The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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16 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2025 PHOTO COURTESY NFL PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL NUMBERS AND QUOTES BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Team 2024 Rerank 2022 Rank Difference Michigan 1st 9th +8 Penn State 2nd 7th +5 Georgia 3rd 3rd — Boise State 4th 64th +60 Texas 5th 5th — LSU 6th 12th +6 Alabama 7th 2nd -5 Iowa State 8th 40th +32 Arizona 9th 28th +19 Tennessee 10th 15th +5 3 Michigan prospects — all members of the 2022 recruiting class — appeared on ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s top-25 big board released Feb. 4 — defensive tackle Mason Graham (No. 3), cornerback Will Johnson (No. 9) and tight end COLSTON LOVELAND (No. 13). Kenneth Grant, meanwhile, ranked as the third-best defensive tackle in the draft class, behind Graham and Ole Miss' Walter Nolen. 2 Michigan Wolverines were named "way- too-early" All-Americans for the 2025 sea- son by ESPN.com's Chris Low — graduate safety Rod Moore and senior kicker Dominic Zvada. They are two of six players from the Big Ten to make the 26-player list, joining Penn State offen- sive lineman Olaivavega Ioane, Ohio State tight end Max Klare, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. 11 11 Straight seasons with at least one former Michigan foot- ball player winning the Super Bowl. Defensive end and team captain BRANDON GRAHAM, offensive lineman Trevor Keegan and linebacker/fullback Ben VanSumeren of the Philadelphia Eagles took home the NFL's Lombardi Trophy with a 40-22 victory over defensive end Mike Danna and outside linebacker Joshua Uche of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. 21st Is where Michigan appeared in The Athletic's final 1-134 ranking of every FBS team after the 2024 sea- son, with the Wolverines finishing 8-5 overall, high- lighted by three straight victories to cap off the year. The ranking is nothing to scoff at, either, considering how the Maize and Blue's season played out. U-M didn't appear in the Associated Press Top 25 after checking in No. 24 in the Oct. 13 release and then losing to Illinois, 21-7, later that week. What I believe our competitive advantage can be going forward is the culture that we developed here, that started years and years ago, that obviously peaked at a national championship level. Was that 2023 national championship team the most talented in the country? Maybe. Certainly, extraordinarily talented guys. But it was the best team in America with the best culture in America. That can be our competitive advantage in this environment today." — Michigan football general manager Sean Magee on the "In The Trenches" podcast He's a keg of dynamite coming off the edge. He is not tall, but he is ex- plosive, and he plays with as much tenacity and effort as anyone in this entire draft class." — Analyst Daniel Jeremiah discussing Michigan edge Josaiah Stewart on NFL Network 1st 1st Is where Michigan football's 2022 recruiting class slotted in ESPN.com's rerank released in late January. "This Wolverines class boasted two playoff appearances and a national championship, propelling them to the No. 1 slot," Craig Haubert wrote. The class has posted an aggregate 36-6 record (85.7 winning percentage) in the past three seasons. Here are the top 10 college recruiting classes of 2022 in the ESPN reranking and where they stood after signing day in February 2022, per the On3 Industry Ranking. ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS