Michigan Football: 5 Storylines Heading into Spring Ball

The Michigan Wolverines are coming off of one of their most successful seasons in years, as they won 11 games and a BCS bowl. Head coach Brady Hoke looks like the right fit for this program; he appears to have this team on the right track as they try and compete for a national championship. 

Although we still may be months away from college football kicking off, spring ball is right around the corner. The Wolverines' first spring practice takes place March 17th and the spring game will happen on April 14th.

As we get ready for everything spring has to offer, here are the top five storylines to pay attention to.

Revamped Offensive Line

While Michigan does have a lot of depth on the offensive line, it's never easy to replace a center like David Molk who won the Rimington Trophy last season. The Wolverines also lost offensive tackle Mark Huyge as well.

Answering the center position is going to be key and it will likely be senior Rocko Khoury. Although he did have trouble snapping the ball correctly in the BCS Sugar Bowl, he should be able to get things on the right track and fill in nicely. But don't count out senior Ricky Barnum either if he can stay healthy.

At right tackle, Mike Schofield will likely slide over from his guard position and replace the hole that Huyge left. That, of course, leaves a hole at guard. Don't be surprised if redshirt freshman Chris Bryant steps in to fill that spot. He was a top recruit in 2010; at 6'5", 330 pounds, he'll be very difficult to move out of the way.

There is a lot of young talent on the offensive line for the Wolverines; the coaches just need to find out who's going to play where.

Fitzgerald Toussaint Stepping Up

While Denard Robinson will likely remain the Wolverines' leading rusher, that doesn't mean he's the only one that can run the football. Fitzgerald Toussaint really stepped it up at the end of last season and could help create one of the best one-two punches in college football.

Toussaint didn't produce much his freshman season and struggled to get going early on last year, but he did top the 100 mark in four of the final six games, including a ridiculous 192 rushing yards in the victory over Illinois. We've never seen the young running back run like that, but if this is a sign on things to come, it's only going to benefit this offense moving forward.

If Toussaint can prove this is not a fluke, it will take a lot of pressure off of Robinson and give the opposing defense something else to have to worry about.

Receivers Emerge

You can blame a lot of the poor passing numbers from last year on quarterback Denard Robinson. He simply isn't built to throw the ball at a high percentage and is more effective when he's running the football. That's why the Wolverines were ranked 93rd in the country last season in passing yards.

But a few of the receivers that did have success last year are no longer on the team. That includes leading receiver Junior Hemingway, tight end Kevin Koger and speedster Martavious Odoms. Those three players alone made up for 1,074 receiving yards out of the 2,377 the Wolverines had as a team last year.

Experienced wide receiver Roy Roundtree is still on the team and he's shown he is capable of snagging quite a few passes. But he's going to need help and some of the other upperclassman must step up.

Keep your eyes on players like Jeremy Jackson, Jeremy Gallon and Drew Dileo.

Defensive Line Reload

One of the biggest improvements from last year's Michigan team was the defensive line. In 2010, the Wolverines finished with 18 sacks; last season they finished with 30 and averaged 2.5 in all of the 11 wins.

This year could look a lot like 2010 if certain players don't step up. Defensive end Ryan Van Bergan and defensive tackles Mike Martin and Will Heininger are all gone from a year ago. That's 10 of the 30 sacks and 132 tackles Michigan has to replace.

The depth is scary-looking, but if senior Will Campbell can finally live up to his potential, it will be huge for this defense. Campbell is a big body and has had big expectations, but hasn't contributed much in the three years he's been at Michigan.

Other players that are worth watching this spring include freshman Chris Wormley and Ondre Pipkins.

Consistency from Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson is one of the most exciting players in the country, but he's also one of the most wild players as well. He is a weapon you'd love for your offense to have, but his explosiveness can often be erased by his careless decisions with the football and costly turnovers.

Robinson's turnovers are the reason he hasn't received an invite to New York yet and may be the one thing that holds the Wolverines back from competing for a national championship. He did throw for a career-high 20 touchdowns last season, but he also managed to complete 15 passes to the other team, which was also a career high.

This will be the senior's second season under offensive coordinator Al Borges, and it's going to be interesting to see if he can limit his mistakes. It will be better for his Heisman campaign and the Wolverines will be much better off as well. 

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].