Three reasons why Michigan will win the B10 championship in 2024

There is general agreement that Michigan will take a step back in 2024. How big that step will be is debatable, but the loss of nearly 20 key players to the NFL, as well as former head coach Jim Harbaugh and most of the defensive staff, leads many to believe the Wolverines will suffer multiple losses this fall.

While it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Michigan stumble once or twice in 2024, the reality is that the Wolverines have more than enough bounce back to win the Big Ten championship for the fourth consecutive year. Here’s why:

The coaching staff

One of the most important things you want from a coaching staff, especially after a 15-0 season that ended with a national championship, is continuity. While Michigan certainly suffered some major losses on the coaching staff in the offseason, the Wolverines were able to maintain some semblance of continuity with the promotion of Sherrone Moore to head coach.

Moore, who was named the 21st head coach in Michigan football history on Jan. 26, spent the last six years as part of Harbaugh’s offensive staff in Ann Arbor. He began his coaching career at Michigan from 2018-20 working with the tight ends and then spent the next three years from 2021-23 as the offensive line coach. In addition to his work with the offensive line, Moore also served as co-OC from 2021-22 before becoming the sole OC for Michigan’s run to the national championship in 2023.

Although the 2024 season will be Moore’s first official season as a head coach at the college level, he actually served in that role during the most difficult stretch of Michigan’s regular season schedule last year. As the Wolverines’ incumbent head coach, he is currently 4-0, including wins over Bowling Green, Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State.

Considering he joined the program in 2018, Moore was a crucial part of the culture change that took place at Michigan – a change that ultimately led to a national championship in 2023. He has already earned the respect of the guys on the roster and his experience as a playmaker will be a huge asset to Michigan in 2024.

In addition to retaining key players like Kirk Campbell (QB coach/OC), Ron Bellamy (WR coach) and Grant Newsome (OL coach), Moore also hired some key players to play key positions – including guys like Wink Martindale (DC), Tony Alford (RB coach), Brian Jean-Mary (LB coach) and Lamar Morgan (DB coach). Several of the people on Moore’s staff, particularly on defense, served as coordinators at previous stops. Martindale, who considers himself the “OG” of Michigan’s defensive system, brings 20 years of NFL coaching experience to Ann Arbor.

Given all the changes that have taken place since Harbaugh’s departure, there is every reason to be excited about the coaching staff that Sherrone Moore has assembled for Michigan.

The offensive

There are a lot of people who expect Michigan’s offense to take a big step back in 2024. On the surface, they seem to be right – especially considering Michigan is only returning one starter on offense from the 2023 season. But a closer look should give any Michigan fan plenty of confidence about what the Wolverines are capable of on offense in 2024.

The main focus, of course, is the quarterback position. Alex Orji (junior) and Davis Warren (senior) appear to be the top two quarterbacks on the board right now, while veteran Jack Tuttle – who spent most of the spring recovering from injury – could be in the conversation in the fall.

It is understandable that some Concerns about the QB position in 2024, and I think a lot of that concern among fans stems from the fact that it’s nearly impossible to replace a guy like JJ McCarthy. But the reality is that the Michigan offense doesn’t need a hero at the quarterback position. With a run-heavy offense built on winning in the trenches, the QB1 at Michigan just needs to have a steady hand, make good decisions, and occasionally make a big play through the air. The majority of quarterbacks currently on Michigan’s roster fit that description, which is why the staff hasn’t tried to snag a quarterback out of the portal this offseason.

Aside from the question marks that remain at the QB position, the Wolverines are otherwise solid on offense. Up front, Michigan’s offensive line is expected to continue the long streak of success it has had over the past three years. Projected starters Greg Crippen (C), Josh Priebe (G), Giovanni El-Hadi (G), Myles Hinton (T) and Jeffrey Persi/Andrew Gentry (T) could form one of the best offensive line units in the country.

At the running back position, the Wolverines are one of the strongest units in the conference, if not the country, led by Donovan Edwards, who enters his final season with renewed vigor and enthusiasm for the 2024 season. Following Edwards is veteran Kalel Mullings, sophomore Benjamin Hall and a whole host of other young running backs who are more than capable of moving the chains.

The tight end group is led by Colston Loveland, a man widely considered to be the best tight end in the country. Veteran Max Bredeson will certainly be a major factor this season, and Marlin Klein (junior) is also someone who is expected to take a big step forward in 2024.

The wide receiver group was considered a position of need just two weeks ago, but that doesn’t seem to be the case now. Michigan is led by junior Tyler Morris and sophomore Semaj Morgan, two guys expected to be the focal points of the Air Raid in 2024. Another name to keep an eye on is sophomore Fredrick Moore, whose name has been mentioned frequently throughout spring ball as a guy ready for a breakout year. Kenrick Bell, the younger brother of former UM wideout Ronnie Bell, is also an interesting candidate as a potential breakout player in 2024. In the portal, the Wolverines nabbed Youngstown State’s CJ Charleston and Amorion Walker, who transferred from Michigan to Ole Miss in January.

There’s no reason to believe that Michigan’s offense will look much different in 2024 than what we’ve been used to over the past nine seasons under Jim Harbaugh. With that in mind, it looks like the Wolverines have all the necessary components to be very productive again this fall.

The defence

Of all the reasons to be excited about Michigan football in 2024, defense tops the list. The Wolverines boast the best defensive line duo in the country, as Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham are a combined nearly 700-pound immovable objects. The duo combined for 65 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2023, and both numbers are expected to increase significantly in 2024.

There will be no drop in performance at the edge rusher position, as veterans Josiah Stewart (senior) and Derrick Moore (junior) return for another season. The duo combined for 10.5 sacks in the 2023 season, good for the No. 2 (Stewart) and No. 3 (Moore) positions on the team.

Much like the defensive line duo of Grant and Graham, the starting linebacker duo could be one of the best in the country. Ernest Hausmann returns for his junior season after playing in all 15 games in his first season with the Wolverines. He is joined by junior transfer from Maryland, Jaishawn Barham, who was a very productive starter for two years with the Terrapins.

Michigan’s secondary was one of the few position groups to take a slight hit during the offseason. Veteran Rod Moore suffered an injury that will likely cause him to miss a significant portion of the season, and the Wolverines lost both Keon Sabb (Alabama) and DJ Waller Jr. (Kentucky) to the transfer portal. The good news is that Michigan’s secondary is well-positioned and has the nation’s best cornerback in Will Johnson. Veteran DB Makari Paige is also back, as are Zeke Berry, Ja’Den McBurrows and Quinten Johnson. Sophomore Brandyn Hillman and Jyaire Hill are also expected to be in the mix this fall. In addition to the guys returning, Michigan also bolstered its secondary via the transfer portal during the offseason — adding Jaden Mangham (Michigan State), Amir Hall (Albany), Ricky Johnson (UNLV) and Wesley Walker (Louisville).

Michigan’s defense has consistently been one of the best units in the country over the past three seasons, and fans can expect that to be the case in 2024. Freshman DC Wink Martindale brings over 20 years of NFL experience to Ann Arbor and is very familiar with the system that has made Michigan so successful over the past three years – especially because he was involved in its development.