Michigan’s Triple-Freshmen Threat

A lot of freshmen have played through two games but three are starting to stand out above the rest.

If you’re a college football diehard, there’s no such thing as an “off-season”. You’re either watching your team compete on the football field or you're watching your team compete on the recruiting trail. With each new season comes the promise of new young talent, and Michigan has certainly found its fair share of young talent.

Here are the top three freshmen who’ve established themselves as immediate threats:

Roman Wilson, WR

Wilson, a four-star out of Honolulu, is best known for his blazing speed (4.37 in the 40). Two games into the season, Wilson has emerged as the Wolverines most reliable target. Put simply, Wilson is literally catching everything that comes his way. He’s the team’s second-leading receiver just behind veteran Ronnie Bell with 105 yards on seven receptions. Most importantly, Wilson has become a much needed go-to target for first-year starting quarterback Joe Milton. Based on early results, it’s entirely possible that Wilson finishes the 2020 season as Michigan’s leading receiver in just his first season in Ann Arbor.

Blake Corum, RB

Corum, a four-star recruit out of Maryland, is a kid that I paid close attention to during the off-season. It became apparent pretty quickly that Corum’s work ethic is second to none. Physically speaking, Corum arrived in Ann Arbor more than ready for the punishment of Big Ten football and eager to dish out some punishment of his own. Corum proved as much on the very first play of the 2020 season, hauling in a pass from Joe Milton out of the backfield and bursting through multiple defenders for a 25-yard gain. One week later against Michigan State, Corum showed more flashes of what he’s capable of using his 4.4 speed to get to the edge and score Michigan’s first touchdown of the afternoon. Heading into week three, Corum has already made a strong case that he is ready to be RB1 in Ann Arbor.

A.J. Henning, WR

Henning, a four-star recruit out of Illinois, hasn’t had many opportunities on the field so far, but when he does get the ball, he makes the most of those limited opportunities — the rookie is averaging 11 yards every time he touches the ball. Two weeks into the season, Henning looks very much like a Giles Jackson 2.0. Henning is a guy that can return kicks, punts, line up in the backfield, burn you on sweeps and stretch the field with his 4.4 speed. As Michigan continues to search for reliable playmakers offensively, expect Henning's role to grow considerably in the coming weeks.