After Michigan’s offense has been scrutinized the entire 2024 season, it’s no surprise that they may be looking for a change in the offseason. After Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL back in February, Sherrone Moore was promoted from Offensive Coordinator (OC) to become Michigan’s 21st Head Coach. Quarterback (QB) Coach Kirk Campbell was promptly moved up to replace Moore as the new OC.
Since Campbell has taken over the offense, Michigan’s attack game both through the air (passing yards) and on the ground (rushing yards) has fallen off a cliff. Despite the graduation or NFL drafting of many key players (including star Quarterback (QB) J.J. McCarthy, star Running Back (RB) Blake Corum, and the entire starting offensive line) having understandably contributed to the offense’s decline, nobody expected it to become as bad as it’s been. Michigan went from scoring 35.87 points per game in 2023 to just 22.25 in 2024– almost a full two touchdowns less. Despite bringing back talented Running Backs Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings for their senior years, Michigan went from 40 rushing touchdowns in 2023 to just 18 in 2024– less than half what they got out of Corum and Edwards. And through the air, they went from a respectable 213.67 yards per game average in 2023 to an embarrassing 133.58 yards per game in 2024, as they cycled through three different starting QBs throughout the year.
Despite Campbell’s success on the recruiting trail (he was a key contributor in Michigan’s Top 10 2025 class this year, which now includes No. 1 overall recruit QB Bryce Underwood), he is likely to receive a demotion according to college football insider Bruce Feldman. During last Saturday’s Big Noon Kickoff on Fox, Feldman said he expects Michigan to move on from Campbell. He also linked the Wolverines to a potential replacement, current Tulane Offensive Coordinator Joe Craddock. Craddock became Tulane’s OC this season after similar roles at Troy, Arkansas, and SMU in previous years, and has helped lead the Tulane Green Wave to an impressive 9-3 record. After Tulane plays in the American Athletic Conference Championship game, he’s expected to be a hot commodity on the coaching market, potentially even as a Head Coach (HC) candidate at smaller schools.
But, if Craddock did decide to join the Maize and Blue, what could we expect from him on offense? The first thing we could expect is a return to form on the ground game, as Craddock’s rushing attack has gained 2727 yards thus far while averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season and gaining 32 rushing touchdowns. While not quite up to the same scoring output of 2023, if replicated, Craddock’s output would be more efficient than the National Championship run, as Corum and Co. only averaged 4.5 yards per carry en route to 2766 yards total. However, watching Tulane’s offense this year, they played in a very different style– as they primarily run a spread offense. In opposition to Michigan’s traditional pro-style offense, Craddock has opted to take defenders out of the box with fewer blockers and more receivers, regularly lining up in eleven personnel (one running back, three wide receivers, and one Tight End ) with no fullback or extra linemen. In this set, he primarily uses a zone-blocking scheme, where backs are rewarded for fast cuts and quick bursts (as opposed to Michigan’s usual gap run scheme that primarily rewards strength). This has resulted in great individual campaigns, with Tulane RB Makhi Hughes being the 12th highest rusher in NCAA D-1 this season, and Troy RB Kimani Vidal being rewarded for his great 2023 campaign by being drafted to the NFL in the 6th round by the Los Angeles Chargers. That shouldn’t be an issue for Michigan though, with 4star freshman RB Jordan Marshall ready to take the reigns next season– as Coach Sherrone Moore said the following in response to the Michigan Review’s question about Marshall following the Northwestern game:
“He’s a stud. He’s an absolute stud. He’s gonna be really good, so we’ll dictate how good he’s gonna be as we go through the years, but he’s a star in the making.”
– Coach Sherrone Moore
However, it will still be a different look than what fans are used to, as backups play a much less prominent role in his offenses, and fullback isn’t even listed as a position on Tulane’s roster. In fact, they primarily use an ‘H-Back’ instead of a fullback whenever they need an extra blocker, bringing a tight end (TE) a step behind the offensive line to help open cut lanes. But, with Marshall on the roster, along with talented blocking TEs Marlin Klein and Hogan Hansen, the transition to this new running system should be easy.
The most noticeable offensive adjustment will be in the passing game. Craddock’s offense has been far more successful through the air than Kirk Campbell’s– and he would be well-suited to unlock Bryce Underwood’s potential. His offense has averaged 216.42 passing yards per game, which exceeds J.J. McCarthy’s yards in 2023 and blows 2024’s numbers out of the water. That also includes 9.48 yards per throw, which is nearly double Michigan’s current 5.47, due to relying heavily on the play-action pass. Off of play-action, Craddock has historically liked his quarterbacks to get the ball off fast, which should be no problem for Underwood who is already comfortable with polished throwing mechanics that make quick passes look effortless (seriously, watch his 2024 highlights). With Campbell, this has surprisingly not been the case, as play action was almost completely abandoned in the transition from 2023 to 2024. A return to it should help Underwood get better looks in the short game, and downfield as the safeties have to creep in on a more efficient run game and spread out offensive alignment.
While Craddock may not end up being the choice for Michigan, his resume makes him a more than worthy candidate, and what he has historically done matches well with Michigan’s future. If these rumors are true, it would be good for both sides to start picking up the phone as soon as possible.
