10 days until Michigan football: Two No. 10s providing intrigue
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 2 opener against East Carolina. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
Michigan football is 10 days away from the start of the 2023 season, leading us to a pair of No. 10s on the roster that appear to be in line for intriguing roles this season.
We will start on the defensive side of the ball, where sophomore defensive back Zeke Berry has been one of the players whose stock has risen a ton since the offseason began. Michigan has made an effort to increase the playmaking on the backend of the defense over the last few seasons, and Berry could be a guy in a safety rotation that helps it be its most athletic group has put out in a while.
RJ Moten‘s transfer to Florida opened up snaps for guys in the room to move up the depth chart, and Berry is the biggest benefactor here. Junior Rod Moore and senior Makari Paige will still handle the bulk of the work, but Berry projects to be the first safety off the bench and could also play the slot at times for the Wolverines. The book on him coming out of high school was that he was a rangy defender with quick instincts and reflexes. U-M is excited about his future, and we should see a ton of him early on as his role continues to develop.
On the offensive side, sophomore quarterback Alex Orji continues to provide intrigue. Is he a quarterback? Could he be a positonless offensive weapon? Or the world’s greatest kick returner? Or have a similar trajectory to former high school quarterback-turned-safety-turned-linebacker Michael Barrett?
The truth is, nobody quite knows yet. Harbaugh and Michigan focus on bringing in football players first, then finding out how their skill sets could best help the team. At 6-3, 235 pounds, Orji looks more like a linebacker or running back out there but has tremendous zip on his throws and legs that never stop churning. If their kickoff team can get down the field and block, U-M thinks that he could be a truck-sticking return man.
Whatever happens, the way Michigan continues to tinker and tool with his role is one of the most interesting storylines from an individual standpoint. The Wolverines are deep enough in a lot of places to experiment and seem to have a stable backup in place with junior Davis Warren at quarterback. We will have to wait and see how Harbaugh’s latest positionless, moldable ball of clay goes.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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