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. -- Desmond Morgan spent two years fully on the outside, playing out of the comfort of the position he has known his entire life, having to learn a lot of nuances for the first time.

Instead of controlling things from the middle, he would be on the outside, sometimes matched up against speedier, shiftier slot receivers and regular wide receivers. In high school, he often had been bracketed by other linebackers. Here, for his freshman and sophomore seasons, he was in space.

Then Kenny Demens graduated and Morgan moved to the middle.

The move to middle linebacker suits Morgan, who had played there extensively in high school before coming to Michigan. But when he arrived in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines had Demens in the middle and while they liked the freshman, he wasn’t going to replace him in the middle.

Morgan’s move to the middle also coincides with the emergence of sophomore James Ross III on the weak side. Ross III had been pushing Morgan for playing time last season as a freshman and with a spot open, the shift made sense.

It has worked.

“Playing in space is something I definitely had to adjust to my first two years here because I wasn’t used to that in high school. I was more of an in the box kind of guy,” Morgan said. “Going back over to MIKE, I kind of feel a little bit more comfortable in a sense because of that.

“During the spring, it’s been an adjustment but it was something I kind of grew up playing.”

Morgan played exclusively in the middle this spring along with Joe Bolden. Ross III and Royce Jenkins-Stone played at the weak side. In many ways, the positions are similar and Michigan has stressed having guys who can learn both positions to aid in flexibility for different personnel groups and in case there are injuries.

There are differences, though.

Morgan will now have more pass coverage assignments against running backs and tight ends instead of receivers. He’ll have different responsibilities against the run after an 81-tackle, 5.5-tackle for loss season a year ago.

The biggest change will be in how much the 6-foot-1, 227-pound junior has to talk. He didn’t have to do much at all with Demens in the middle his first two seasons. Now, it is on him.

“Desmond showed what we’re looking for at the linebacker position in being more vocal, getting everybody set,” defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said. “His footwork has improved a great deal. His strength. He’s just starting to understand more and more what we expect from a linebacker.

“The next step for him has got to become a better blitzer. He has to beat somebody one-on-one when he’s blitzing.”

On the outside, especially with Jordan Kovacs coming down in run support as well the past two seasons, he didn’t need to do that as much. In the middle, he’ll be expected to add that to his abilities.

The key, though, is communication. If Morgan can’t get everyone set, the Michigan defense will be in trouble.

“You have to understand the game and understand the defense and what is trying to be accomplished and what the defensive coordinator is coaching,” Demens told WolverineNation earlier this year. “What we install, every time we install a defense, I’d ask coach Mattison what he was thinking with the defense, whether it was run or pass against this defense.

“He would tell me pass and I could lean on that and make the other guys on the defense aware it was going to be pass. Nine times out of 10, coach Mattison is right.”

That was the role Demens took over when Mattison and Brady Hoke arrived at Michigan. Now, for the Wolverines to have success in 2013, Morgan will have to understand those things just as well.

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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