PFF Breaks Down Michigan's Biggest Strength, Question Mark Heading Into 2023

Michigan enters the 2023 campaign ranked second in the country, according to the preseason polls. The Wolverines return 80% of their production from a season ago, along with arguably the best running back duo in the country, their starting quarterback, most of the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, and a ton of big-time defensive players from last year.

There doesn't appear to be many weak areas on the roster and Michigan has plenty of depth at most positions entering the season -- which is another reason there is so much hype for the Wolverines.

Pro Football Focus wrote an article focusing on the top 10 teams and pointing out what they believe the biggest strength and biggest question mark is of each team.

PFF thinks the biggest strength of Michigan entering the season is its ground attack featuring Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards.

Biggest strength: The run game

The bread and butter of the Michigan offense is the ground game. The Wolverines ran the ball on 60.8% of their plays last year, the fifth-highest rate in the Power Five. That should remain true in 2023 as Michigan returns the best running back in the country, Blake Corum. Last year, his 96.2 grade was the best single-season mark by a Power Five player since PFF began charting college football in 2014.

His “backup,” Donovan Edwards, is also a top-10 running back in the nation and led the Power Five with 7.1 yards per carry in 2022. Edwards told me in a PFF interview that he expects to go down with Walter Payton and Barry Sanders as one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game.

Michigan ranked fifth nationally a season ago rushing for 238.9 yards per game. Corum (121.9 yards/game) and Edwards (90 yards/game) should see plenty of green grass ahead of them with the O-line they are running behind.

Then PFF transitioned to the biggest question mark for the Wolverines entering the season. They believe it's the passing game.

Biggest question mark: Will the Wolverines be able to have a consistent passing attack?

Like Georgia, Michigan has a top-10 running back unit, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker unit and secondary. What the Wolverines don’t have is a dominant receiving corps. Both their top receiver (Ronnie Bell) and top tight end (Luke Schoonmaker) from a season ago are in the NFL, while tight end Erick All and wide receiver Andrel Anthony transferred to Iowa and Oklahoma, respectively.

J.J. McCarthy is a top-10 quarterback in the nation, but he did undergo a slump to end the year. Three of his last five games resulted in a sub-60.0 passing grade. He’ll need to be more consistent as a junior for Michigan to not field a one-dimensional offense.

I have to disagree with this one -- at least sort of. Michigan may have lost Ronnie Bell and Luke Schoonmaker but the cupboards aren't bare in Ann Arbor. Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, and Colston Loveland have all shown to have big-play potential.

Jim Harbaugh, Sherrone Moore, and J.J. McCarthy have all talked about how Michigan wants to open things up more In the passing attack. The Wolverines want to be more balanced in 2023 and be closer to a 50/50 run/pass ratio.

Also, he may have not graded out the best by PFF. But McCarthy had two of his better games to end the season. He threw for 263 yards against Ohio State while throwing three touchdowns. He threw three more against Purdue, with an interception. He threw for his career high, 343 yards, against TCU. McCarthy also threw two touchdowns against the Horned Frogs, but his two interceptions -- pick-six interceptions -- were a killer for Michigan.

Toward the end of the 2022 season, McCarthy was hitting the deep ball better and if he can continue to connect downfield in 2023, Michigan will be just fine with its passing attack.