Michigan Wolverines

2012 record: 8-5

2012 conference record: 6-2

Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 3

Top returners:

QB Devin Gardner, WR Jeremy Gallon, TE Devin Funchess, LT Taylor Lewan, RT Michael Schofield, DT Quinton Washington, LB Desmond Morgan, LB Jake Ryan, CB Raymon Taylor, S Thomas Gordon

Key losses

QB Denard Robinson, WR Roy Roundtree, OG Patrick Omameh, C Elliott Mealer, DE Craig Roh, DT William Campbell, LB Kenny Demens, CB J.T. Floyd, S Jordan Kovacs

2012 statistical leaders

Rushing: Denard Robinson (1,266 yards)

Passing: Denard Robinson (1,319 yards)

Receiving: Jeremy Gallon* (829 yards)

Tackles: Jake Ryan* (88)

Sacks: Jake Ryan* (4.0)

Interceptions: Thomas Gordon* and Raymon Taylor* (2)

Spring answers

1. Defensive line fine: Michigan had to replace a four-year starter in Craig Roh as well as defensive tackle Will Campbell up front. It doesn’t seem like it will be an issue. Michigan has a potential star in Frank Clark at rush end as well as depth at the position with Mario Ojemudia and Taco Charlton. Keith Heitzman, for now, seems to have locked up a spot at strong side end, but there is a lot of talent there, too. The Wolverines have depth at all four spots and while competitions will continue into the fall, Michigan should be able to rotate at defensive coordinator Greg Mattison’s leisure.

2. Devin Gardner’s progression: After the way he played toward the end of last season, there was not much doubt about Gardner as the starter, but Michigan’s coaches appear happy with his growth throughout the offseason. He has developed as a quarterback the way the coaching staff has liked, and this is even more critical because he is the only healthy scholarship quarterback until Shane Morris arrives next month. Gardner's teammates believe in him and he is setting up for a big year.

3. Tight end weapons: Michigan still doesn’t have great depth at tight end, but what the Wolverines do have is a young group of guys who will become big targets for Gardner as the position evolves into a more featured role. Devin Funchess could have a breakout sophomore season and Jake Butt has a similar skill set. A.J. Williams slimmed down as well, perhaps turning him into more than just an extra blocker.

Fall questions

1. Who runs the ball: Michigan was never going to be able to answer this question in the spring with Fitzgerald Toussaint coming off a broken leg and freshmen Derrick Green and Deveon Smith still not on campus. But none of the running backs who participated in spring made a lasting impression on the coaches, meaning if he is healthy, Toussaint will likely receive the first chance at winning the job in the fall.

2. Can Jake Ryan be replaced: Michigan seems confident with its grouping of Brennen Beyer and Cam Gordon at strongside linebacker, but part of what made Ryan Michigan’s best defender was his ability to instinctively be around the ball. Whether or not Beyer or Gordon can do that in games remains to be seen. If the combination of those two can approximate that, Michigan’s defense should be fine.

3. Can the interior of the line hold up: Michigan is replacing both of its guards and its center. While the combination of redshirt sophomore Jack Miller at center and redshirt freshmen Ben Braden and Kyle Kalis at guard has a ton of talent, none have taken a meaningful snap in a game before. How they mesh with returning tackles Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield, along with how they connect with each other on combination blocks on the inside, could determine not only Michigan’s running success this fall, but also how many games the Wolverines win in Brady Hoke’s third season.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The past two seasons have seen much of the same mantra when it came to the Michigan secondary. There would be Jordan Kovacs, the walk-on turned pro prospect who was the obvious leader of the secondary and almost the entire Wolverines defense.

Then there would be everyone else.

Not that they weren’t good players or didn’t make plays, but Kovacs had been such an unlikely story and such an obvious leader, everyone else was somewhat overshadowed.

Thomas Gordon understood that to an extent. While Kovacs took many of the headlines, Gordon made nearly as many plays as an attacking safety with a penchant for forcing turnovers the past two seasons. Now, his role is shifting.

With Kovacs’ graduation and an ACL injury to linebacker Jake Ryan, Gordon is going to be the leader of Michigan’s defense, almost by default.

“I feel like guys tend to come to me for advice and stuff,” Gordon said. “I’m real natural at it.”

Natural or not, he wasn’t needed in that role in prior years. There was Kovacs, linebacker Kenny Demens and defensive end Craig Roh to handle those responsibilities. Gordon could be a voice, but he didn’t have to be the voice.

He could cede control of those things and just play. That is no longer an option, either in the secondary or on the defense as a whole. Michigan is replacing Kovacs and cornerback J.T. Floyd in the secondary, leaving Gordon as the most experienced defensive back on the roster by far.

“A lot of the time last year, they went back and forth, but Kovacs was definitely more of a vocal leader and made a lot of calls for us,” linebacker Desmond Morgan said. “Tom has really stepped up and he knows what’s going on for sure.

“He’s making calls first, before other guys are.”

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Michigan fans are still lamenting the loss of star linebacker Jake Ryan to a torn ACL, but they'll like what they hear from another key defender recovering from the same injury.

"I'm doing everything they allow me to do, and I feel really good doing it," Wolverines cornerback Blake Countess told ESPN.com on Thursday. "That's always a plus, to get back in the swing of things. Everything is feeling good."

Countess' recovery is on track after he tore the ACL in his left knee in the first quarter of Michigan's season-opening loss to Alabama last September. Although he's not taking contact in spring practice, he's participating in individual drills and has no limitations on his running and cutting.

Barring a setback, Countess should be completely cleared for the start of preseason camp.

"In spring ball, there's really no need for me to go out there and push it," he said. "As far as contact, I can't wait to get back into it, but I'm not going to rush anything."

The 5-foot-10, 181-pound Countess played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2011, starting the final six and recording 44 tackles with six pass breakups and a forced fumble. Pegged as one of the nation's top young cornerbacks entering 2012, Countess instead underwent surgery in early October and redshirted the season.

Countess felt optimistic about his progress since the start of his post-surgery rehab, but a return to the practice field this spring has provided another boost.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Roy Roundtree plans to treat tomorrow like he did so many fall weekends in Michigan. He’ll plan on going to bed early tonight.

Wake up early Thursday. Eat some breakfast and then head for one of the most critical days of his life.

Michigan’s pro day is Thursday and for most of the Wolverines participating, it is their first real chance to prove themselves in a Combine setting in front of scouts. Most of them plan on treating it just like they did when they played football games in Ann Arbor.

“I’m pretty focused on all of the drills because that’s what I’ve been working on since the Outback Bowl,” Roundtree said. “Also been working on my 40. Everybody wants to see if you run fast or run slow.

“The biggest thing is the 40.”

Most of Michigan’s prospects would agree. Only one, Denard Robinson, had the chance to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Others, such as Roundtree, defensive lineman Will Campbell and safety Jordan Kovacs, were able to show off for scouts in various all-star bowl games.

But for the majority of Michigan’s players, this is their first -- and potentially last -- chance to make any sort of impression on the men who will determine their professional futures.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan senior cornerback J.T. Floyd was suspended for the Outback Bowl on Sunday for a violation of team rules.

The suspension effectively ended his Michigan career and on Monday, Floyd released a statement to WolverineNation apologizing for the suspension and giving his side of what happened. That is below:

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan’s path to winning the Outback Bowl just got more difficult. For the Wolverines, already trying to beat a top-10 team with a strong defense and a capable offense, losing starting cornerback J.T. Floyd, the most experienced and consistent corner on the roster, along with Big Ten punter of the year Will Hagerup is a big blow.

Now Michigan has to face South Carolina with sophomore Raymon Taylor and junior Courtney Avery as the starting cornerbacks. Taylor has proved he can play well against topflight opponents this season, but Avery has rarely been in a position to be an every-down player throughout his career.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Dennis Norfleet always has been Michigan’s shiftiest, fastest freshman on the field. This movement, though, had little to do with his speed.

Norfleet has made the move from offense to defense, settling in the last two weeks at cornerback instead of running back, where he saw limited action. It is a move the coaches have contemplated for a while, but they didn’t make the switch until after the regular season concluded.

“We talked about it for a while,” coach Brady Hoke said. “Just to get another good athlete on the field.”

It is an athleticism Norfleet showed a multitude of times this season returning kickoffs, which is a role he will still play. It is there where the 5-foot-7 freshman made the most impact, gaining 795 yards and coming within one cut of breaking long returns a handful of times this season. He also showed promise returning punts, averaging 26.5 yards in his two punt returns.

As for his switch, Hoke said the move wasn’t made due to depth at either spot, although Michigan now has two healthy, scholarship running backs in sophomore Thomas Rawls and redshirt freshman Justice Hayes. The Wolverines have a little more depth at cornerback with senior J.T. Floyd, junior Courtney Avery, sophomores Raymon Taylor and Delonte Hollowell and freshman Terry Richardson.

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This week, WolverineNation will look at the five most critical moments of Michigan's 2012 football season (bowl excluded). These aren't necessarily positive or negative moments, but the five moments that most impacted this football season.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The season was less than half a game in and Michigan already was struggling with Alabama. It couldn’t do much on offense, leading to turnovers, three-and-outs and general concern about what would happen against the SEC.

After one of those failed offensive series, sophomore Blake Countess came on the field as a gunner on the Michigan punt return team. Will Hagerup let a booming kick fly, and as Countess ran down the field he was shoved out of the play.

The result led to a torn ACL and a season on the injured list for Michigan’s top cornerback, the No. 5 most critical moment of the 2012 season for the Wolverines.

In the short term, Countess’ injury hurt Michigan against Alabama -- neither Courtney Avery nor eventual starter Raymon Taylor could really handle the Crimson Tide -- but it could end up being a long-term bonus.

Theoretically, Countess’ injury means an extra year of him on defense as he should receive a redshirt year and come back next season alongside Taylor, who now has a season’s worth of starting experience he would not have had otherwise. Taylor ended up making 42 tackles, intercepting two passes and breaking up another. Those snaps, though, will be more valuable than any of that for 2013, when Michigan replaces J.T. Floyd at corner and Jordan Kovacs at safety.

For the most part this season, though, teams did not throw often against Michigan. At one point, the Wolverines were rated the top pass defense in the nation. While the lofty notion likely didn’t belong with the Wolverines, they handled the loss well.

However, Michigan was a team with just two interceptions from a cornerback this season and five overall from defensive backs. Countess did not record any interceptions his freshman season, but he was close and broke up six passes and seemed primed for a breakout year much like linebacker Jake Ryan.

Now, it might have to wait until the 2013 season.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- During his first two seasons at Michigan, Roy Roundtree’s season would end in November the same way -- a loss to Ohio State and football disappearing until the spring.

So he would head back to Ohio for the holidays with nothing to do, get a workout in, perhaps, and sit on the couch and watch other teams play in games on television.

“It was boring,” Roundtree said.

Understanding what it felt like with no bowl is part of the reason this season will be easier, when Michigan’s players will miss the holidays at home with their families.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke decided to send his team to Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 23, which means the Wolverines will be there for around 10 days before their game against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

“Why not,” Hoke said. “For us, you’re getting acclimated to some different weather. That’s part of it. I think we’ll have all the game plan done before we go, so it’ll be an opportunity for them to really do a great job honing that thing up.”

Michigan’s somewhat quirky academic schedule also allows his players to head home for four days before heading to the bowl site on Dec. 23, as well as some time to head back home after the New Year’s Day game.

But being away for the holidays is something none of these players have experienced. In the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Michigan did not qualify for a bowl game. In 2010, the Wolverines played in the Gator Bowl and were home for the holidays. Same last season with the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

“We all talked about it, like, ‘Oh man, we got to be a way for Christmas,’ " Roundtree said. “Some guys got kids, and they want to be there for them, but guys get to go home and be with their family before and then be with their second family on Christmas.”

Hoke plans on having something planned for Christmas for his team -- he said there will be a Santa Claus but would not say whether or not he would dress up himself -- but heading down early is something he picked up from his previous time at Michigan under Lloyd Carr.

“Not every time, but a few occasions,” Hoke said. “We do it a little differently, to some degree. But it gets them settled in where they’re at.”

In an effort to make sure players don’t get too comfortable or worn out by their surroundings for 10 days, Michigan will stay “three or four” days in one hotel, then shift to a second hotel, just to keep things fresh.

The decision left Hoke’s players with a potentially awkward conversation to be had with families, but they feel comfortable with at least knowing they’ll be in a warm place instead.

“I’m a family guy, but this is my family as well,” senior cornerback J.T. Floyd said. “I’ll be going down there and will enjoy Christmas with my brothers.

“We’ll have a good time with it.”