Seven non-quarterbacks to watch in TCU vs. Michigan

While much of the pregame Fiesta Bowl analysis focused on TCU quarterback Max Duggan and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, there are other players who will have major roles for TCU and Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

For the Horned Frogs or Wolverines to advance to the national championship game, look for these players to excel at some point on Saturday:

Seven players to watch for TCU

1. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston: There may not be a player in this game that goes higher in the 2023 NFL draft than the 6-foot-4 explosive receiver. Johnston lead the Horned Frogs in receiving with over 900 yards and five touchdowns. He’s Duggan’s favorite target and one of the best receivers in college football.

2. Running back Kendre Miller: Miller is probably the best running back nobody talks about on the national level. He’s chasing NFL Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson’s TCU touchdown record and has scored in 14 straight games. Miller rushed for 1,342 yards and 17 touchdowns, providing balance to the TCU offense.

3. Guard Steve Avila: Avila is the team captain for TCU and one of the best offensive linemen in the country. He received multiple All-American honors and hasn’t allowed a sack in 477 pass blocking snaps. If Duggan is going to have a big day, he’ll need protection and Avila has been excellent at providing it.

4. Wide receiver Derius Davis: The ultimate X-Factor weapon, Davis is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Davis was a first-team All-American as a punt returner and tied Johnston with a team-high five receiving touchdowns plus two return touchdowns. Davis can flip the field at anytime for TCU.

5. Linebacker Dee Winters: All the linebackers will be crucial against Michigan, especially Winters. Winters was the best pass rusher for TCU with 7.5 sacks. His speed from sideline-to-sideline is impressive and he had the second-most solo tackles on the team. Against a heavy run attack, Winters must have a big game.

6. Cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson: Yet another All-American player for TCU, the nephew of LaDainian Tomlinson won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and was easily the best corner in the Big 12. Hodges-Tomlinson picked off three passes and either shut down or slowed down some of the nation’s top receivers.

7. Defensive end Dylan Horton: Horton came on strong at the end of the year with all 6.5 of his sacks coming in the final six games of the season. Horton is TCU’s best defensive lineman and one of the more athletic players you’ll see up front. Against a great Michigan offensive line, Horton will need to continue his hot streak.

Seven players to watch for Michigan

1. Running back Donovan Edwards: Normally when you lose a Heisman Trophy-level back like Blake Corum, there’s supposed to be a massive dropoff, but there’s been none since Edwards took over for Corum. Edwards rushed for over 200 yards in the win over Ohio State and 185 against Purdue in the Big 10 championship. Edwards is averaging 7.5 yards per carry.

2. Wide receiver Ronnie Bell: Bell is Michigan’s leading receiver with 56 catches and 754 yards. That’s 26 more catches and more than 200 yards more than the next receiver. Bell has had only one game of 100 yards of more, but is still a dangerous receiver.

3. Offensive linemen Olusegun Oluwatimi: Oluwatimi was the best player on an offensive line that was voted the best in the country. Oluwatimi won both the Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center and interior offensive lineman.

4. Wide receiver Cornelius Johnson: While Bell is the team’s leading receiver, Johnson is the big-play threat with a team-high six touchdowns. That’s only behind Edwards and Corum. He had 160 yards and two touchdowns against the Buckeyes. Think of him as Michigan’s version of Derius Davis.

5. Cornerback Will Johnson: A former five-star recruit, Johnson became a starter late in the year and hasn’t looked back. He had two interceptions in the Big 10 championship game and caught the eye of Sonny Dykes for how productive he was. He’s young, but has plenty of potential. It’ll be fun to see him matched up with Johnston.

6. Edge rusher Mike Morris: Morris leads the Wolverines in sacks with 7.5, but he’s been banged up and didn’t play against Purdue in the Big 10 championship game. There’s some optimism he could be back for TCU, but his health will be a major storyline to watch leading up to the game.

7. Linebacker Junior Colson: Colson leads the Wolverines with almost 100 tackles and is the definition of solid. He was a former wide receiver before being converted to linebacker and has solid athleticism. Colson was a freshman All-American and All-Big 10 selection this year.

This story was originally published December 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

Steven Johnson

Fort Worth Star-Telegram