Michigan football fall camp notes: 4 things that have stood out so far

Michigan football fall camp has been flying by thus far, and with the season just 12 days from kicking off in Ann Arbor, the Maize and Blue are starting to finish up season prep and start diving into Week 1 prep for their matchup against East Carolina. So far, a few things have really stood out to me during fall camp — from Jim Harbaugh to JJ McCarthy and more, there has been a lot said so far this summer.

Michigan football fall camp notes: The defensive line is better than anyone thought it would be at this point

Recently, Jim Harbaugh had his Michigan football fall camp media availability. There, the Wolverines’ 9th-year head coach said something that no one saw coming — thus far during fall camp, it appears that the defensive line has been getting the better of the offensive line. As all fans know, the Michigan football offensive line is seen as one of the best in the history of the game; it has won two straight Joe Moore Awards (NCAA record) and appears poised for a third, yet still, the defensive line is giving them a run for their money.

It has been close, but so far, the “51%” goes to Kris Jenkins and the defensive line.

JJ McCarthy and the passing attack are being emphasized

Michigan football has done well for itself over the past two years, claiming a pair of Big Ten titles and more heading into the 2023 season. That said, the Wolverines have lacked a true passing attack, which has made the offense one-dimensional and ultimately caused the Wolverines to fall short in both of their College Football Playoff matchups.

Heading into the coming season, the Wolverines appear to be airing it out a lot more, with the passing attack recently being described as “dangerous” as veteran quarterback JJ McCarthy continues to sling it around. Michigan football will likely still be a run-first team, but I suspect some fireworks in the Wolverines’ future.

Jim Harbaugh is locked in — avoids questions about anything outside of the program

It has been a noisy offseason heading into Michigan football fall camp. From Jim Harbaugh suspension talks to Big Ten conference expansion and more, the Wolverines have had to dance around distractions for months leading up to camp; yet, nothing has shaken Michigan’s laser focus on the task at hand: winning a national title.

During fall camp, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about all of the team’s outside storylines — what are his thoughts on the NCAA suspension talks? Will he leave Michigan after 2023? What does he think of conference realignment?

Jim Harbaugh either declined to comment or reiterated that he is locked in on the 2023 season and nothing more. Take that how you will, but to me, it shows that the Wolverines’ locker room is refusing to give any thought to anything but the coming season, which ultimately bodes well for the program.

Newcomers are standing out… a lot

New transfer additions like AJ Barner, Josaiah Stewart, Josh Wallace, and many more are already coming into Ann Arbor and competing for starting roles. From the sound of things, it seems as if many of them will earn a notable role with the Wolverines this year as well — whether that is in a starting capacity or not.

On top of new transfers shining bright, Jim Harbaugh (and a few players) has been quite high on his 2023 singing class, recently outlining nine freshmen that could be in store for breakout seasons. Since this year’s roster is incredibly deep, I don’t see any freshman standouts earning a starting role; however, there are plenty that could get in the mix and gain valuable experience, perhaps setting up a massive season for the Maize and Blue in 2024 as well.

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