Could Michigan's loss to Oklahoma be looked back on as a positive? Wolverines mailbag

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With no Michigan football game on the schedule, this weekend is a good time to squeeze in that trip to the cider mill before the Big Ten schedule heats up.

Fall weekends will be a lot busier once the No. 19 Wolverines get back in action Oct. 4 against Wisconsin. There's a lot to like from Michigan's 3-1 start, but also plenty of reasons for concern. We'll cover all of that in the mailbag.

Note: Submitted questions edited for length and clarity.

I actually think it's a good thing that Michigan took such a drubbing from the Sooners in Week 2. Since then, Michigan has let Bryce (Underwood) be Bryce, has moved (Jaishawn) Barham to the edge where he's been a force of nature and -- in the process -- this team has figured out who it is. -- Ben L.

Look at Ben, hitting us with "more of a comment than a question" right out of the gate. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Michigan's loss to Oklahoma was a good thing, but I see the point. The Oklahoma loss seems to have been a wake-up call that spurred Michigan to make some changes. Sherrone Moore basically said as much this week, and I wrote about some of those changes here.

I'm most interested in what's happening with Michigan's offensive line. Moore got more involved with that unit in the week leading up to his suspension, which was a clear sign he wasn't satisfied with what transpired against Oklahoma. And he shouldn't have been -- Michigan's offensive line got outplayed in that game.

Michigan's success running outside zone against Nebraska was an example of the scheme evolving to suit the strengths of the personnel and the play caller. This might not be an offensive line that can blow people off the ball the way previous ones could, but the Wolverines can compensate with quickness and athleticism.

Center Greg Crippen had one of his best games against Nebraska, and Jake Guarnera has played well at right guard after injuries to Giovanni El-Hadi and Brady Norton. Nebraska's smallish defensive front was a favorable matchup for Michigan, but it's still encouraging to see Michigan getting back to imposing its will on the ground.

The other part of this, which I didn't really address in the story, is Moore's game management. Moore made some pretty conservative fourth-down calls in the Oklahoma game and the opener against New Mexico. He hasn't been on the sideline the past two weeks, so it's hard to assess if anything's changed. But based on everything that's been said, he seems to realize that it's better to be aggressive with a quarterback as talented as Underwood. We'll see if he sticks to that as the season goes on.

At what point does Michigan move on from Ron Bellamy? The wide receiver room has underperformed and lacked development for too long. -- John M.

We're not shying away from the tough questions today, are we? Bellamy, the former coach at West Bloomfield High School, is a well-liked figure around the program and around the state. Nobody wants to see him nudged out the door. But football is about production, and Michigan's production at wide receiver has been subpar. So, ultimately, I think this is a fair question.

Michigan's lack of production is partly rooted in philosophical choices that were made long before Bellamy was hired as wide receivers coach in 2021. No Michigan wide receiver eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a season during Jim Harbaugh's tenure, even when the Wolverines had players like Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones. The Wolverines want to run the ball and spread it around to multiple wide receivers and tight ends, which makes it hard for any one player to rack up big numbers.

Even if Michigan didn't have superstars at wide receiver, guys like Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson and Ronnie Bell got the job done. The failure to develop the next wave of players caught up with Michigan last year. Though Michigan's wide receivers didn't distinguish themselves, the inconsistency at quarterback made it hard to judge the talent at that position. This year, we're seeing what Michigan's wide receivers can do with a quarterback who can make NFL throws. The results have left something to be desired.

Moore talked about going back to the fundamentals to cut down on drops, which is the right move but also not something a team wants to be doing five weeks into the season. The precision just hasn't been there from Michigan's wide receivers, not at the level that greatness requires. Bellamy has had two strong cycles in recruiting with Andrew Marsh, Jamar Browder and Jacob Washington for 2025 and Zion Robinson, Travis Johnson and Jaylen Pile for 2026. There's improvement on the horizon, but it needs to show up this year.

Seems like a lot of true freshmen are playing besides Bryce. Who has impressed you so far in the four games (besides Bryce)? -- Douglas M.

We have to start with Jayden Sanders, who has been the most pleasant surprise from Michigan's 2025 recruiting class. If there was a freshman cornerback ticketed for early playing time, it was Shamari Earls, a top-100 prospect who enrolled early and took part in spring practice. Sanders was also a four-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite at No. 229, but players who arrive in the summer typically take longer to get on the field. That's not the case for Sanders, who was a starter by Game 3 of his Michigan career.

Per PFF, Sanders gave up four catches on six targets for just 28 yards against Nebraska. The best thing you can say about Sanders is that he played every snap against the Huskers and rarely stood out unless he was making a tackle. For a freshman cornerback, that's a high compliment. Earls has a bright future, too, but he's been a bit more penalty-prone early on. When you add in Elijah Dotson, Michigan has three freshman cornerbacks getting valuable snaps.

Nate Marshall has gotten snaps on the edge in all four games this season, so I'm assuming there's no redshirt discussion for him. He could be vying for a starting job as soon as next year. Marsh, meanwhile, has had some highs and lows this season. He fumbled a kickoff and didn't get his head around on a pass from Underwood that could have been a big gain, but he also scored a touchdown on an end-around against Central Michigan. He's capable of putting pressure on Michigan's older wide receivers if the results don't improve.

In your opinion, should Brandyn Hillman have been benched after his unsportsmanlike penalty? I was shocked that he played the rest of the game. -- Kurt S.

Hillman's penalty was a costly one, no doubt. Nebraska had fourth-and-17, down 27-17 with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter. A punt and points from Michigan's offense might have sealed the game. Instead, Hillman's taunting penalty gave Nebraska a first down and prolonged a drive that resulted in a field goal.

I may be unaware of a hidden meaning behind the gesture Hillman made toward the Nebraska sideline -- it looked to me like the referee's catch signal -- but any type of taunting directed at the other team's sideline is ill-advised. That being said, I would not have benched Hillman for it, no. Voluntarily taking one of your best players off the field during a crucial drive is not a strategy I would endorse.

"B Hill regrets that penalty, but he doesn't regret hitting people really hard," Moore said. "We like when he hits people really hard."

Moore drew a distinction between celebrating with your teammates and taunting the other team. I'm guessing he found other ways to convey that message to Hillman this week.

How many 7-foot-plus players can one CBB roster have and still be effective? Tall is good, yes, but basketball has been moving away from this model for years. Does Dusty May know something we don't? -- John K.

Everything in sports is cyclical. I'm not sure 7-footers ever really went out of style unless you're talking about, like, Greg Ostertag. If you look at the NBA right now, 7-foot centers with skill are in high demand, and that's the type of player May is targeting at Michigan.

Aday Mara is 7-3, but the UCLA transfer is not a back-to-the-basket plodder. Fans will be impressed with his passing ability and feel for the game. I don't think it's a coincidence that May is targeting European big men like Mara, 7-2 freshman Malick Kordel from Germany or 7-3 center Marcus Moller, a 2026 prospect from Denmark. Those players are used to a more wide-open style that mirrors how Michigan played last year with Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf.

Michigan's guard play is what kept the Wolverines from advancing past the Sweet 16 last year, and it's fair to wonder if May has done enough to address Michigan's outside shooting. We'll find out this season if Michigan has the backcourt to complement what should be one of the best frontcourts in the Big Ten, if not all of college basketball. If more skilled 7-footers are lining up to play at Michigan, that's a good problem to have.