Jim Harbaugh Mentions Three Freshmen Who Could Play Out Of The Gate
Jim Harbaugh met with the media for the first time in a long time earlier today and fielded a variety of questions for almost 30 minutes. As always, people are curious about the incoming freshmen and Harbaugh was asked specifically about the early enrollees. The first three names out of his mouth are the freshmen most likely to see the field, in my opinion.
Junior Colson
Colson is listed at 6-2, 230 on the official spring roster, which is already big enough to play. The versatile linebacker has a ton of athleticism, great pursuit skills and a high football IQ. With Mike McDonald's system being new to everyone, there's a chance some youngsters could find the field early. I think Colson fits best at the WILL linebacker spot, but his size, speed, athleticism and overall knowledge of the game give him a chance to play at SAM, MIKE and WILL. He's probably not a RUSH/hybrid type, but we'll see exactly what Macdonald is looking for in those spots soon enough.
Donovan Edwards
Even without Zach Charbonnet, I still like Michigan's running back room. Hassan Haskins is a veteran who just seems to get the job done, while sophomore Blake Corum has game-breaking speed and big-play ability out of the backfield, on jet sweeps and as a pass catcher. With that being said, Edwards is the most complete back of the bunch. There's literally nothing the West Bloomfield standout can't do and with Charbonnet at UCLA, the path to playing time is a little easier for Edwards than it originally looked like it would be.
JJ McCarthy
Finally, there's McCarthy. The savior of the program (if you ask some Michigan fans). I think that's way too much pressure, and I'm not sure McCarthy is quite on that level, but he's very talented, possesses great leadership skills and knows how to win. I like everything about him but Michigan is just not a complete team heading into 2021, which would make his job extremely challenging if he were to win the starting job. Still, McCarthy is the most talented QB on the roster and is certainly looking at the position as up for grabs. To me, starting him might be the best move for Jim Harbaugh depending on how he views his job heading into 2021.
