5 position battles to watch for Michigan football this fall

The Michigan football season is getting closer by the day. July is the last month of the year that we will have to go without watching the Wolverines and before we know, it the season opener against Fresno State will be here.

There will be some interesting position battles this fall. Competition is king and with a bunch of starters going to the NFL or graduating after last season, there is no shortage of starting jobs available.

Many of them have been locked up already. But there are some open questions still about who will start and here are five position battles to watch for Michigan football this fall.

Nickel: Zeke Berry or Ja’Den McBurrows

Zeke Berry had a stellar spring while Ja’Den McBurrows was limited by injury. McBurrows can play cornerback but saw time at Nickel last season and has proven he’s not afraid to tackle.

Berry has come on this spring though. It feels like he’s the favorite to start at nickel which would give Michigan football a true hybrid player. McBurrows could play some snaps there too, just like Berry could play a traditional safety spot too.

There are plenty of snaps to go around in the secondary but this is one battle to watch this fall as the winner will replace Mike Sainristil in the starting lineup.

Right tackle: Jeff Persi or Andrew Gentry

Jeff Persi was playing inside during the spring game but the offensive line was missing pieces and some guys had to be shuffled around. Gentry, the former BYU signee, who transferred to Michigan football after his Mormon mission, was a top-100 recruit. He had a few issues with pass protection in the spring game but he’s starting to look like a top-100 player.

Persi is a veteran and this is his time to win the starting job. Both players give the Wolverines solid depth but the truth is that neither played all that much last season.

Sometimes, you have to see who sinks and swims, which is what Michigan is doing at right tackle.

Safety: Wesley Walker, or Quentin Johnson, or Jaden Mangham

Some position battles matter more than others. Michigan football is going to play all four safeties which includes Makari Paige. Paige is the one guy I am certain will start.

Quentin Johnson came back after declaring for the NFL draft. He could be another starter but Jaden Mangham had four interceptions last season and was honorable mention All-Big Ten. Wesley Walker is one of my favorite additions to the secondary.

Like Keon Sabb, who left for Alabama, he’s a safety who is stellar in coverage. He could be a dime cornerback, a nickel, or just a regular safety.

Even without Rod Moore, Michigan football has plenty of quality depth. Mangham has the most potential but as long as all four are healthy, they will each play plenty.

Cornerback: Jyaire Hill or Aamir Hall

Aami Hall, a 6-foot-1 cornerback from Albany is another underrated addition. He’s got multiple seasons at the FCS level with at least 10 pass breakups. That makes me feel like he’ll be a perfect fit in this defense.

Hall will compete with Jyaire Hill for the starting job opposite Will Johnson. Hill is legit. He was a top-200 cornerback coming out of high school and should be a multi-year starter.

Hall is experienced and will be a great competition. If Hill wins the starting job, he’ll have to earn it and with Hall, Hill, and also McBurrows (potentially), Michigan has solid depth at corner too.

Quarterback: Alex Orji, Davis Warren, or Jack Tuttle

Davis Warren had some nice moments in the Spring game but he didn’t really face a pass rush so it’s hard to judge a quarterback without a live rush. Tuttle is being underrated by a bunch of Michigan football fans. He was a former four-star recruit and has played behind some stellar quarterbacks. He also completed better than 80 percent of his passes last season on limited attempts.

Maybe a combo of Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle might be a perfect duo together. The best scenario is Orji winning the job outright, but we might not have that answer by Aug. 31.

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