Michigan Wolverines Roster 2019 Wolverines Roster

Head Coach: Jim Hardbaugh        2017 Salary: $7,004,000        Offensive Coordinator: Pep Hamilton       Defensive Coordinator: Don Brown         

Stadium: Michigan Stadium       Surface: Turf        City: Ann Arbor        State: Michigan

The Wolverines find themselves ranked outside the top-10 for a second consecutive year. The up-and-down season left the team off the final, top-25 rankings; an area Michigan is not all that familiar too. An 8-4 record and some major injuries led to the fall-off of the 2017 team. A rough schedule once again greets the team, who will see 5 top-10 performers at different points in the season. Amongst these inclusions, Jim Harbaugh's kryptonite, Ohio State, will once again face-off with the Wolverines. Harbaugh is 0-3 against Ohio State, something he is keeping at the back of his mind ahead of this season. There were some changes within the roster, none more important than the quarterback switches.

Wilson Speight played in only four games last season, limiting his effectiveness as a passer within the Michigan system. His replacements, O'Korn and Peters, produced similar efficiency numbers. Speight saw this as a threat to his success within the program, transferring to UCLA to find himself a role that fit his game style. Harbaugh acted swiftly, bringing in Shea Patterson from Ole Miss. Patterson spent the end of his season on the sidelines thanks to injury. His replacement produced at a good rate, allowing for the Patterson-Harbaugh connection to be made. Patterson finds the end zone at a higher rate than all of the Michigan quarterbacks combined in terms of last season, something to rave about with the team. The offensive line only loses one of their full-time starters, returning 6 players who had starting experience last season. This is a major selling point to the success Patterson is afforded within this offense. He can find his comfort level and can reduce his attention to how well he is protected. The rushing attack returns the two-headed combo of Karan Higdon and Chris Evans. This combo has produced nearly 3,000 yards and 25+ touchdowns over the past two seasons, producing a reliable running game. The area where Harbaugh can sit back and count his talents is throughout the defense. They return nearly all of their starters from the past season, some of which finished on All-Pro teams and received All-Conference honors. Rashan Gary returns his edge rush presence with Chase Winovich. This duo combined for 14 sacks last season and were constantly reaching the backfield. They return their leading tackler Devin Bush, who also occupies the middle linebacker position. His presence in the middle allows for others around him to excel on their attributes. They also add depth in the secondary, boosting their pass-deflection capabilities and increasing the pressure on coverage options. This defense is all the rave for this Michigan team heading in 2018. The outpouring of support from the offense could lead for the team to overcome one of the nation's toughest schedules.