Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines have a quarterback conundrum, but the winner of the battle between John O'Korn and Wilton Speight will have a very nice complement of weapons to work with for the 2016 season. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports illuminated Michigan's wealth of options in writing about the nation's best receiving groups, and the Wolverines ranked as the number three collection in the country, trailing only Clemson and Alabama.
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Though much of the focus of the piece is on wide receivers, Michigan's "ace in the hole" comes in the form of tight end Jake Butt. The 6-foot-6 senior might be the best returning player in the country at the position, and after a breakout campaign in pairing with Jake Rudock a year ago, Butt will serve as a beautiful safety blanket for either quarterback. It is hard to overstate the importance of a top-tier tight end in an offense engineered by Jim Harbaugh, and given Butt's overwhelming talent, the marriage is perfect.
Of course, ascending to the top of a list of pass-catchers requires some real talent on the outside as well, and Feldman wrote this about the duo of Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson:
The outside guys are fifth-year seniors Amara Darboh (58 catches for 727 yards and five TDs) and Jehu Chesson (50 receptions for 764 yards and nine touchdowns), and they made huge leaps in a year under passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch, a guy who'd helped develop a ton of NFL talent. Darboh is a bit bigger at 6-2, 215, more physical and around a 4.5 40 guy with good hands. Chesson is 6-3, 205, and teammates say he's the fastest guy on the team, a low 4.3 guy. He's a potential first-rounder and may have been the most improved player in the country last year. He seemed much more focused in 2015, displaying improved hands and route running. Chesson did injure his leg in the Citrus Bowl romp over Florida and missed spring ball but Harbaugh said the standout WR will be ready for camp next week.
Chesson's rise to prominence during the 2015 season was incredibly entertaining to watch, and despite the injury concerns, he has the inside track toward being the top exterior option. Still, Darboh is a massive target with a big catch radius and either O'Korn or Speight will be able to flourish with these three options on a regular basis.
Michigan's group may not be the most famous in the country, but in terms of pass-catching collections, the Wolverines are, quite simply, elite.
