Though Michigan football isn’t getting a ton of offseason hype just yet, there is some buzz surrounding one key new staffer who could certainly open some doors for the Wolverines this year.
Jason Beck has only been an offensive coordinator for three seasons (with three different teams), but what he’s done with the previous two has been astounding.
For two straight seasons, Beck has had the No. 4 overall offense and No. 2 rushing offense. He’s groomed quarterback Devon Dampier to be one of the best in the country, despite having been a three-star recruit with a ranking closer to 2,000th nationally than 1,000th. With what he’s been able to do at New Mexico and Utah, Beck is one of the most promising assistant coaches in the country, and he made On3’s list of new hires across the sport ready to make a major impact. (subscription required)
Michigan: Jason Beck, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coachBeck played quarterback at BYU and has been coaching quarterbacks since his first season as a full-time assistant coach at Weber State in 2009. He brings a quarterback-friendly offense to Michigan as he follows Kyle Whittingham from Utah, which ought to be good news for Bryce Underwood. There were times when Underwood had to do too much (or tried to do too much) last season as a true freshman. Beck’s offenses are built around a punishing a running game, which helps any quarterback, and he was a big part of Devon Dampier’s development at New Mexico in 2024 and then at Utah last year. Dampier was one of five FBS quarterbacks with 2400-plus passing yards and 800-plus rushing yards last season.
Given that Michigan’s offense has been either bad or middling each of the past two seasons (59th last year, 129th the year before), even getting into the top 20 or 30 could be massive for the Wolverines’ chances this season. Even in the national championship year, the maize and blue had the 69th-rated offense, as the ‘boa constrictor’ worked with an efficient attack on that side of the ball, while the defense suffocated the opposing team. There’s little known about how this season’s defense will fare, but with Jay Hill having done a masterful job at BYU, and with the talent on the roster that the Wolverines have, there’s no reason to think that a potential return to form on that front is possible, if not plausible.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football’s new offensive coordinator impact