ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The first quarter of the 2017 college football season hasn't been kind to Michigan's offense, but there have been several bright spots over the three games.
Ty Isaac came out of nowhere as the team's best running back, and Quinn Nordin looks like one of the best kickers in recent Michigan memory. Even the young tight ends have gotten into the offensive mix.
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For two weeks, Michigan fans awaited the breakout from the team's No. 1 recruit in the 2017 class: Donovan Peoples-Jones.
As the top high school receiver in the country, Peoples-Jones got to Ann Arbor as the presumed leader of what would be an entirely new-look wide receiver core. He was a five-star recruit and one of the top pure athletes in the nation.
But for the first two games, Peoples-Jones was relegated mostly to punt returns. He didn't get into the passing attack against Florida, and the only two balls thrown his way against Cincinnati were sailed over his reach by quarterback Wilton Speight.
He even lost his job as the punt returner after showing indecision on several plays against Cincinnati. Jim Harbaugh elected to put veteran receiver Grant Perry in to return punts, but it was clear Peoples-Jones had a higher ceiling if he could settle into the job.
Against Air Force, Peoples-Jones demonstrated that potential. He took the job back in style, returning a punt 79 yards for a touchdown and another for 25 yards near midfield. Those plays changed the game for Michigan, which didn't score an offensive touchdown for 59 minutes and struggled to move the ball inside the red zone.
Peoples-Jones also got involved on offense, making two catches for 52 yards. On his second catch, he displayed excellent hands, snagging a bullet from Speight while coming across the field. His pure athleticism is obvious, as he outran defenders after the catch and while crossing the field on his punt return touchdown.
READ: Michigan football WR Tarik Black to have foot surgery
Michigan's leading receiver, Tarik Black, might be out for the season -- he'll at least miss the majority of Big Ten play after having surgery to repair what Harbaugh called a "crack in his foot."
Fair or not, Peoples-Jones will be asked to take on a bigger role in the offense as a true freshman. Black was the team's top target because he has good size, elite athleticism and reliable hands. Peoples-Jones has an even higher ceiling than Black, but he's not quite as polished.
Harbaugh has already gotten creative while using Peoples-Jones. His first offensive touch came on an end-around against Cincinnati before his breakout game this weekend. If Speight can get him the ball, Peoples-Jones will make plays.
Perry, Kekoa Crawford and a young group of tight ends will also help fill the hole Black left in Michigan's passing game, but nobody fits the mold better than Peoples-Jones.
The Cass Tech High School product was expected to make a major impact from the moment he stepped on campus. Michigan got a glimpse of what that looks like against Air Force, and it needs much more going forward.