The Michigan Insider

In this episode, we break down Michigan’s recent recruiting run in the 2020 class, breaking down the Wolverines’ three recent commitments — offensive tackle Zak Zinter, linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green and defensive end Braiden McGregor — and what the trio could bring to Michigan both in a football sense and a recruiting sense.  We also look ahead to what could be a busy month and change for the Wolve...

In the hours following reports that Miami Heat assistant and former Michigan basketball star Juwan Howard would take over the vacant Wolverines' head-coaching job, we discuss some of our early reactions to the hire.  We look at how hiring Howard grades for Michigan and what went into hiring him over other candidates. We also look at the key challenges that Howard faces in his first head-coaching j...

Taking a break from the ongoing discussion about the Michigan basketball team's search for a new head coach, we take a look at the Michigan football team, breaking down Michigan's 10 best players following spring practices and heading into the 2019 offseason. Combining what players have done as well as what their potential is in 2019, we dissect impact players who could carry the Wolverines this f...

In an emergency podcast, Lorenz and Shaw breaking down the stunning breaking news that saw Michigan basketball coach John Beilein leave the Wolverines to become head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They break down how shocking the news was to us, why leaving for Cleveland and the NBA overall does and does not make sense and what some of the key differences are. The two also look at John Beilein'...

In a recruiting-centric episode, Lorenz and Shaw open by breaking down top-20 recruit and 2021 quarterback J.J. McCarthy's commitment to Michigan. They look at his game, what can be gleaned from his sophomore season performance, why the Wolverines were fine taking his pledge so early and what it can mean for the 2021. Shaw and Lorenz also look at Michigan's 2020 class, including why things have be...

We open the show discussing Michigan's annual offseason foreign trip, which is heading to South Africa this year after trips to Italy and France. We break down why South Africa made it on the list, how David Turnley gives the Wolverines a unique look at the country and more benefits to the trip. We also look the trip from the fans' perspective, addressing the vocal minority against the trip, why t...

Focusing solely on the NFL Draft, Lorenz and Shaw break down the fits of Michigan's five NFL Draft picks (Devin Bush Jr., Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich, David Long and Zach Gentry) and how we forecast their early NFL futures. We also break down what the haul means for a continuing trend of talent development under Jim Harbaugh and whether or not it makes a difference with recruits. Then, after looki...

In a football-focused episode, we first answer a series of questions from listeners, looking at defensive players who need to step up, why Michigan's cornerback recruiting isn't the problem some think it is and unpacking some of Don Brown's comments about his defense following Spring practices. Then, we review some key storylines from the spring, first looking at players who improved their stock t...

In a basketball-focused episode, Shaw and Lorenz look at Jordan Poole's seemingly inevitable decision to turn pro, and react to Poole's father's comments citing that the Wolverines' system put Poole in suboptimal position. We also weigh in with our thoughts on Poole's decision, including some analysis at how the college basketball landscape has changed for players who aren't drafted. Then, we look...

After breaking down Spring Game takeaways in the previous episode, Lorenz and Shaw field football-related questions from listeners. The discuss what Ben VanSumeren's redshirt freshman season could look like at running back and H-back, how Michigan has seemingly gotten over its decade-long depth problem, what to make of Michigan's 9.5 over-under win total projection and the Wolverines' schedule, ho...

We discuss five lasting thoughts from the Michigan football team's Spring Game. First, we break down just how different Michigan's offense looked in the scrimmage portions of the event, from no-huddle looks to increased speed to changed routes and play selection. Shaw also looks at what players had to say about the offense's changes afterward. We also break down Michigan's passing proficiency, and...

Ahead of Saturday's Spring Game, open and free to the public, Shaw opens the show answering a few football-related questions, then dives into 10 things he'll be watching in the Spring Game.  The list included: -Looking at players who have switched positions, such as Ben Mason. -Freshmen like Mike Sainristil who made an early impact. -New starters to keep an eye on in the defensive secondary and al...

Continuing our shorter, more frequent format, Shaw breaks down the ins and outs of Michigan's three players who have declared early for the NBA Draft.  He dissects the factors going behind the decision to test the waters, and what will convince Charles Matthews, Jordan Poole and Ignas Brazdeikis to either decide to stay in the draft pool past the May 29 deadline or not. He also discusses fan persp...

Switching to a shorter, twice-weekly podcast format, our show is solely focused on our spring preview of the Michigan football team’s defense. Starting up front and working backwards, we look at each position on the Wolverines’ defense and the key questions surrounding each group.  On the defensive line, we look at Michigan’s defensive end depth and discuss who could or should emerge as top-level...

This week, we break down the Michigan basketball team’s loss to Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen, and what the Wolverines’ 30-7 season that delivered no banners means. In the discussion we talk about Michigan exceeding expectations early on in the season, how the season compares to the Wolverines’ top other teams under John Beilein and what to make of their final game.  We also look ahead to Michig...

For the second week in a row, our podcast is centered entirely on basketball. We open by reflecting on Michigan’s weekend in Des Moines, looking at Des Moines as a host city, how the Wolverines fared in blowout wins over Montana and Florida and what some our lasting impressions of the weekend were. Included are looks into Charles Matthews, Jon Teske, Zavier Simpson and Isaiah Livers’ progress. The...

This week’s podcast, live from Des Moines instead of in studio, is full of Michigan basketball talk. With Steve Lorenz unable to make it on the show, Zach Shaw runs things solo, opening with his thoughts on the Michigan basketball team’s runner-up finish in the Big Ten Tournament, its loss to Michigan State and how concerning it is to lose to the Spartans three times in four weeks. Then, Shaw opin...

This week, we hit heavy on both basketball and football. We open discussing the Wolverines’ loss at Michigan State to lose out on the Big Ten title, and what some of our lasting impressions from the game were. Included our thoughts on the officiating, on Xavier Tillman, on how much Charles Matthews was missed, on how concerning Michigan’s second half was and more. That discussion transitioned into...

This week, the episode begins with a lengthy discussion about Michigan’s role in the NCAA Tournament. We look at the Wolverines’ resume, how their season finale in at Michigan State or in the Big Ten Tournament could change things, other teams Michigan fans should keep an eye on, offer an early preview of which other teams might be good or bad matchups for the Wolverines and offer other thoughts o...

This week’s episode actually discusses all three categories surrounding Michigan. We begin by discussing the Michigan basketball team’s 1-1 week, looking into what doomed the Wolverines in their loss to Michigan State, how significant it was, the latest with Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews and how much of the loss was the Wolverines playing poorly versus the Spartans playing well. Then, we break...

The podcast opens with around 40 minutes of discussion about the Michigan basketball team. We begin by breaking down the sixth-ranked Wolverines’ 75-69 upset loss at Penn State, and what went into some of Michigan’s woes both on offense and on defense. We also look at some of the officiating that occurred in the game, including Michigan coach John Beilein’s first ejection from a game in 40 years....

This week’s podcast, about half an hour longer than usual, includes over an hour of recruiting discussion, as Lorenz and Shaw break down virtually every angle of the Michigan football team’s 2019 recruiting class. The two discuss their impressions of the class overall, key recruiting wins in the class, trends in evaluating the cycle, which recruits will have instant impact, what can be read about...

The discussion begins with us breaking down the No. 5 Michigan basketball team’s upset loss at Wisconsin Saturday. We break down which shortcomings were also causes for concern, which ones could be cause for concern should trends continue and which ones were unique to the Wolverines’ trip to Wisconsin. Lorenz breaks down what makes the Badgers such a hard team to beat, while Shaw offers his though...

This week, we open our discussion with analysis on Michigan’s three assistant-coaching hires. We break down the Wolverines’ decisions to hire offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, unspecified defensive assistant Anthony Campanile and defensive line coach Shaun Nua. We discuss what there is to like about all three, as well as what questions have yet to be answered. We also discuss how this shapes Mich...

After a nearly month-long hiatus, the podcast begins with our lasting thoughts about the Michigan football team's blowout loss to No. 10 Florida in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. We discuss not only what went wrong in the game, but also what sort of changes, if any, can be made to improve the team culture to avoid deflating finishes. We also discuss the departures of former Michigan assist...