Follow the Leader: Michigan Basketball Provides Blueprint for Michigan Football

Manny Harris = Martavious Odoms

Harris had a breakout year as a freshman last season, earning All-Big Ten honors and leading the Wolverines in scoring. Similarly, Odoms was one of the few bright spots for Michigan football in his freshman season, leading the team in receiving.

He will most likely be on the Big Ten all-freshman team and will look to take on an expanded role as the focus of the offense in year two.

DeShawn Sims = Brandon Minor

Both are holdovers from the previous regimes that will be major factors in the new systems. Sims was highly touted coming out of high school, but played sparingly in his freshman year in 2006. Last season he became a starter and averaged 12.3 points per game.

This season, he was asked to come off the bench but is a major part of the team’s success. Minor showed some flash last year filling in for Mike Hart, but was replaced at the start of this season by true freshman Sam McGuffie.

Minor earned his job back and will play a major role as Michigan’s back next season.

Ronald Coleman = Morgan Trent

As a senior in Beilein’s first year, Coleman started most of the games and had a decent season but didn’t do anything spectacular. He could never be relied on to make big plays. Trent was expected to be much improved this season, but had a good but not great senior season.

He, like the rest of the Michigan secondary, could never be relied on to make a big stop when needed. He finished his career as a capable player that never really materialized.

Epke Udoh = Ryan Mallett

Udoh was a solid performer in his first true season. He was a force down low, recording 92 blocked shots, but was never a major scoring threat. He would have been a major help this season, but transferred to Baylor.

Mallett relieved Chad Henne last season and played fairly well in leading Michigan to wins over Notre Dame, Penn State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. His presence would have helped Michigan’s young offense considerably this season, but he transferred to Arkansas when Rodriguez was hired.

David Merritt = Nick Sheridan/Steven Threet

Merritt walked on to Michigan’s basketball team a year ago and now runs the Michigan offense. He’s a hard-worker but will most likely lose his starting job when transfer Laval Lucas-Perry becomes eligible in January.

Sheridan, also a walk-on, and Threet, a redshirt freshman transfer, took turns leading the Michigan offense this season, but were clearly not capable enough to do so. One or the other may start early next season, but one of the incoming freshmen, Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver, should become the starter.

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