The Wolverine Digest Pod

It's been a few days but the spring game is all we have right now when it comes to Michigan football. We saw some freshmen, some guys playing new positions, a couple of new faces that are expected to step up and, at the end of the day, a Blue Team victory.

We also talk a little bit about Brandon Johns Jr. transferring and the Michigan basketball team moving into the future with the college basketball season now in the rear view mirror. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

A spring game honorary captain isn't really supposed to be the center of attention but that's how things are shaping up in Ann Arbor. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has invited his former quarterback Colin Kaepernick to be a captain during pregame festivities for tomorrow's spring game. Kaepernick will also throw to some wide receivers at halftime in front of dozens of NFL scouts as he continues to chase his NFL dreams. The announcement of Kaepernick's involvement has driven a bit of a wedge into the Michigan fanbase, which certainly wasn't Harbaugh's intention, but it's silly to think that he didn't know there would be some backlash. 

Once we discussed the elephant in the room, we launched into our Michigan Football Spring Game Draft. Given some of the question marks on Michigan's roster, assembling a starting lineup on both sides of the ball for two teams can be tricky, but that's what makes spring ball so fun. It was fun to put our teams together ahead of the spring game that will be played between two teams that were drafted by the Michigan coaching staff. 

As Michigan prepares for its spring game, rising junior offensive lineman Zak Zinter stops by to talk about that, the upcoming season, going into Columbus to take on Ohio State and more. As he prepares for his third year at Michigan, Zinter is focusing on being a leader on the field, but is also branching out off of it. 

On the hardwood, Michigan is done for the year after a hell of a tournament run. Juwan Howard and his staff now have to figure out what next year will look like after somewhat disappointing seasons out of Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate, at least in terms of their pro potential. Hunter Dickinson also isn't showing up on many draft board so it's going to be really interesting to see what the Michigan hoopers look like next season.

We discuss all of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

Michigan spring practice is winding down and will culminate on April 2 with some semblance of a spring game. Obviously JJ McCarthy will miss the action, but returning quarterback Cade McNamara, stud playmakers Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards and AJ Henning, along with several highly touted freshmen and new center Olu Oluwatimi will likely be on the field. Everyone is anxious to see the new version of the Wolverines after last season's run and April 2 will be our first chance to do so.

All that is down the line a bit, as we prepare for Michigan's Sweet 16 matchup with Villanova tonight. The Wildcats are favored, but not by much. Hunter Dickinson should have his way against an undersized Villanova team. Obviously the Cats are well coached and veteran led, but a lot of people think U-M has more than a puncher's chance to win. 

We discuss all of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

It's been a big week for Michigan sports. On Tuesday, Jim Harbaugh took the podium for the first time since the season ended and addressed a myriad of topics. Harbaugh talked about JJ McCarthy's injury, the progress of both the defensive and offensive lines, the incoming freshmen, the planned team trip, the NFL situation and more. He gave a few "Harbaughisms" but overall was pretty forthcoming with information.

Then on Wednesday, Juwan Howard spoke with the media for the first time since he was suspended after the Wisconsin game. Howard was emotional in his return especially when talking about his actions, his players coming to see him during the hiatus and the support he received specifically from Phil Martelli as well as the rest of his assistants and the Michigan coaching family in general. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

A quote from Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy from our exclusive sit down interview has made the rounds and it made it all the way down to Columbus. Apparently the football folks at Ohio State saw McCarthy's quote and decided to make it into a decoration at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. We talk about that, the interview itself and what we learned from McCarthy, Andrel Anthony and Donovan Edwards.

We also discuss Juwan Howard, Phil Martelli and the Michigan's basketball team. After wins over Iowa and Rutgers and losses to Wisconsin and Illinois, Michigan is down to three games starting on Tuesday night at home against Michigan State. After that, it's Iowa and Ohio State to close out the season. What combination of wins will put U-M into the NCAA Tournament? We'll see...

Juwan Howard let his emotions get the best of him in Madison on Sunday following a 14-point loss to the Badgers. During the handshake like, Howard and Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard had words and an all-out brawl ensued. Now, punishments have been handed out and Juwan will miss the rest of the regular season.

On a brighter note, we go in depth about our sit down interview with JJ McCarthy, Andrel Anthony and Donovan Edwards. The three of them could not have been more pleasant and had plenty to say when it came to Jim Harbaugh, the 2022 season, a Sherrone Moore-led offense and more. All of that on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

After a bit of a hiatus, we're back to talk all things Michigan football and basketball. Since it's been a while, we finally take a deep dive into Michigan football's coaching staff with a person-by-person breakdown. It's interesting to talk about the staff right now because despite only bringing in two new faces, Jim Harbaugh will have a very revamped staff.

On the hardwood, Michigan is 2-1 in its last three and needs to continue winning over the course of its last six games. They're all tough, but wins would be big resumé builders. As of right now, Michigan making the NCAA Tournament feels iffy at best, but there are plenty of chances to make a case to make the dance. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

Now that Jim Harbaugh is back, he's got a lot of work to do. He's already been in the market for a defensive coordinator and now he needs an offense coordinator too. Josh Gattis is heading down to Miami to run Mario Cristobal's offense and leaves a pretty big hole behind in Ann Arbor. 

What do all of these changes on the staff, the roster and with Harbaugh in general mean for the the Wolverines in 2022? Luckily the maize and blue have a very favorable schedule, especially early on, to work out some of the kinks. We discuss all of that on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

Jim Harbaugh flirted with the NFL but is now back at Michigan. What does that all mean? How do you feel about it? What do you think about how fans feel about it? Chris Castellani and Michael Spath join us to attempt to answer those questions and more surrounding the return of Michigan's head coach.

We also launch into Michigan's basketball program (before the loss to Purdue) and break down U-M's chances to make the NCAA Tournament in Juwan Howard's third season. Are there reasons to be concerned about Howard and Michigan basketball? All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.