Tarik Black

• Spring Game Photo Gallery

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Fans aren't going to need oxygen masks while viewing the University of Michigan's new spread offense with its no-huddle approach. However, they are going to realize they can't check their phones nearly as often between plays.

Everything is bang-bang, moving along like a track meet.

Out is the pro-style offense Wolverine head coach Jim Harbaugh brought with him from the NFL, and the two-tight end sets will likely surface only occasionally in goal-line situations. There's not much need for a fullback with these basically three-wide out formations, and so bruising runner and blocker Ben Mason is now a defensive tackle. Though, he'll still be on loan to the offense at the right times.

The hashtag for what was going on between the hashmarks Saturday (April 13) at Michigan Stadium is #SpeedInSpace.

The best example of that in the informal spring scrimmage was the crossing route rising sophomore Ronnie Bell caught from quarterback Shea Patterson in open space before making safety Josh Metellus miss, running away from cornerback Ambry Thomas and slicing through three defenders inside the five-yard line to score. Bell took the ball 44 yards with his speed, quickness and feel for the best route to the end zone.

Is this offense made for a quick-twitch player like Bell?

"Oh, yeah," said Patterson. "He was pretty good last year, and is just a young guy coming on. He played a huge role this spring, and had a huge play on third down today, taking it 120 yards for a touchdown."

Patterson paused to chuckle after his exaggeration, adding, "It's fun."

Quarterback Dylan McCaffrey noted, "Ronnie, the sky's the limit for that kid. You saw what he did out there today. He made one of the craziest plays I think I've ever seen. I'm just really excited to see where he goes on offense."

Incoming freshman Mike Sainristil from Everett (Mass.) High also made an open-field catch on a Patterson pass and navigated his way to big yardage.

"Mike's another really fast guy," said McCaffrey. "He's quick-twitch, plays with a lot of energy and brings a lot of energy. So, this fits him really well."

Bell

Water bugs like Bell and Sainristil will complement proven downfield threats who are also great catching the ball in traffic like Donovan Peoples-Jones (who missed spring ball with an injury), Nico Collins , Tarik Black and Oliver Martin , who turned heads this spring.

Patterson was asked if this offense also was made for him. He played a form of the spread at Ole Miss.

"Yeah," he said. "I just feel natural out there taking reps. We also have an incredible quarterbacks coach in Ben McDaniels and playmakers are making plays."

It's also a great offense for Tru Wilson , the third-string tailback who provided spark last season and has carried the running load this spring. Karan Higdon is onto the NFL and backup Chris Evans is no longer on the team.

"It puts us in space," said Wilson. "It gives us a chance to make plays and you've got to win your one-on-one matchups at the end of the day. But I'm really enjoying it and the style of play we're in."

Highly-recruited freshman tailback and early enrollee Zach Charbonnet hasn't been able to get on the field because of an injury, but is expected back when preseason practices begin. Rising sophomore tailbacks Christian Turner and Hassan Haskins have shown promise, but also were out with injuries.

Harbaugh gave the design board and keys to the offense to coordinator Josh Gattis in January, and the pace of that unit immediately picked up in dramatic fashion.

What's the biggest difference?

"There are a number of things," said McCaffrey. "But it's just a new dynamic -- getting in the huddle and seeing guys red-faced. First couple of practices, it was definitely an adjustment. It took a little bit to get used to that.

"Our offense is definitely in good shape, and we're going to have to be this year. It'll show for sure. I think we needed the energy more than anything. Now, we're coming with energy."

Sainristil

McCaffrey's best plays Saturday were made with his feet. He scrambled for a first down, took a circuitous route to a big-gainer and scored on an option play.

"We have a group of athletic quarterbacks," said McCaffrey, "and this offense allows quarterbacks to be athletic. So, that will be good for us."

Both top quarterbacks have enjoyed working with Gattis, the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach last season at Alabama. He was the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Penn State from 2014-17.

So, Gattis has impacted some pretty accomplished quarterbacks in Trace McSorley, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts.

How has Gattis already impacted the Michigan quarterbacks?

"With his level of competitiveness and compassion for the game," said Patterson. "It's impacted everybody, and he brings that positive energy he feeds off of. That's been a definite effect on me so far."

"Energy" might as well be Gattis' middle name.

"He brings a lot of energy and it bleeds out of him onto all of us," said McCaffrey. "We play on energy."

McDaniels also has improved the quarterbacks. He spent two seasons as an offensive assistant with the Chicago Bears before joining the Wolverines last season as an offensive analyst and becoming the wide receivers coach for the Peach Bowl. McDaniels previously spent two years as an offensive analyst for both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos before becoming the offensive coordinator at Rutgers.

"The quarterbacks are in a better place -- especially in reading defenses," said McCaffrey. "He teaches it in a very simple way that comes across."

Patterson added, "(McDaniels) brings a level of focus, a level of being more engaged in everything you do. Even during practice, when you're not in taking reps, you're taking mental reps, and you should be totally mentally exhausted after practice by how locked in you are.

"It's really just how locked in you are in a lot of things. But he's definitely slowed things down for me."

McCaffrey

Patterson noted that, along with his time at Ole Miss before transferring to Michigan two years ago, he's on his sixth offensive coordinator in six seasons.

"It's something I'm used to," said Patterson. "I'm a quick learner. So, for me it's an easy transition."

Patterson said he watched Alabama play several times last season and was "excited" to get going with Gattis.

What does he like best about it now that he's been in Gattis' offense?

"All the playmakers around me," said Patterson, "and all the different ways we can get to whatever we want."

While the spread changes the offense, it also changes what defenses can do, making it more difficult to substitute personnel and keep pace.

"If you can get set before they do and get the play in," said McCaffrey, "a lot of times it bodes well for the offense. It's a great thing."

Michigan defensive lineman Donovan Jeter added with a smile, "I'm tired of them going hurry-up. It's annoying. I mean, it's good for us. But it's tough. Teams are going to try to go fast on us, though, and so it's a blessing and a curse. You're dead tired now, but it's going to be like that on Saturdays. So, I'm just glad the way our offense has changed. That tempo creates a lot of problems."

What fans saw on a breezy, sunny afternoon at the open scrimmage was a toned-down version of what will be seen in the Aug. 31 season opener with Middle Tennessee State and beyond.

Patterson was asked just how exciting that is going to be.

"Just tune in," Patterson said with a smile. "Wait and see."