The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 135 fensive coordinator Kirk Campbell was dismissed days after the win over the Buckeyes. Michigan had some struggles de - fensively early in the year under new coordinator Wink Martindale, but the group rallied late in the season despite missing cornerback Will Johnson to in - jury in the last half of the year. Junior defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, along with edge Josaiah Stewart, were dominant throughout the campaign. The two future first- round tackles were directly responsible for the upset over Ohio State, forming a brick wall that the Buckeyes were un - able to penetrate, despite their insis- tence on trying. U-M's bowl win over Alabama fea- tured many players on both sides of the ball who will play prominent roles in 2025, and the hope is that the victory serves as a springboard into something greater this season. TOP STORYLINES 1. SURVIVING AND BUILDING TOWARD THE FUTURE The start of the Sherrone Moore era brought about a flurry of activity in the early stages of his time at Michigan. First, he worked to retain some of the key assistants, and then had to re- place them when most left for NFL opportuni- ties. Moore had to make a few more unantici- pated changes to the staff due to alcohol-related arrests from former defensive line coach Greg Scruggs and former recruiting staffer Denard Robinson, both coming in the lead-up to spring football. Additionally, the moment Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, rumors of tampering emerged with other programs poking around on the avail- ability for some of Michigan's top players and future NFL Draft picks. There was much to deal with both administratively and with the roster. Once all of that had settled down, a founda- tion needed to be set. However, the Wolverines were still figuring each other out, offensively and defensively through the first 10 games, posting a 5-5 record. Then a bolt of lightning hit the program in No- vember with the commitment of the nation's No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood, giving the Wolverines some momentum. Wins over Northwestern, Ohio State and Alabama followed, giving Michigan a respectable 8-5 campaign in a transition year. U-M also signed the nation's No. 6 recruiting class. The 1-2 punch of a strong finish both on the field and in recruiting made it about as good an 8-5 year as it could be. TOP THREE INDIVIDUALS 1. DEFENSIVE TACKLE MASON GRAHAM Graham started all 12 regular-season games for U-M, leading the defensive line with 45 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, a pass defended and a blocked kick. His play made him a unanimous first-team All-American and a consensus first-team All-Big Ten honoree in addition to being named a finalist for the Nagurski, Outland and Lott IMPACT Trophy awards. He walked out of the 2024 season as Michigan's Defensive Player of the Year and a co-Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player award winner. Graham was one of many future pros to opt out of the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Alabama, leaving after a dominant, legacy-making showing in the win over Ohio State. The Cleveland Browns selected him No. 5 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, giving them a player with plenty of experience winning in the Buckeye State. 2. TIGHT END COLSTON LOVELAND The talented tight end was essentially the only true weapon that teams had to gameplan for on offense, at least in the passing game. He appeared in 10 games, setting a single-season U-M tight end record with 56 catches to go with 582 yards and 5 touchdowns, and led the team in receiving in every game he played in during the 2024 season. Michigan's Offensive Skill Player of the Year was a Mackey Award finalist and a second-team All-America honoree by the Football Writers Association of America, in addition to earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. Loveland declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and became the No. 10 overall pick of the Chicago Bears. 3. EDGE JOSAIAH STEWART The former Coastal Carolina transfer spent the 2023 season as part of a rotation and then emerged in 2024 as the go-to player in the U-M pass rush. He started 11 games, making 33 tackles with a team-leading 13 tackles for loss and a team-high 8.5 sacks, along with 7 quar- terback hurries and 2 forced fumbles. Halfway through the season, he was elevated to team captain status and finished the year as a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. The Los Angeles Rams took him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Junior defensive tackle Mason Graham was a force to be reckoned with in 2024. He finished his Michi- gan career as a unanimous first-team All-American and was selected No. 5 overall in the NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL