Michigan Football: 5 Players with the Most to Gain in Spring Practices

Spring practice starts this week for Michigan football, and head coach Jim Harbaugh will finally get to see his new team take the field. Harbaugh spent the week before practice tutoring NFL quarterback prospects and making appearances at Michigan basketball and hockey games versus archrival Ohio State.

Harbaugh continues to be a crowd favorite wherever he appears, but that popularity will wane quickly if he can't find success next season.

Michigan fans are hungry for victories—it’s been a decade since the team won or shared the Big Ten title, and with rivals Michigan State and Ohio State basking in national acclaim, patience is scarce in Ann Arbor.

These players have the most to gain as Harbaugh begins to evaluate talent for next season.

Running Back Ty Isaac

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Ty Isaac transferred before last season and hoped to be eligible to play for Michigan. Unfortunately, his appeal was denied and he was stuck on the practice squad while Derrick Green, De’Veon Smith and Drake Johnson battled for the top spot on the depth chart.

Under Brady Hoke, Green and Smith traded starts until an injury to Green gave Johnson an opportunity. He was then sidelined with an ACL injury versus Ohio State.

Isaac enters spring practice with a great opportunity to leapfrog the incumbents and seize the starting position.

Defensive Back Jabrill Peppers

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Jabrill Peppers entered last season set to make an impact on defense, offense and special teams. Instead, a leg injury limited him to eight tackles and a sole punt return for six yards.

Peppers is now completely recovered and has been granted a medical redshirt for last season. He’s ready to show why he was a 5-star recruit and one of the top-rated defensive players in the country in 2014.

Harbaugh cares about progress on the field—recruiting rankings don’t matter to him—but a healthy Peppers has a chance to show his new coach what he can do.

Wide Receiver Freddy Canteen

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Freddy Canteen won rave reviews during last year’s spring practice but nearly disappeared when the season began. Canteen struggled with only five receptions for 22 yards and never made more than one catch in a game.

Under Harbaugh’s offense, Canteen has a chance to establish himself as a major component of Michigan’s future.

With more conditioning and work on his route running under his belt with new coach Jedd Fisch, Canteen is in prime position to grab one of the starting receiving positions heading into next season.

Defensive Tackle Willie Henry

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At times last season, Willie Henry was one of the best defensive linemen on the team until a hand injury forced him miss games.

Henry should be back and healthy, but most importantly, he needs to maintain focus during spring practice. He had a tendency early in his career to slack off during practice, and that will not be tolerated under Harbaugh.

Henry should benefit from Greg Mattison’s move to defensive line coach.

If he works hard and listens to Mattison, he could be the anchor of Michigan’s defensive line. If he slacks off, he could find himself behind younger, hungrier players on the depth chart.

Quarterback Shane Morris

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Things were looking up for Shane Morris heading into last season. Coming off a solid performance in Michigan’s bowl game subbing for an injured Devin Gardner, he appeared ready to step in if Gardner stumbled.

And then everything went wrong.

Morris got his chance but took a beating that led to a concussion. This birthed a political maelstrom that eventually claimed athletic director David Brandon's job.

No player on the roster needs a fresh start more than Morris, but he enters spring practice tasked with learning his third new offense (those of Borges, Nussmeier and now Tim Drevno).

He also knows that Harbaugh has brought in quarterbacks who might be better fits for his system in Alex Malzone and Zach Gentry.

If Morris can’t win the starting job this spring, he may never get another chance.

Phil Callihan is a featured writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations obtained firsthand. All season statistics from MGoBlue.com. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Phil on Twitter @PCallihan.