Opinion Roundtable: Which Wolverine Is Most Affected By Cancellation?
No one in a Michigan uniform wanted the season cancelled but here we are. There's no doubt that some players are feeling it more than others. For instance a rising sophomore who hadn't quite cracked the lineup yet can't be as disappointed as a guy like Nico Collins who was poised to break out and shoot up draft boards. A third-string lineman isn't feeling the burn quite as much as Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton who were set to battle it out for the chance to be Michigan's starting quarterback.
With that said, who do we think is most affected by the 2020 season getting cancelled? We discuss...
Brandon Brown
With a potential breakout season in front of him and a chance to shoot up draft boards, Nico Collins had to be looking forward to the 2020 season as much or more than anyone else on the roster. He had a solid year in 2019 but was expected to take his game to the next level. He's in the best shape of his life and is faster than he's ever been with reported 4.46 speed. Wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis has been hyping Collins up for months but now we don't get to see the fruits of his labor.
Michael Spath
After Michigan's 0-2 start to finish the 2019 season, including a 35-16 loss to Alabama in the Citrus Bowl, cornerback Ambry Thomas talked a lot about accountability and how he was tired of teammates that weren't all in for Michigan. Uber-talented physically too, Thomas was poised to be U-M's top defensive player (though he had plenty of competition for supremacy) and it would have been exciting to see him in a leadership role.
Thomas was one of seven seniors set to start in 2020, and for all seven, the cancellation of the season is especially devastating. The Big Ten may play in the spring but each of them will have to ask is the next step of their journey preparing for a potential NFL future or sticking around for one last season in the maize and blue, whether that's in March of 2021 or next fall.
Kailen McKay
I’d say Jalen Mayfield is the most disappointed. He was expressing his frustration on social media that the first scheduled game was about a month away and they weren’t even sure if they were going to play. He’s a predicted first-round draft pick so I'm sure he was anxious to get out there and show his skills.
Justin Roh
Dylan McCaffrey sat behind Shea Patterson all of 2019, even though some people inside and outside of Schembechler Hall thought he was the more talented quarterback. This season would have been McCaffrey’s chance to prove it, especially with an extremely talented group of receivers. Now, he will have just one college season to prove to NFL scouts that he is worthy of a high draft pick.
Eric Rutter
While the cancellation of the fall 2020 season is heartbreaking for seniors, I think Aidan Hutchinson was poised to have the biggest year this fall given his trajectory so far. Hutchinson made a wealth of big plays, especially in clutch situations, last year, and the fall would have been the perfect time for him to cement himself as a top defensive end in the country. Now, his stock is still considerably high, but it has to be brutally disappointing to miss out on what would have been the biggest season of your college career.
Jack Scheel
Josh Ross has to be the most disappointed Michigan Football player during this cancelled season. After an All-Big Ten honorable mention season his sophomore year, Ross and the Michigan fan base were ready for him to become a leader on the defensive side of the the ball in 2019. Ross would suffer an injury against Wisconsin in week three, which would keep him off the field until the Citrus Bowl versus Alabama. With both Jordan Glasgow and Khaleke Hudson graduating and heading to the pros after the 2019 season, this year would’ve presented the perfect opportunity for Ross to take over and be the next Wolverines linebacker to follow the recent trend of heading to the NFL. Unfortunately for all of us, we will have to continue to wait to see that happen.
