The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
20 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL A total of 25 states plus the District of Columbia, Canada, France and Ger- many are represented on the 2023 Michigan roster of scholarship players. Here's a breakdown of states with the most representation and a look at the key play- ers from each. 1. Michigan (14) Unsurprisingly, a bulk of the Wolverines' players come from their backyard. Michigan has always re- cruited its own state well, and some of its best players grew up just down the road from Ann Arbor. G r a d u a t e o f f e n s i v e tackle Karsen Barnhart (Paw Paw), senior edge Braiden McGregor (Port Huron) and safety Makari Paige (West Bloomfield) lead the way among scholarship play- ers with the most experience in the pro- gram. Running back Donovan Edwards (West Bloomfield), guard Giovanni El- Hadi (Sterling Heights), center Raheem Anderson (Detroit), defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny (Detroit) and punter Tommy Doman (West Bloomfield) are entering their third seasons with the pro- gram. Sophomore cornerback Will John- son (Grosse Point) is the lone sophomore in the group. Four true freshmen make their way into the program from their home state in run- ning back Cole Cabana (Dexter), wide re- ceiver Semaj Morgan (West Bloomfield), offensive lineman Amir Herring (South- field) and kicker Adam Samaha (Ypsi- lanti). Kicker James Turner (Saline) joined via the transfer portal this offseason. T2. Illinois (9) Offensive guard Trevor Keegan (Crystal Lake) returns for a fifth season for the Wolverines and is joined by junior quar- terback J.J. McCarthy (La Grange Park) at the top of the depth chart. Other Wolver- ines from Illinois include junior edge Ty- ler McLaurin (Bolingbrook), sophomore wide receiver Tyler Morris (Bolingbrook) and sophomore linebacker Jimmy Rolder (Orland Park). New faces in the program in 2023 in- clude cornerback Jyaire Hill (Kankakee), tight end Deakon Tonielli (Oswego), de- fensive lineman Roderick Pierce (Oak Lawn) and defensive lineman Brooks Bahr (Lake Forest). T2. California (9) Senior offensive tackle Jeffrey Persi (Mission Viejo), junior quarterback Da- vis Warren (Los Angeles), junior wide receiver Cristian Dixon (Santa Ana), sophomore defensive back Zeke Berry (Pittsburg), sophomore quarterback Jayden Denegal (Apple Valley) and soph- omore defensive lineman Mason Graham (Anaheim) all return to the U-M roster from last season. Three players joined the roster from California ahead of the 2023 season in graduate transfer quarterback Jack Tuttle (San Marcos), winter enrollee tight end Zack Marshall (Carlsbad) and defensive lineman Cameron Brandt (Chatsworth). T4. Massachusetts (8) U-M's pipeline in Massachusetts re- mains intact this year with graduate de- fensive back Mike Sainristil (Everett), senior guard Zak Zinter (North Andover), senior linebacker Kalel Mullings (West Roxbury) and se- nior wide receiver Eamonn Dennis (Worcester) leading the representation. J u n i o r e d ge T J G u y (Mansfield), junior cen- ter Greg Crippen (North- borough) and junior wide receiver Peyton O'Leary (Byfield) are the others re- turning for the new cam- paign. The Wolverines also added junior edge Josiah Stewart to the roster via the transfer portal. Stew- art lists Bronx, N.Y., as his hometown but he played high school in Everett. T4. Ohio (8) Michigan bolstered its war chest of players from t h e B u c keye S ta te t h i s offseason, adding five new faces via re- cruiting and the transfer portal in early enrollee cornerback Cameron Calhoun (Cincinnati), linebacker Jason Hewlett (Youngstown), safety DJ Waller Jr. (Youngstown) and edge Breeon Ishmail (Cincinnati). Former Indiana tight end AJ Barner (Aurora) made the leap to U-M this winter. Graduate linebacker Joey Velasquez (Columbus) is U-M's longest-tenured player from Ohio, while junior safety Rod Moore (Clayton) enters as a projected starter. — Anthony Broome Scholarship Roster by State/Country 14 Michigan 9 California, Illinois 8 Massachusetts, Ohio 6 Georgia, Texas 5 Colorado 4 Florida, Maryland 3 Connecticut, Tennessee, Virginia 2 Missouri, New Jersey 1 Alabama, Dist. of Columbia, Hawai'i, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Canada, France and Germany States Of Michigan, Illinois And California Have Most Players On U-M Roster Junior running back Donovan Edwards helped lead West Bloomfield (Mich.) High to a Division 1 state championship in 2020 and has been an integral part of back-to- back Big Ten championship teams at U-M in 2021 and '22. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN