The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 41 KENNETH GRANT DL ★★★★ Grant showed up in all 15 contests in 2023, garnering second-team All- Big Ten honors from the coaches and a third-team nod from the media. He is expected to start next to Graham in 2024 and was listed as the No. 3 "freak" nationally by The Athletic's Bruce Feld- man in his annual ranking of college football's most athletic players. WILL JOHNSON CB ★★★★★ The Freshman All-American in 2022 turned himself into an All-American and consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection last season. Johnson capped his sophomore season by earning De- fensive MVP honors in the CFP National Championship Game. CONNOR JONES OT ★★★ Jones made appearances in two games in 2022 on the offensive line and one game as a special teamer last season. He is expected to compete for a key reserve role in the trenches. KODY JONES CB ★★★★ Jones played in four contests at de- fensive back in 2022, making 5 tackles, and had three appearances with 1 tackle in 2023. He should have a depth and special teams role this season. MARLIN KLEIN TE ★★★ Klein made two appearances as a freshman before playing in 10 games in 2023. He is expected to be the No. 2 tight end next to Colston Loveland this fall and is a name to watch for a breakout season. ALESSANDRO LORENZETTI IOL N/R Lorenzetti has not seen game action in his first two seasons in Ann Arbor and is now listed as a defensive lineman. COLSTON LOVELAND TE ★★★★ Loveland appeared in all 14 games with five starts as a freshman before appearing in all 15 games with 12 starts last season. He earned first-team All- Big Ten honors as a sophomore and is considered the top tight end in college football entering this season. DERRICK MOORE EDGE ★★★★ Moore has appeared in 29 career games as a key reserve and is expected to move into a starting role during the 2024 season. His play in 2023 earned him honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. TYLER MORRIS WR ★★★★ Morris is expected to take the reins as the No. 1 wide receiver this year after playing in all 15 games with four starts last season. He had 2 catches for 45 yards against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, including a 38-yard touchdown toward the end of the first half. ALEX ORJI ATH ★★★★ Orji has appeared in nine career games at quarterback, attempting and com- pleting 1 pass for 5 yards in addition to 21 carries for 123 yards in his career. He is a strong contender to start at quarterback this fall, and even if he doesn't win the QB derby, the coaches still envision a role for him on offense due to his run- ning ability and overall athleticism. MICAH POLLARD LB ★★★ Pollard appeared in all 15 games as a special teamer and four as a linebacker during the 2023 season. He is in con- tention for a two-deep spot on the line- backer depth chart in 2024. MYLES POLLARD CB ★★★ Pollard appeared in four games over the last two years, primarily making his impact on the scout team. JIMMY ROLDER LB ★★★★ Rolder played in 13 games in 2022 be- fore redshirting last season, appearing in four regular-season games and two postseason contests. He could play a major role as the third linebacker on the field this fall. KEON SABB S ★★★★ Sabb appeared in 14 games with five starts last season before transferring to Al- abama after the end of the 2023 campaign. DEUCE SPURLOCK ATH ★★★ Spurlock appeared in two games at linebacker in 2022 but transferred to Florida following his freshman season. CJ STOKES RB ★★★ Stokes played in 11 games as a fresh- man, but only two during the 2023 cam- paign. He transferred to UNC Charlotte last December, prior to the College Football Playoff. AMORION WALKER WR ★★★ Walker was recruited to play wide receiver at Michigan before switching to cornerback last season, appearing in five games. He transferred to Ole Miss during the winter and played spring ball with the Rebels, but he returned to Ann Arbor in the spring portal period and has switched back to wide receiver. ❏ * On3 Industry Ranking REPORT CARD Players in Class: 23 On3 Industry Ranking: 9th Players Still At Michigan: 18 The 2022 class is still mostly intact despite a trio of transfers this offseason in Darrius Clemons, Keon Sabb and CJ Stokes, in addition to the departures of Deuce Spurlock and Damani Dent in 2023. With at least 11 players factoring into the two-deep depth chart this fall and a handful of others that could work themselves into key roles, the story is still to be written on the class at large. But the top-end contributions have been elite. TOP CONTRIBUTOR TO DATE CB Will Johnson: By the end of his freshman season, Johnson was arguably the best cornerback on U-M's roster and a rising star in college football. His sophomore season established him as arguably the best corner in the country as a first-team All-American and Defensive MVP in the CFP title game. UNSUNG HERO DT Kenneth Grant: Mason Graham gets the deserved accolades as one of the best defensive players in the country, but Grant could be neck and neck with him when all is said and done this season. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023. READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT THIS FALL DB Zeke Berry: He was a riser last offseason before a camp injury hampered his ability to make a big- time impact. This year, Berry enters the season as the favorite to replace Mike Sainristil in the starting nickel role. Based on camp buzz, there might not be as much of a drop-off there as some may think, with Berry drawing favorable comparisons to Daxton Hill. A