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Michigan Stadium was silent when Ronnie Bell went down with an injury in the season opener as more than 100,000 fans feared the worse. It was almost as if they knew what was coming. Two days later, coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed that Bell is out for the year with a knee injury. "It's a shame," Harbaugh said Monday. Bell had a 76-yard touchdown reception and returned a punt 31 yards before injuring his right knee in a 47-14 win over Western Michigan. "It will be very difficult to replace Ronnie Bell," Harbaugh said. "Really tough. Seasoned. Experienced. Tremendous blocker. So competitive and such a gamer. "Now somebody has to try to fill those shoes." Harbaugh appeared to get defensive when asked more than once by reporters about having Bell, perhaps his best player, on special teams. "The best players play," he said, recalling Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson returned punts at Michigan.

The Wolverines (1-0) host No. 20 Washington (0-1) on Saturday night. The Huskies likely will drop out of The Associated Press college football poll on Tuesday after becoming the first ranked FBS team in five years to lose to a FCS team, falling to Montana 13-7. Washington will face Michigan without Bell, who was the team's leading receiver last season and an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2019 after leading the team in receiving. Bell, who started 17 of 33 games, has 83 career receptions for 1,380 yards and five touchdowns. His absence leaves a void on and off the field. - AP College Football

(DS#28 WR) rSr/2023

WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan
News Source: AP College Football
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09/04/21 - Ronnie Bell, rSr/2023, Michigan, 6-0, 191 (DS#28 WR) + More +

Ronnie Bell had a 76-yard touchdown reception and returned a punt 31 yards before being injured in Michigan's 47-14 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday. The Wolverines (1-0) won the game easily, but they may have lost their best player for a while. "Just worried about Ronnie Bell right now," coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged. Bell was hurt on a punt return in the second quarter and kept weight off his right leg as he was helped off the field by a teammate and staff member. The senior receiver was later carted off the field and up the tunnel toward the team's locker room to be further evaluated. "What can you say other than you hope for the best, expect the worst, and wait until you get the MRI results?" Harbaugh asked. "But no matter what, he'll be back."

The Broncos (0-1) started strong - making it 7-all on La'Darius Jefferson's 2-yard run and trailing by just three points after the first quarter - but could not sustain success on either side of the ball. "We moved the ball fairly well," Western Michigan coach Tim Lester said. "We just didn't finish drives, and we didn't protect our QB well enough." Michigan pulled away with 17 points in the second quarter, scoring on Bell's catch, Hassan Haskins' 22-yard run and Jake Moody's 20-yard field goal. Blake Corum, who had 111 yards rushing, opened the scoring with a 14-yard reception and his 30-yard touchdown run put the Wolverines ahead 40-7 early in the final quarter. - Michigan/AP College Football

(DS#28 WR) rSr/2023

WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan
News Source: Michigan/AP College Football
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08/30/21 - Junior Colson, Jr/2024, Michigan, 6-2, 238 (DS#1 ILB) + More +

Senior Josh Ross and redshirt freshman Nikhai Hill-Green will open the season as Michigan's starting inside linebackers, but there isn't much depth behind them. New linebackers coach George Helow said Thursday that Colson "absolutely" could see playing time this fall. Michigan's top-ranked defensive recruit in the 2021 class has missed some time during camp because of injury but returned to practice late last week. Colson stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 225 pounds. "Junior is a guy who is athletic, that's big, that has the frame, has the legs," Ross told reporters Thursday. "You're looking at him like, 'Man, you're a freshman? You don't even know what you're capable of.' But as far as the athleticism piece, that dude is athletic. That dude is fast and can move and is really a good linebacker, is going to be a great linebacker for years to come." - Ann Arbor News

(DS#1 ILB) Jr/2024

ILB Junior Colson, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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08/25/21 - Blake Corum, Sr/2024, Michigan, 5-08, 205 (DS#4 RB) + More +

Word spready quickly to Michigan sophomore running back Blake Corum about the comments his position coach, Mike Hart, said about him Thursday. Hart is Michigan's all-time leader rusher, totaling 5,040 career yards from 2004-07. With the elusiveness to sidestep defenders and the doggedness to pick up extra yards after contact, Hart is one of the most distinguished college running backs of all time, despite his 5-foot-9 stature.

While the 35-year-old's playing career has been over for more than a decade, he said Thursday he sees a lot of himself in Corum, a strong, speedy back who also is considered undersized at his position at 5-foot-8. "He works a lot harder," Hart said. "Blake's a lot faster than me, a lot quicker than me. If I was that fast, I'd probably still be playing in the NFL. He's a great kid, but I think his mentality and the way he does things, the way he approaches the game is really similar to the way I did. He doesn't like making mistakes; he's not happy when he makes mistakes. He wants to be perfect, and that's something that reminds me of myself from that standpoint." Corum was asked Friday about Hart's comments and said he has been a welcomed addition to the running back room. He has watched countless highlights of Hart's playing days at Michigan and also was a top recruiting target for Hart when he was at Indiana. - Ann Arbor News

(DS#4 RB) Sr/2024

RB Blake Corum, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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08/23/21 - Aidan Hutchinson, Sr/2022, Michigan, 6-7, 268 (DS#1 DE) + More +

If Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan football team need any more motivation, they could confide in the preseason polls. The Wolverines were absent from the preseason AP Top-25 poll released on Monday, marking the first time the team will begin a football season unranked since Harbaugh's first in Ann Arbor. Michigan is coming off a 2-4 season that prompted Harbaugh to overhaul his coaching staff. It was that year, 2015, saw Harbaugh's grand arrival - leading Michigan to a 10-3 season, Citrus Bowl victory over Florida and No. 12 final ranking. The Wolverines were ranked in the AP's preseason poll in each subsequent year since.

This year, however, the task might be a bit more dubious. Michigan is set to break in a new defense under first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald (although, he does get a few talented pieces back) and expected to roll with a quarterback who has just one collegiate start under his belt. As a result, the media picked Michigan to finish fourth in the Big Ten's East Division this fall. Harbaugh's team did garner 12 votes, suggesting that there is still some support nationally. But five other Big Ten teams appeared in the preseason rankings, a group led by Ohio State at No. 4 and West frontrunner Wisconsin at No. 12. - Ann Arbor News

(DS#1 DE) Sr/2022

DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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08/21/21 - *Daxton Hill, Jr/2022, Michigan, 6-0, 191 (DS#3 FS) + More +

It's no secret by now that Michigan is going to do everything it can to put Daxton Hill in advantageous positions this fall. The junior safety is the Wolverines' best defensive back, both from a speed and athleticism standpoint and statistically (last year, in six starts, Hill racked up 46 tackles, an interception and had five pass deflections), and is most effective when he's around the ball. First-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has said he plans to dispatch multiple-looking fronts and alignments in order to keep opposing teams guessing. And that will include playing Hill across the backfield - at his traditional free-safety role, of course, but also at "nickel" as a fifth defensive back and even cornerback.

"It's a lot from last year," Hill admitted Tuesday. "Really trying to hone in on every position - whether it's corner, safety or nickel. Really just learning my plays every day." To do that, Hill says, he's spending extra around the football facility after meetings. The task is no longer just honing in on one position, but finding "a good balance" between the three. Currently, Hill is still spending a majority of his time in practice at safety. But he's thrown in at nickel and corner as needed, when the team requires a substitute or a specific defensive package is called. "It's not like I'm a play here, play there," Hill said. "We have a lot of good corners right now, so whenever they need me in certain situations or packages - that's when I'm really going in."

(DS#3 FS) Jr/2022

FS *Daxton Hill, Michigan
News Source: that's when I'm really going in."
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08/15/21 - Donovan Edwards, Sr/2025, Michigan, 5-11, 205 (DS#24 RB) + More +

While Jim Harbaugh has said that returners Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum are set to receive a bulk of the carries at running back this fall, they could have some company in the season opener against Western Michigan. Michigan's true-freshman running back Donovan Edwards impressed coaches in the spring with his work ethic and talent, so much so that he's worked his way into the depth chart and will be part of the playing rotation on Sept. 4. Last month at Big Ten Media Days, Harbaugh told reporters that "you'll be seeing Donovan Edwards Game 1? - a statement backed up Thursday by Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. "Donovan will play Week 1," Gattis told reporters on Thursday. "That's no secret in this building, the type of talent that he is." Gattis described the 6-foot, 202-pound Edwards as "one of the most competitive people that you'll ever meet," complimenting the West Bloomfield, Mich., native's ability to complete a quick turnaround from high school to college.

Edwards played for a state championship in football in late-January, then made the transition to Michigan and the start of spring ball in late-February. And despite enrolling early and having to compete against a pair of scholarship backs with experience, Edwards learned the offense quickly and held his own, Gattis said. Every major recruiting service listed Edwards as a four-star recruit and top-100 prospect nationally coming out of high school, suggesting that a fast-tracked start to college was possible. - Ann Arbor News

(DS#24 RB) Sr/2025

RB Donovan Edwards, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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08/15/21 - Donaven McCulley, rSr/2026, Michigan, 6-5, 209 (DS#84 WR) + More +

Discussions of Indiana's quarterback situation typically center on Michael Penix, and understandably so. The 6-foot-3 junior threw for more than 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns before his season was derailed by a torn ACL in November. But coach Tom Allen spotlighted another signal caller following Monday's practice: freshman Donaven McCulley. "I've really been encouraged by his growth," Allen said of the former Lawrence North star. "Even today we were able to isolate some of the things we do and could see his talent. That's shown up since the beginning...He's a very gifted player." McCulley's initial splash shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

One of the Hoosiers' top targets from the class of 2021, the four-star recruit threw for more than 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns last fall to lead Lawrence North to its first winning season since 2005. For his career, the prolific dual-threat quarterback accumulated 6,211 passing yards, 1,274 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns. Scouting reports cited McCulley's sizable frame (6-foot-5), athleticism and arm strength as three of his biggest strengths in high school - Allen Trieu of 247 sports compares him to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Joshua Dobbs - and he's only gotten stronger since his arrival at IU, weighing in at 215 pounds. That's a "significant difference" from when he first started, Allen noted. "When you walk out there, you notice (McCulley) and the way he moves," said Allen, who also cited the freshman's quick release. "He's just trying to learn the offense." - Indianapolis Star/News

(DS#84 WR) rSr/2026

WR Donaven McCulley, Michigan
News Source: Indianapolis Star/News
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08/06/21 - Ryan Hayes, rSr/2023, Michigan, 6-6, 305 (DS#11 OT) + More +

Michigan has already determined three starters along the offensive line for this season, but only one of them is locked in to a specific position. And turns out, what happens this month in preseason camp - and who, specifically wins jobs inside - could determine where the other two play. With new offensive line coach Sherrone Moore in charge up front, the Wolverines have reverted back to their philosophy of playing their five best players. "Ryan Hayes is starting," Jim Harbaugh explained last month at Big Ten Media Days. "(Andrew) Stueber is starting. Zak Zinter is starting. Those three are solid." Only Hayes, a redshirt junior from Traverse City, is locked in at left tackle. Michigan's coaching staff has always viewed Hayes' long, athletic frame as that of a natural tackle, which is where he'll stay. Meanwhile, Stueber and Zinter are considered versatile and could play one of two spots. Stueber lined up at tackle and guard last year, while Zinter is in the running inside at either guard or center. - Ann Arbor News

(DS#11 OT) rSr/2023

OT Ryan Hayes, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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08/03/21 - *Mazi Smith, Jr/2023, Michigan, 6-3, 323 (DS#5 DT) + More +

Michigan linebacker Josh Ross paused, considered the question and then responded emphatically, emphasizing the name of his teammate for added impact. After all, making an impact in the interior of the defensive line is exactly what Michigan has needed. Ross was asked at Big Ten Media Days the player he believes will surprise people this season when Michigan opens Sept. 4 at home against Western Michigan. "Mazi Smith is going to ball out this year," Ross said. "D tackle. Yes he is." Gone is two-time captain Carlo Kemp, and at a position that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said recently the Wolverines have been undersized, there are several candidates for playing time.

Donovan Jeter and Chris Hinton are among them, as well as Jess Speight, who participated in a TUFF charity event last Saturday and is noticeably bigger after adding about 20 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame. There's also Oregon State transfer Jordan Whittley who is 6-1 and in June told the Detroit News he is 355, down 30 pounds. But it is Smith who was mentioned most prominently at media days. "Mazi Smith has really asserted himself through spring ball and this summer cycle," Harbaugh said. "Mazi looks good. These guys would walk in and you'd say, 'Man they're big.' Chris Hinton, Jess Speight, there's some good guys. Julius Welschof, 293-295 (pounds) and really running as good as he ran when he was 240-245, (but) he's gonna be more of an end." - Detroit News

(DS#5 DT) Jr/2023

DT *Mazi Smith, Michigan
News Source: Detroit News
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08/03/21 - *DJ Turner, rJr/2023, Michigan, 5-11, 178 (DS#7 CB) + More +

Last month, at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, head coach Jim Harbaugh said Green, a redshirt junior from DeSoto, Texas, was "on a really good, tremendous track" and is considered a starter at the moment. Meanwhile, on the other side, Gray - the senior and most experienced player of the group - is locked in a battle with the emerging D.J. Turner. "D.J. had a really great spring," Harbaugh said in April. "(He) took that coaching from Mo Linguist and Mike Macdonald, and he looks like he's put himself in a position to be a real factor." How big a factor remains to be seen, but the 6-foot, 182-pound Turner showed some flashes during his one and only appearance in the secondary last fall, in a lopsided loss to Wisconsin. But this move could be more about the lack of development from Gray, a former three-star prospect from Rochester who last year was touted as the best cornerback on the team.

Last fall, he was often pitted against the opposing team's No. 1 receiver and struggled, finishing the six-game schedule with 25 tackles and just three pass breakups. Turner, also a former three-star recruit, from Suwanee, Ga., has largely been relegated to special teams over the past two seasons. "He's definitely come a long way," safety Daxton Hill told MLive recently. "He was in my class and I know the potential he had coming in. And now he's actually getting a chance, too, with the coaches we have. The coaches are giving everyone a chance to show and prove what they have. "He definitely did his job during the spring." - Ann Arbor News

(DS#7 CB) rJr/2023

CB *DJ Turner, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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07/21/21 - Aidan Hutchinson, Sr/2022, Michigan, 6-7, 268 (DS#1 DE) + More +

Preseason watch lists have started rolling in - and Aidan Hutchinson has cracked his first of the summer. The Michigan defensive end was one of 90 FBS players on the Bednarik Award watch list, unveiled Monday morning and awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player. Hutchinson, a senior, is a preseason first-team all-Big Ten selection by Athon and Lindy's, and second-team choice by Phil Steele. The Plymouth, Mich., native is expected to anchor the Wolverines' defensive line in 2021 after he was sidelined early last fall following a tear of his ACL. In 2019, as a sophomore, Hutchinson earned third-team all-Big Ten honors by the coaches for his disruptive play on the field. That year, he racked up 68 tackles (10 1/2 for a loss), had 4 1/2 sacks, six pass breakups, recorded four quarterback hurries and forced two fumbles. - Ann Arbor News

(DS#1 DE) Sr/2022

DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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07/04/21 - Edward Warinner, rJr/2023, Michigan, 6-0, 224 (DS#999 ILB) + More +

Edward Warinner turned heads last year when he made the rare decision to transfer from Michigan State to Michigan. Now, more than 18 months later and his father no longer on Jim Harbaugh's coaching staff, he's looking elsewhere. Warinner, the rarely used linebacker-turned-special teams player, entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal this week, a team spokesman confirmed to MLive on Thursday. While the move doesn't necessarily guarantee that Warinner will transfer, it allows coaches from other schools to contact him. And vice versa. After enrolling at Michigan in January 2020, Warinner appeared in just three games last fall for the Wolverines, primarily in a special-teams role. He was never utilized on the defensive side of the ball, despite coming to Ann Arbor with some experience playing linebacker at Michigan State. - Ann Arbor News

(DS#999 ILB) rJr/2023

ILB Edward Warinner, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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07/01/21 - Daylen Baldwin, rSr/2022, Michigan, 6-2, 218 (DS#108 WR) + More +

The question was followed by a laugh. He knew it was coming at some point in the interview. Daylen Baldwin grew up in southeast Michigan, calling Southfield home while he attended nearby Farmington High School - before eventually transferring to Waterford. All of his friends were fans of either Michigan or Michigan State, the two big-time colleges, and understandably so. But he was alone in his fandom for the scarlet and grey school down south. "I was an Ohio State fan," Baldwin says. "That was like my dream school." Yet Baldwin, a 6-foot-3, 211-pound wide receiver, went unrecruited by the Power 5 conference schools. He garnered little interest elsewhere as well, eventually landing at FCS Morgan State. Five years and three schools later, Baldwin has found a new home in Ann Arbor - on Jim Harbaugh's Michigan football team.

Baldwin, in a recent interview with MLive, said the opportunity came shortly after a workout for Ohio State. He got a spur-of-the-moment phone call from one of his coaches, then from Michigan assistant Ron Bellamy. They set up an in-person workout for Baldwin in front of offensive coordinator and receivers coach Josh Gattis in Ann Arbor. "They had me do a little workout to test my explosion in the weight room, a warmup and everything," Baldwin said. "Then after that, I did a lot of receivers' drills - catching, working on my routes and races. Just seeing how everything went. "It went pretty well, honestly. I had good chemistry with coach Gattis, so I liked that part." - Ann Arbor News

(DS#108 WR) rSr/2022

WR Daylen Baldwin, Michigan
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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06/15/21 - Ronnie Bell, rSr/2023, Michigan, 6-0, 191 (DS#28 WR) + More +

Regardless of who will be Michigan's starting quarterback by the time it gets to The Game, Bell will be his No. 1 target. He's been the Wolverines' leader in catches and yards the past two seasons and the same will be the expectation in his third year as a starter. He'll get production but has never been an endzone threat the way you'd like from your top option. He scored once in 2020, once in 2019 and has four touchdowns in his career. That's the next step in his progression as a wide receiver and he'll get plenty of chances to accomplish that in a normal 12-game schedule.

Ohio State's secondary should be better in 2021 and a full offseason provides Kerry Coombs and Matt Barnes with options and some needed depth. But that group is still the biggest question mark of the defense even with the linebackers losing all four impact players. As past games have shown, even a breakout game from him isn't enough to secure a Michigan win against any opponent -- especially one that scored 118 points in the last two meetings and probably would've again surpassed the 50-point margin had The Game happened last season. But a potential upgrade at quarterback and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis being in Year Three as a coordinator could be the right mix that allows a big game from Bell to make things interesting. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#28 WR) rSr/2023

WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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