Five burning questions for Michigan HC following spring game

Orji’s pocket presence and footwork are a work in progress — that’s two areas where former walk-on Davis Warren excels. 

Warren threw for 136 yards and two touchdowns, tossing his hat into a four-man QB race among Orji, Jayden Denegal and a banged-up Jack Tuttle, who did not play Saturday. 

2. Can the defense carry the team? 

Under new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who was the New York Giants D-coordinator last season, Michigan’s defensive stars picked up where the 2023 team left off.  

According to the official spring game stats, 10 Wolverines recorded tackles for loss, including breakout candidates TJ Guy, a senior defensive end, and Zeke Berry, a junior defensive back.

3. Who will replace Rod Moore?  

Coach Moore said in a spring game news conference that the team hasn’t given up hope for a return of star safety Rod Moore, who recently suffered a serious knee injury.

With Moore likely to miss most, if not all, of the season, the play of sophomore DJ Waller and Berry is in the spotlight. Waller intercepted Denegal and Berry had a six-yard tackle for loss, showing Michigan’s strength and versatility in the defensive backfield. 

4. Does the kicking game need portal help? 

Jay Harbaugh, Jim’s son and Michigan’s special teams coach last season, is now the Seattle Seahawks special teams coordinator. J.B. Brown, the former Michigan special teams analyst, has replaced Harbaugh.

The Wolverines are also breaking in a new kicker, sophomore Adam Samaha, who badly missed a 30-yard field-goal attempt just before halftime. That’s a bad omen for a team used to a high-quality kicking game. 

Samaha is a former three-star prospect, but Michigan may want to look at the transfer portal for competition for him.  

5. Will the running game ‘Smash’ like last season? 

Sherrone Moore’s “Smash” references — a nod to the team’s intention to play a physical brand of football — has caught on. Now his running game must back it up.

Fifth-year senior Myles Hinton is Michigan’s lone returning offensive line starter, though others — including grad student Josh Priebe and senior Giovanni El-Hadi — have starting experience. 

Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell must decide early this fall if Michigan has the power and skill up front to pummel opponents the way last season’s national title team did. 

If not, the passing game must improve dramatically — and quickly — for Michigan to challenge for its fourth straight Big Ten championship.