What made the Wolverines a powerhouse back in the day? Well, all the credit goes to Jim Harbaugh’s chain-grinding offense. When Harbaugh took the HC role, it marked the end of an era. Before his arrival, the Wolverines were at a record of 46-42 with only one post-season victory. All of this between 2008 and 2014. 2015 was when things started to change and the dark era was over. With Blake Corum acting as the anchor for the team during the matches and J.J. McCarthy controlling the game, the Wolverines rose as an offensive powerhouse in 2023.

Now, in an interview with Rich Eisen on July 30th, GM Joe Hortiz agrees that Harbaugh would probably end up following the model he used for Michigan. “In terms of making a roster that’s in Jim’s vision, how do you go about that?” Eisen asked. “So you want playmakers outside and you just keep trying to collect em,” Hortiz answered. The main goal that Jim would try to achieve with the Chargers is to put in the effort and resources to grab the best players onto the team. This would allow for a dynamic offensive line and would set the tone and physicality, which would allow them to run the ball.

While back in Michigan, Harbaugh’s reliance on offensive did earn him a fair amount of criticism. However, everything changed when the Wolverines managed to grab 3 Big Ten wins and also grab the national championship once. It was a 180 switch for the entire squad as Harbaugh settled in and had some amazing players at his grasp (like J.J McCarthy). Still, the big question that’s gonna arise this year is who will Harbaugh use to recreate the magic in Chargers?

Glory and gold

The answer lies in Justin Herbert. While Herbert had already made his name back in 2020 when he grabbed the Rookie of the Year award, the Chargers are yet to have true success with the QB. And that’s all gonna change with Harbaugh in the picture. With veterans Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler gone, the pressure will fall on Herbert’s shoulder. The main plan that Harbaugh has in mind is with the new rookies that have been added to the squad.

Herbert has the experience, and new additions like Joe Alt, Ladd McConkey, and Brenden Rice would act like soft clay. Both Harbaugh and Herbert can mold the new rookies into a powerful force. As Hortiz had mentioned in the interview, “We had to do it to create opportunities for us to get other players.” The team has achieved the goal it had marked. This new roster would give Harbaugh enough freedom to play with. So, let’s see what he manages to cook up with the Bolts.