Back in September, Devin Gardner said that Devin Funchess "could probably be the best receiver to ever play here."
It was a bold statement from the former quarterback but not too far of a stretch. However, in order to attain such stardom at Michigan, Funchess would have needed an exemplary 2014 and an even better senior session.
But the breakout junior year for Funchess never happened, and the chances of him having an even better final go with the Wolverines were squashed Tuesday when the 6’5”, 236-pound wideout declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.
In a release sent by the university, Funchess thanked former coach Brady Hoke's staff, the fans and everyone associated with Michigan football. The new staff, fans and everyone associated with the team will certainly miss his services next fall.
The absence of Funchess, who’s been a projected first-rounder since the end of 2013, will present a mountainous climb for an offense that finished in the cellar of the Big Ten this past fall in yard output, ranking No. 13 in total production at 333 yards per game, and in scoring, scraping together a puny output of 20.9 points each Saturday.
The end result of that equation was a 5-7 record.
But so much more was possible, and so much more could be in 2015. Parting is such sweet sorrow, so it’s time to add "replacing prototypical No. 1 receiver" to the to-do list for the incoming regime at Michigan.
Whether Doug Nussmeier is the offensive coordinator is irrelevant, as a meeting of the minds between the OC, quarterbacks and receivers is beyond necessary.
Shane Morris, a 6'3", 204-pound junior-to-be, and Wilton Speight, a 6'6", 235-pound will-be-redshirt-frosh, must quickly recognize and designate candidates for Funchess' replacement going into winter workouts and, ultimately, into spring practices.
Time is of the essence. But haste makes waste. This move has to be calculated. Joe Depth can't take on the load of one of the most athletic wideouts to ever run the field at The Big House.
But there are options, such as Jake Butt and Amara Darboh, who seem like the logical successors to Funchess’ former perch.
Although listed as a tight end, Butt brings Funchess-like attributes to the table. Funchess made the move; why not Butt? At 6’6” and 250 pounds, he’s capable of shedding defenders and catching the hard-to-reach balls—he just doesn’t have the speed or balance of his former teammate.
However, that could come in time for Butt, who played well down the stretch, finishing his sophomore run with 21 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns.
Once workouts begin, he’ll be several more months removed from an ACL tear suffered during drills in the winter of 2013. Distance from an injury is always a good thing for a player looking to find his niche.
During 2014 media day, Butt said that he’d like to become one of Michigan’s great tight ends. Instead, he could end up evolving into Michigan’s next great replacement for the guy who was billed as the program’s next great receiver.
During his first (somewhat) fully healthy year on campus, Darboh caught 36 passes for 473 yards and two touchdowns for Team 135.
Overall, those aren't embarrassing numbers. Yeah, fans wanted more from him, but getting nearly 500 yards from a seldom-used option isn't bad at all.
Darboh appears to have the required tools to secure acrobatic tosses; he's long and balanced and has sticky hands. For further reference, look back to his six-catch, 88-yard, one-touchdown showing during Michigan's 34-10 victory over Miami of Ohio.
Want more proof?
Review the tape of the Wolverines' 34-10 homecoming romp of Indiana, in which he hauled in nine catches for 107 yards and a score. With stable quarterback play, Darboh could step into the No. 1 receiver role and immediately produce.
Jehu Chesson checked out with 11 catches for 154 yards and zero touchdowns—but Michigan’s barely seen the best of him. The 6’3”, 197-pound junior-to-be didn’t make quite the impact that was expected of him in 2014, but he has a set of hands that’ll move the chains.
Michigan's existing stable is ready to show what it has, but Chesson’s at the fore of the rotation and 2015 could serve as a springboard for his career.
Really, it has to if he wants to see the field on a regular basis, because the Wolverines have more reinforcements on the way.
That goes for the likes of Drake Harris, Freddy Canteen, Da'Mario Jones and JaRon Dukes. Together, that group returns six catches for 33 yards. Canteen has five of those for 22 yards.
Development, as always, is key in this case. They'll have to chip in with quality shifts so the offense can eventually feature a No. 1. It's like dominoes.
That doesn't apply to just Butt, Darboh and Chesson, but also to Harris, Canteen, Jones and, among others, Dukes. The Wolverines relied heavily upon Funchess in 2014, and teams rarely, if ever, replace the caliber of a Devin Funchess overnight.
But assuming Michigan's offense takes at least one or two steps forward in 2015, and a couple of players rise from the depths, replacing his 62 catches for 733 yards and four touchdowns shouldn't be too much to overcome.
Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand by the writer.
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