Three reasons why Michigan will win B10 Championship in 2024
The general consensus is that Michigan will take a step back in 2024. How big of a step is up for debate, but the loss of nearly 20 key players to the NFL, along with former head coach Jim Harbaugh and most of the defensive staff, leads many to believe that the Wolverines will suffer multiple losses this fall.
While it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Michigan stumble once or twice in 2024, the reality is that the Wolverines are returning more than enough to once again capture the Big Ten Championship for the fourth consecutive season. Here’s why:
The Coaching Staff
Continuity is one of the most important qualities in a coaching staff, especially following a 15-0 season that produced a National Championship. Sherrone Moore’s elevation to head coach helped Michigan to keep some sort of continuity, even though the team lost several key members of its coaching staff this off-season.
Moore served as a member of Harbaugh’s offensive staff at Ann Arbor for the past six years until being named the 21st head coach in Michigan Football history on January 26. He spent the first three years of his Michigan coaching career as the offensive line coach from 2021–2023 after working with the tight ends from 2018–20. Working with the offensive line, Moore also served as the offensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, he took over as the offensive coordinator alone, leading Michigan to a National Championship run.
While Moore will officially coach at the collegiate level for the first time in 2024, in actuality, he filled that position during the most trying part of Michigan’s regular season schedule last year. As the Wolverines’ interim head coach, he is now 4-0 with victories over Bowling Green, Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State.
Moore played a significant role in the culture change at Michigan, which eventually resulted in a national championship in 2023, considering that he only joined the program in 2018. The guys on the team already appreciate him, and in 2024, his play-calling background will be invaluable to Michigan.
Moore went out and made some significant hires for crucial roles, including guys like Wink Martindale (D.C.), Tony Alford (RB coach), Brian Jean-Mary (LB coach), and Lamar Morgan (DB coach), in addition to keeping important players like Kirk Campbell (QB coach/O.C.), Ron Bellamy (WR coach), and Grant Newsome (OL coach). Several of the players on Moore’s staff have experience as coordinators, especially from their time spent as defensive backs. Martindale, who views himself as the “O.G.” of Michigan’s defensive scheme, comes to Ann Arbor with twenty years of NFL coaching experience.
Given all of the changes that took place following Harbaugh’s departure, there’s plenty to be excited about when it comes to the coaching staff that Sherrone Moore has assembled at Michigan.
The Offense
Many people believe that in 2024, the Michigan offense will significantly regress. They appear to have a point, at least initially, especially in light of the fact that Michigan’s offense only has one starter returning from the 2023 campaign. However, a closer look should instill great confidence in Michigan supporters over the offensive potential of the Wolverines in 2024.
Of course, the quarterback position is the main focus. The top two quarterbacks on the depth chart right now seem to be junior Alex Orji and senior Davis Warren, but veteran Jack Tuttle, who missed much of the spring recovering from an injury, might make an impression this fall.
It makes sense that there would be some worry about the quarterback position in 2024, and I believe that a large portion of the fan base’s fear stems from the reality that someone like JJ McCarthy is extremely difficult to replace. However, the Michigan offense doesn’t actually require a hero at quarterback. The QB1 at Michigan only needs to have a steady hand, make wise decisions, and occasionally make a big play through the air. The system is run-heavy and focused on winning in the trenches. The staff hasn’t attempted to snag a quarterback out of the portal this off-season because most of the quarterbacks on Michigan’s roster meet that description.
The Wolverines are strong offensively everywhere else save at the quarterback position, where there are still questions. It is anticipated that Michigan’s offensive line will maintain the impressive run of play that it has demonstrated over the previous three years. One of the best offensive line groups in the nation could be made up of projected starters Greg Crippen (C), Josh Priebe (G), Giovanni El-Hadi (G), Myles Hinton (T), and Jeffrey Persi/Andrew Gentry (T).
The Wolverines have one of the deepest running back lineups in the conference, if not the entire nation. Donovan Edwards, who is fired up and eager for the 2024 season, is leading the way as he begins his senior year. Benjamin Hall, a sophomore, and a plethora of other young backs who are more than capable of moving the chains after Edwards.
Colston Loveland, who is widely regarded as the best tight end in the nation, is the leader of the tight end group. This season, veteran Max Bredeson will undoubtedly be important, and junior Marlin Klein is also anticipated to make significant progress in 2024.
Just two weeks ago, the wide receiver corps was thought to be in need, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Semaj Morgan, a sophomore, and Tyler Morris, a junior, lead Michigan and are anticipated to be the main players in the aerial assault in 2024. Another player to keep an eye on is sophomore Fredrick Moore, whose name has been brought up a lot throughout spring ball as a player who is primed for a breakthrough season. The younger brother of former Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell, Kenrick Bell, is another fascinating prospect who might make a big splash in 2024. Through the gateway, CJ Charleston from Youngstown State and Amorion Walker, who transferred from Michigan to Ole Miss in January, were both acquired by the Wolverines.
Based on the nine seasons we saw under Jim Harbaugh, there’s no reason to think the Michigan offense will look all that different in 2024. In light of this, it appears that the Wolverines have all they need to be extremely successful this autumn once more.
The Defense
When it comes to reasons to be enthusiastic about Michigan Football in 2024, the defense is undoubtedly the most compelling one. Up front, the Wolverines have the best defensive line tandem in the nation in Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham, who together weigh almost 700 pounds. In 2023, the two combined for 65 tackles and 7.5 sacks; it is anticipated that in 2024, those totals would rise considerably.
Veteran edge rushers Derrick Moore (junior) and Josiah Stewart (senior) are back for another season, so there won’t be a drop-off at that position. During the 2023 season, the pair combined for 10.5 sacks, good for No. 2 (Stewart) and No. 3 (Moore) on the squad.
The starting linebacker tandem, like Grant and Graham on the defensive line, may be among the best in the country. After playing in every game in his first season with the Wolverines, Ernest Hausmann is back for his junior year. Jaishawn Barham, a junior transfer from Maryland who started for the Terrapins for two years and was quite productive, joins him.
One of the few position groups that suffered some setbacks during the off-season was Michigan’s secondary. Veteran Rod Moore had an injury that will probably keep him out of the game for a good chunk of the season, and the Wolverines lost DJ Waller Jr. (Kentucky) and Keon Sabb (Alabama) via the transfer portal. The good news is that Michigan has a strong secondary led by Will Johnson, the finest cornerback in the country. Zeke Berry, Ja’Den McBurrows, Quinten Johnson, and veteran DB Makari Paige are all back in the mix. This fall, Jyaire Hill and sophomore Brandyn Hillman are also expected to be involved. In addition to the individuals that are coming back, Michigan used the transfer portal to add additional secondary players over the off-season. Wesley Walker (Louisville), Amir Hall (Albany), Ricky Johnson (UNLV), and Jaden Mangham (Michigan State) were all added.
Over the last three seasons, the Michigan defense has consistently ranked among the best in the nation; supporters should anticipate that status in 2024. Over 20 years of NFL experience and first-year D.C. Wink Martindale’s familiarity with the system that has enabled Michigan to achieve such success over the last three years stem from his creation of it.
