2015 Season Preview: Football

2015-16 OUTLOOK

Under first-year J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh, U-M returns 14 total starters (players who made six or more starts in 2014), including eight on defense and six on offense.

In 2014, U-M finished the season ranked seventh in the NCAA in total defense. Returning from that group to lead the way this fall are fifth-year senior linebacker Desmond Morgan, and senior linebackers Joe Bolden, and James Ross III, both of whom were named to the 2015 Dick Butkus Award Watch List given to the nation's top linebacker.

That trio has 65 starts between them, and bolsters a front seven that includes senior defensive tackle Willie Henry and a strong outside pass…