michigan coaches can create schemes to keep Steve Brown moving forward, I think he could have a breakout year.


Defensive Backs


The cornerbacks are pretty set in stone with Boubacar Cissoko and Donovan Warren. Cissoko impressed a lot of people as a true freshman, and there's nothing to suggest he won't keep improving. Warren struggled after shining as a frosh, but that was mostly due to a combination of injuries and not seeing eye-to-eye with former DC Scott Shafer. If Warren is healthy and buys in to the new defensive schemes, Michigan has a great cornerback duo for the next two years. At safety, there is a lot of young talent. Troy Woolfolk has emerged as a lock to start at one of the safety positions. Troy's dad Butch was a star at Michigan, and his son has the chance to be one as well. Woolfolk should provide some speed at the safety position the like of which Michigan football hasn't seen in a long time. The other safety position will likely go to Mike Williams, who would be the hard hitter, and a nice complement to Troy Woolfolk. If Williams isn't starting, it's because true freshman Vlad Emilien has impressed people from the moment he stepped on campus. Vlad suffered an injury, though, so expect Williams to start initially. The defensive back group should, without a doubt, be improved in 2009.


Projected Starting Lineup:

QB- Tate Forcier
RB- Brandon Minor
FB- Mike Moundros
WR- Greg Matthews
WR- Darryl Stonum
WR- Martavious Odoms
TE- Kevin Koger
OT- Mark Ortmann
OT- Mark Huyge
OG- Steve Schilling
OG- David Moosman
C- David Molk

DE- Brandon Graham
NT- Mike Martin
DT/DE- Ryan Van Bergen
LB- Obi Ezeh
LB- Jonas Mouton
LB/DE- Brandon Herron
LB/S- Steve Brown
CB- Boubacar Cissoko
CB- Donovan Warren
S- Troy Woolfolk
S- Mike Williams