Michigan Brotherhood Was Special In 2021, Expect The Same In 2022

A foundation of leadership, hard work and buying in has created a brotherhood at Michigan that should be present again in 2022.

Football is the ultimate team sport. If everyone buys in and does their job on a given play, it should be successful. If even one guy out of 11 doesn't do what he's supposed to, it could doom everyone. The 2021 version of the Michigan Wolverines saw that first hand en route to a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff berth. Unfortunately, most of the players responsible for that laying the special foundation are gone. But on the flip side, there are plenty of players ready to take the baton and run with it.

One of those players is freshman wide receiver Andrel Anthony. The wiry pass catcher understands that great leaders like Aidan Hutchinson, Andrew Vastardis and Josh Ross are off to the next level, but he's confident in himself and the other returning Wolverines.

"Every year somebody has to step up, new people," he said. "[They] laid the blueprint, they laid down the foundation, now we just have to pick it up and keep going."

Fellow freshman Donovan Edwards echoed those sentiments and believes that the connections made in 2021 will spill over into 2022 and grow even stronger.

"When you have a brotherhood and everybody is actually bonded together, that’s what separates a good team from a great team," he said. "Everybody is going to buy into each other and everyone is playing for each other. As long as we know everybody is going to give it their best, we’re building that brotherhood."

If rising sophomore JJ McCarthy ends up being the starting quarterback, he'll be instrumental in taking the bonds to another level and, even though he wasn't the guy last year, he's well equipped to take over that role.

"There are no great teams without having that complete brotherhood or family," he said. ?You have to have that strong foundation, that strong connection with every single player on the team. 

"You’re only as strong as your weakest link and we don’t see any weak links on our team, especially this year. We’re hitting the ground running. That Georgia loss opened us up to things we need to work on in order to beat a team like that. The leadership has been everybody. It’s not just a particular four guys, it’s everyone holding each other accountable."

After McCarthy's statement, Edwards put a bow on the entire concept, which should give Michigan fans a big reason to be excited about 2022. 

"Everybody is buying into the culture that we’re building here."