The Michigan Wolverines didn't win the Big Ten last year, but they still had a solid season. Winning that Big Ten title will be harder in 2017 thanks to massive personnel losses, especially on defense. To get back to the top of the Big Ten, Michigan needs a few players to have breakout seasons.
Breakout seasons happen every year in college football. Sometimes, the player in question shows flashes the previous season and takes the next step forward. Sometimes, the player comes out of nowhere to make a massive impact. So who will be the Michigan Football breakout players in 2016? We've put together five of the most likely candidates below, although there are a few other players who could end up breaking through this year.
LB Devin Bush
Michigan is thin and unproven at LB and they're counting on Bush. He had 11 tackles last year in a limited role and will need to massively increase those numbers as the new starting middle linebacker (where he played well in the Spring Game). Although undersized, Bush has the speed to thrive at both MLB and WLB. He'll need to take a big leap forward as part of a new-look Michigan defense that will feature 10 new starters.
WR Kekoa Crawford
If Grant Perry doesn't come back, Michigan will need to replace roughly 80 percent of its receiving yards this year. That's an absurd amount. The Wolverines do bring in several talented true freshmen to take some the targets, but since freshmen don't count for this list, Crawford is next up. He's in position to start somewhere at WR after four catches for 47 yards and 4 TDs. Eddie McDoom got more touches, but Crawford is more of a pure WR. He might not even start if the freshmen acclimate quickly, but Crawford will play.
RB Chris Evans
Leading rusher De'Veon Smith is gone, leaving sophomore Chris Evans as the top RB on the Michigan roster. Guys like Ty Isaac, Karan Higdon and Kareem Walker will split time in the running back-by-committee approach Michigan uses, but Evans will get the plurality of the carries. He racked 614 yards on just 88 carries, a blistering seven yards per carry. The average per carry might go down, but Evans could come close to doubling his yards as the No. 1 back for Michigan. He's also the second-leading returning receiver for Michigan, assuming Grant Perry doesn't return.
DL Rashan Gary
Here's perhaps the most obvious breakout player in all of college football. Gary was a part-time player one year after being the No. 1 recruit in 2016 and the hype train for him is already at full speed. NFL.com ranked him as the No. 9 player in college football, a shockingly high ranking for a player who had 23 tackles, 5 TFLs and .5 sacks last year. That said, would anyone be that surprised if he finished even higher than No. 9 after this year? Gary could become one of the best in college football now that he's a full-time starter with an offseason under his belt
Viper Khaleke Hudson
Jabrill Peppers is gone and Hudson will now handle the linebacker/safety hybrid role in Don Brown's defense. Hudson was an overlooked recruit for Michigan's 2016 class, coming in with just three stars. But the Michigan staff is high on Hudson and he looked good in the spring. He's not Peppers (and no one really is), but Hudson has potential for the Michigan defense.
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