The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2023 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE M ichigan's 2021 class stuck together as commits during a rough 2020 season, made an impact right away and includes a few of the Wolverines' very best players entering the 2023 campaign, with the group now upperclassmen. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has even said quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Co. helped "reinvigorate" him. Since they've come in, the Wolverines are 25- 3, undefeated against Ohio State and have won two Big Ten championships. Recruiting Name Pos. Stars ANDREL ANTHONY WR ★★★ Showed great promise in a loss at Michigan State in 2021, going off for 6 catches, 155 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. However, his impact was otherwise minimal. He totaled 19 grabs for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns in his two-year career, before transfer- ring to Oklahoma this offseason, where he's expected to be a featured pass catcher. 2021 CLASS REVIEW REPORT CARD Players In Class: 22 On3 Industry Team Ranking: 14th Players Still At Michigan: 19 There's some real top-end talent in this group, including the team's main man at quarterback, McCarthy, who's one of five to have starting ex- perience. Others, like Benny, Crippen, Hood and McBurrows are breakout candidates this season. From a culture standpoint, too, the 2021 class couldn't have been a better fit. There are quite a few members, though, that need to come to the forefront on the field for the grade to be an "A." B+ GAME CHANGERS The 2021 Class Has Made A Huge Impact Quarterback J.J. McCarthy accounted for 3,395 yards of total offense and 34 touchdowns during his first two seasons at Michigan. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY