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Michigan Football: 5 Wolverines Having Breakout Seasons
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan football has had a number of players with breakout seasons in 2016, here are the top five at the midseason point.
It’s well documented that Michigan football has had a great first half of the 2016 season. The Wolverines are 6-0 and they look like true Big Ten and National Title contenders.
There are many reasons for that success. Obviously, Michigan football has many talented players, as well as a great coaching staff.
Jabrill Peppers is in the running for the Heisman. And many others, the list is actually too big to count, are legit early-round NFL prospects.
That’s one reason why the Wolverines are winning and doing so in dominating fashion. Yet, the key to developing a true powerhouse, is constantly developing talent, something UM has done as well as anyone in the country.
So when I talk about breakout players, I am not going to be talking about Peppers or Jake Butt or Jourdan Lewis.
There will be no mentions of Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton, Amara Darboh or Jehu Chesson. Those players were all well known and expected to play at high levels.
That’s not to say some of them haven’t improved — they certainly have. However, this list is looking more at players, who were unknowns to start the season — ones that are now core parts of this 6-0 team.
The hardest part, is narrowing it down to five players, because Michigan football has had so many standouts. Yet, here we are, with my top-5 breakout players from the first half of 2016.
Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Speight lays claim to QB job
Some might not see Speight as a breakout player for Michigan football, but those people would be wrong.
Speight hasn’t been perfect by any means this season, but considering that quarterback was the Wolverines’ biggest question mark before the 2016 campaign started — I’d say he’s done well.
The redshirt sophomore is completing 61 percent of his passes and has 11 touchdowns, compared to just two interceptions. He has a respectable yards per attempt average of 7.5 and his passer efficiency rating is north of 145.
Yet, that’s not the most impressive thing about his season.
Certainly, the Wolverines haven’t had a ton of big tests so far, but in their biggest, against Wisconsin, Speight delivered when it mattered most.
Sure, his play was far from perfect that day, but with the game tied, in the fourth quarter, he threw a touchdown strike to Amara Darboh.
That play kept the Wolverines undefeated and it showed that even against top-10 competition, Speight is more than capable of getting the job done.
Speight has a ways to go, but so far this season, he has shown that he’s a solid starter and truly, that’s all the Wolverines could have hoped for.
Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Evans proves to be the freshman RB that matters
Coming into the season, many thought the freshman running back that would make an impact was Kareem Walker.
Yet, after Walker had academic issues and Chris Evans had a stellar fall camp, it was Evans, not Walker that got the first opportunity in the backfield and he’s run with it, literally.
Evans hasn’t won the starting job away from De’Veon Smith yet, but he’s on the verge. He has 400 rushing yards on 48 carries and has three touchdowns. He’s also averaging 8.3 yards per carry.
Evans has already eclipsed 100 yards twice this season, rushing for 112 yards on eight carries against Hawaii and 153 on 11 carries against Rutgers.
For years, the Wolverines were missing explosive players, especially at the skill positions and in the backfield. With Evans, that’s changing and over the next few years, Michigan football fans should see plenty of big runs from the freshman, who is well on his way to stardom.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Mike McCray finally realizes his potential
During his career with Michigan football, Mike McCray has been jinxed with the injury bug. However, this season, he has finally stayed healthy and has shown everyone with the expectations for him were once so high.
Playing outside linebacker in Don Brown’s system has been a dream come true for McCray, who can defend the run and rush the passer.
In six games, McCray has helped turn the linebacking core — a group once considered a weakness — into a strength.
At 6-4, 248 pounds, McCray has eye-popping athleticism and length. He currently ranks third on the team with 30 tackles, but he also has made his fair share of impact players with 5.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks and three passes defensed.
McCray also has an interception and two forced fumbles.
With so many great players on Michigan football’s defense, it’s hard for guys like McCray to get much pub, but the bottom line is that he is one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten. He also getting plenty of attention from NFL scouts too.
McCray may not be Peppers, but in his own unique way, he’s a special, special player.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Ben Gedeon adds strength at inside linebacker
While Michigan football has some of the best linebackers in the country in Peppers and McCray, one guy that is also having a breakout campaign is senior Ben Gedeon.
Gedeon saw significant playing time in each of his first three seasons as part of the Michigan football program, but none of those seasons came close to comparing to this one.
Gedeon, who leads the team with 44 tackles, already has more stops than in any previous season. Yet, the inside linebacker also had three sacks and a passed defense.
Gedeon has thrived in Brown’s defense and like McCray and Peppers, he has helped turned linebacker from a position of supposed weakness, to one of overwhelming strength.
The senior, who is going to start getting attention as an NFL prospect, is coming off one of his best performances of the season, with two tackles for loss and a sack against Rutgers.
Gedeon’s development just shows that sometimes, players just need to mature and when they do and get a real chance at playing time, great things can happen.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Channing Stribling shows UM has more than one shutdown corner
Coming into the season, everyone familiar with Michigan football knew about Peppers and Lewis. They were both All-Americans and highly touted defensive backs.
Yet, with Peppers move to linebacker, the Wolverines needed someone in the secondary to step up and while there have been a few young players making an impact, none have made more of one than senior Channing Stribling.
Stribling, who had two interceptions in nine games a season ago, has flashed ability in the past. But this season, he’s taken it to an entirely different level.
In five games, the senior has 10 tackles, three interceptions and five passes defensed. He’s also been lights out in man coverage and scored a defensive touchdown.
His play has been so good in fact, it prompted Jim Harbaugh to proclaim that he would play in the NFL for a decade.
While Stribling has played well all year, he really made his mark against Wisconsin, in the Wolverines’ biggest game of the season to this point.
Stribling not only made two interceptions in the win for UM, he also had two tackles and two passes defensed. And at this point, it’s safe to say, Lewis is no longer the Wolverines’ only shutdown corner.
At the end of the day, Stribling is one of many Michigan football players to break out in 2016 and that’s one of many reasons why, the Wolverines are 6-0 and show absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
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