Michigan quick-hitters: Team culture, players who will surprise, quarterback competition, Rod Moore’s recovery, more

Lead collective Champions Circle and Michigan Wolverines football hosted its Golf Classic Tuesday at the University of Michigan Golf Course. The Wolverine broadcasted its podcast live from the event, featuring exclusive interviews with head coach Sherrone Moore, offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell, senior fullback / tight end Max Bredeson, graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle, senior safety Rod Moore, junior tight end Colston Loveland, sophomore wide receiver Semaj Morgan and senior running back Donovan Edwards. Here are notes on the most interesting things that were said.

Head coach Sherrone Moore

• Moore on the Champions Circle collective: “They’ve been important for us. They’ve been a great backbone of our program, helping us keep those guys and continue to build the future of the program.”

• Moore said the program has been “about the players,” and that’s been his main focus since he’s taken over. He said it’s not about the stamp he’s going to put on the program — “it’s about the kids.”

• Moore said it’s been a “seamless transition” with new leaders stepping up. He noted that the leaders have “taken the baton and led the team and kept everyone aligned.”

• His mantra, “SMASH,” started in the 2021 Washington game. He “blacked out a little bit” and just “started saying smash, smash.” He said that became the mantra of the offensive line room and “grew to the team.” Moore explained that “it just means a violent mentality that you’re not gonna stop until the other team submits and taps out.”

• Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will “put his own stamp” on the defense — “different things, things teams haven’t seen.” He said Martindale will use players’ strengths to the team’s advantage.

• General manager Sean Magee has been “unbelievable” for Moore “as a friend, as a guy to help me in different situations.” He mentioned that Magee has been involved with looking ahead to the future “and how we have to manage the team in the future.” Moore trusts him, so he can take things off of the head coach’s plate.

• On using both Edwards and graduate running back Kalel Mullings, Moore said it’ll be “a great puzzle to put together.” He also mentioned the depth in the running back group, including sophomore Benjamin Hall, sophomore Cole Cabana, and freshmen Jordan Marshall and Micah Ka’apana.

• Morgan was the first name mentioned by Moore at punt returner, followed by junior wide receiver Tyler Morris — “those are the top two guys right now.”

Offensive coordinator / QBs coach Kirk Campbell

• The development plan is “intentional” in how the Michigan coaches script practice, putting each quarterback in situations that fit their skill sets.

• Junior quarterback Alex Orji is “one of the best 11 players on offense.” Campbell added that he doesn’t know if Orji will be the best quarterback — “that’s to be determined” — but that the Wolverines’ coaches will have a plan for Orji to “touch the football.” “He’s explosive, he’s dynamic, he can throw the football.”

• Campbell rattled off a lot of Michigan’s playmakers and said he will be “creative with packages” to utilize the talent on offense. “We have so many playmakers on offense,” Campbell said.

• Campbell said that Michigan will find out during fall camp which personnel grouping will be its best, noting that last year it was 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends).

• Senior fullback Max Bredeson is “dynamic” in his role.

• Campbell highlighted the “positive environment” in the quarterback room. Each player has been helping each other, even though they’re in competition for the starting job.

• The coordinator noted that Michigan still has a lot of experience on the offensive line, despite losing its top six players at the position from last season. “The nameplates change, but the mentality, the physicality and their execution has not,” Campbell said.

• On the topic of being a quarterbacks coach and now the offensive coordinator, Campbell noted that he was “born in Western Pennsylvania. It’s a blue-collar mentality. Football, back when I played, was in a shoebox. It was physical, downhill, stop the run, nose bleed, play action passes. I truly feel like that is still the identity you want. You want to run the football first…”

• If Michigan can run the ball as effectively as it did last season, Campbell believes it will be able to complement that with “a great pass game.”

Senior S Rod Moore

• Moore, who injured his leg during spring practices and underwent surgery in April, said “it’s a goal” to return to the field for the 2024 season, but he didn’t sound all that optimistic that it will happen. If my knee and my recovery allows me to do it, then I’ll do it,” he noted.

• Moore said he’s helped out the newcomers with the play book and learning the defensive system, saying he wants to “still be impactful to this team in my own way, even if I can’t be on the field.”

• Graduate safety Makari Paige is “all the way overlooked.” He said Paige is a “problem,” as is graduate Quinten Johnson. Moore noted that Johnson’s return was massive.

• The breakout players in the secondary Moore mentioned: sophomore cornerback Jyaire Hill, junior nickel / safety Zeke Berry, senior cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows.

• Surprise players on offense: graduate running back Kalel Mullings, sophomore wide receiver Fredrick Moore, junior quarterback Alex Orji and junior wideout Tyler Morris.

• An epic quote on junior linebacker Jaishawn Barham, a Maryland transfer: Man, man, man. There was a time — before I got hurt — I’m coming down from the post, and one of our O-linemen tried to reach block him. Bro, BOOM! Lifted the dude up off his feet. I only can say so much, but you’ve just gotta see it.”

Senior RB Donovan Edwards

• Edwards is confident he will break Michigan’s all-time record for career receiving yards for a running back. Jamie Morris currently holds the top mark at 810 yards, but Edwards is close behind in fourth with 714.

• From a leadership standpoint, Edwards said he doesn’t think Michigan has “missed a beat.” The culture that Edwards and his class bought into as freshmen is the same one he’s passing along to younger players now.

• Edwards on Michigan’s running back room: “I think it could ultimately go down as one of the best running back backfields that the program has had. And that’s up to our hard work, that’s up to our preparation, but I truly believe that.”

• Edwards said Campbell is a “mastermind” as an offensive coordinator. He recalled a play in practice where he was on the sideline, and Campbell called out that a receiver would be wide open. Sure enough, he was, and the completion was made. “You’re a dawg!” Edwards told Campbell.

Graduate QB Jack Tuttle, senior FB/TE Max Bredeson

• Bredeson couldn’t pinpoint something that has changed with the Michigan program this offseason, despite the staff changes, and said he feels good about that.

• Tuttle said that when Bredeson is on the field, “you’re gonna get smash, you’re gonna get violence and you should be scared if you’re across from 44.” He added that Bredeson is an “amazing” leader and is trustworthy as both a blocker and receiver — “comforting to all the quarterbacks.”

• Tuttle touted the new perspective he had while missing spring practices with injury. He said he had a productive summer now that he’s healthy.

• The Michigan quarterback room is underrated, per Tuttle, but “who cares? I think we’ll show it through our work this year.”

• Being picked fourth in the Big Ten (behind Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State) and other teams receiving more preseason attention gives Michigan “fuel” for the upcoming season, said Tuttle. Bredeson echoed that and said “all that matters is what’s inside the building.”

• “There’s a lot of good energy” in the freshman class, “a humble confidence,” Bredeson said. He noted that running back Jordan Marshall has impressed in the early going.

Junior TE Colston Loveland, sophomore WR Semaj Morgan

• Loveland on Morgan: “He’s gonna have a breakout year, you already know that. He’s gonna have a good year. You saw what he did last year. We have a lot of guys on the team that are going to make a lot of plays. He’s gonna be one of them.”

• Morgan on Loveland: “This year, he’s really going to separate from everybody else. … He’s already No. 1, but I feel like C-Love is just different. He runs like he’s me. When I see him, he be running like he’s me sometimes, and I be like, ‘He’s smooth, man.”

• Loveland said the depth in the tight end room is very strong.

• Loveland is just under 250 pounds, he said, and is much bigger in the upper body.

• Morgan believes there’s a lot of depth on Michigan’s team, and it’s a good thing they have multiple trusted players at running back and other positions.

• Loveland on his motivation to win another national championship: “Two is better than one.”

• Players that should be getting more mention, per Morgan and Loveland: sophomore wide receiver Fredrick Moore, sophomore running back Benjamin Hall, sophomore cornerback Jyaire Hill, sophomore safety Brandyn Hillman.

• Morgan said Fredrick Moore is a great route-runner and very quick in and out of his breaks.

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