USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer put out a list of eight offseason coordinator hires he can’t stop thinking about. But in the process, he missed a pretty significant hire — new Michigan football offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
Toppmeyer’s list included a bunch of big names, mostly — well-established coaches who are renowned in college football. But with that, he’s only really thinking above the surface rather than below. With names like Chip Kelly, Bobby Petrino, Charlie Weis Jr., Will Muschamp, Gary Patterson, Buster Faulkner, Chad Morris, and Jim Knowles, most (but not all) are hot commodities, faces that have been recognizable in the sport for some time. It stands to reason that those are the names he would be thinking about, given that five of his eight are former head coaches, and two others have been among those considered the best at their craft.
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But what Toppmeyer doesn’t realize, or hasn’t considered, is that Beck equals a perfect mix between results and opportunity.
Beck inherits a talented Michigan offensive squad that hasn’t exactly put up big numbers just yet. With Bryce Underwood at quarterback, Andrew Marsh, Jaime Ffrench, and JJ Buchanan at wide receiver, Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter at running back, and an emerging offensive line, there are a ton of playmakers across the offense. And Beck has shown that he can do a lot more with a lot less.
At Utah last season, Beck coordinated the No. 4 offense and No. 2 rushing attack. At New Mexico the year before, Beck coordinated the No. 4 offense and No. 2 rushing attack. His scheme is explosive in the run game, and he inherits a much more talented corps to allow him to deploy his scheme. What’s more, though Devon Dampier proved himself to be a worthy signal caller and dual-threat option, Underwood’s floor and ceiling are both higher. Coming off his first year in college football, Beck has an opportunity to deploy Underwood in a way that more so utilizes his talent.
Sure, the other names are flashy, capable, and are at big programs. But Beck very well may be the most consequential offseason hire if everything goes to plan.
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Michigan intends to run a base 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers), which will vary from the more traditional pro-style 21 and 12 personnel sets that the Wolverines have run for the bulk of the past decade. Sure, it won’t be the sole formation, and the Wolverines have the capability of changing things up, but that adds to the mystique rather than detracts. Beck has nearly everything he needs at his disposal to be able to take advantage of opposing defenses and create mismatches. And given that he’s managed to turn both New Mexico and Utah into elite offenses — and neither destination is particularly known for their prowess offensively — it shows that he’s more than capable at building.
Beck is no household name, it’s true. But if he had achieved what he had at other schools, he would have been the most sought-after coordinator in the country on the offensive side of the ball. Before he took over Utah, the Utes had the No. 102 offense and vaulted into the top five. New Mexico was 65th and vaulted to No. 4 all the same. Yes, he’s only entering his fourth year in college football, yet a long track record is not needed to prove his mettle.
If you require more of a vote of confidence, look no further than Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford, who has decades of experience in and around the sport. And last week, he shared his awe about what Beck brings to the table.
“Yeah, it’s wild because the way they call it, I’ve never seen it,” Alford said. “I’m like, wait a minute, what are you doing here, right? But the more I’ve studied it in constant conversation with the staff, I love it. The way it pieces together, I think it’s very user-friendly to learn, especially that it allows young players to get up and play fast.
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“I think it’s a dynamic offense because we’ve got enough playmakers here that you can put guys in spots and match up issues, and it’s very easily adjusted where multiple guys are going to touch the ball and have the ability to touch the ball. I think, Bryce Underwood, I think with his skill set. So I think this leads to all the different weapons that we have; we can use them, and they’re at our disposal in a lot of different ways. Just how creative can we be in order to get those guys open in space. So it’s going to be fun.”
Toppmeyer may not have forgotten about Beck, but rather didn’t include him. Or he wasn’t considered because he wasn’t a sexy, flashy name on par with those he did mention. Given what he brings to the table, that’s a mistake. Because it’s more likely than not that Michigan doesn’t languish in the middle of the pack (No. 69 last year, offensively) and is, instead, among the nation’s top offenses. Because even in a short period of time, Beck has proven that’s just what he does.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football: Jason Beck is the most consequential OC hire
