Michigan, for whatever reason, refuses to release a depth chart for its college football program so neither will New Mexico. The Lobos mocked the Wolverines’ secrecy by starting Tom Hanks on offense, Tom Cruise on defense and Leonardo DiCaprio on special teams.
It is the perfect response to one of the most dramatic protocols in sports.
The vast majority of college football teams present some kind of depth chart at the beginning of the season. There is only one team that repeatedly refuses to do so.
Where is Michigan’s depth chart?
The Wolverines used to release depth charts to the media prior to the arrival of Jim Harbaugh. The national championship head coach decided to stop doing so in 2017.
His decision was three-fold:
- Withholding the depth chart could give Michigan a strategic edge by keeping opponents uncertain about various player roles and matchups.
- By keeping internal roster decisions private, there are not as many questions to be asked about why one player is ahead of another, etc.
- Neither the NCAA nor Big Ten require public depth charts so there is no reason to do so.
Harbaugh ultimately bolted for the NFL in 2024 but Sherrone Moore continued this procedure.
I understand the logic behind it, but I see no reason that a Big Ten powerhouse needs a competitive advantage over a school like New Mexico. And every opponent from that point forward can create their own depth chart by watching the Wolverines’ game film from the week prior.
New Mexico switched out its college football players for two famous actors.
The Lobos normally release a depth chart to the media prior to its first game of the season and every game thereafter. It may not be final, with plenty of positions left open-ended with the use of ‘OR’ to indicate multiple players vying for the same spot, but they at least provide a general idea.
Just not this week.
Instead, New Mexico decided to mock Michigan for its secrecy. The depth chart features two famous actors instead of players. Tom Hanks will start on offense at 6-foot-0, 174 pounds. Tom Cruise will start on defense at 5-foot-7, 170 pounds. Leonardo DiCaprio will start on special teams at 6-foot-0, 170 pounds.
Each listed player represents one of their characters. Their “Class” and “Experience” represents the movie that character is from.
Really great stuff here. UNM Associate AD Frank Mercogliano deserves his flowers for this idea.
The funniest possible outcome is that the Lobos still manage to beat the Wolverines. I doubt it, but maybe Lawrence Whatley Bourne III and Charles “Sully” Sullenberger can lead them to victory!