The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
140 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY ANTHONY BROOME M ichigan's 2020 recruiting class was another strong group that helped the program achieve na- tional championship glory, in addition to three Big Ten champion- ships and a 4-0 record against the hated Ohio State Buckeyes. The 2018 class set a foundation, 2019 added some more star power and another handful of founda- tional players, and 2020 helped cement the teams of the early '20s as legends. The class ranked 11th in the nation when it was signed, and 10th in the na- tion according to the current On3 Indus- try Ranking look-back ranking. A vast majority of the group wound up finish- ing their careers elsewhere or still have one season remaining at another school. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and staff signed 23 players in the cycle, headlined by a quartet of top-150 prospects in wide receiver A.J. Henning (No. 98 overall), running back Blake Corum (No. 118), defensive lineman Braiden McGregor (No. 122) and linebacker-turned-run- ning back Kalel Mullings (No. 133). The other four-star signees included corner- back Andre Seldon Jr. (No. 166), safety Jordan Morant (No. 170), cornerback Darion Green-Warren (No. 195), safety Makari Paige (No. 224), safety RJ Moten (No. 227), wide receiver Roman Wilson (No. 269), offensive lineman Zak Zinter (No. 294), offensive tackle Jeffrey Persi (No. 310), edge Jaylen Harrell (No. 319), linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green (No. 338) and linebacker Osman Savage (No. 377). Among the rest of the class, 487th- ranked Kris Jenkins wound up being the biggest diamond in the rough, developing into a starter and a future NFL Draft pick. He was one of eight players from the class who finished their career at Michigan, joining Corum, Harrell, McGregor, Mull- ings, Paige, Wilson and Zinter. Three of the 15 players who finished their careers elsewhere started games in Ann Arbor, headlined by Moten, Hill-Green and Persi. The group entered the program un- der unusual circumstances during the COVID-impacted 2020 season, in which U-M posted a disappointing 2-4 record. But throughout their collective careers, those who stayed compiled a 50-12 record overall with five NFL Draft selections. Championship Pedigree Michigan's 2020 Recruiting Class Had Stars, Iconic Moments All-America running back Blake Corum returned for "unfinished business" in 2023, and he left with a national championship and school records in career scoring (366 points), and career and single-season touchdowns (61, 28) as well as career and single-season rushing touchdowns (58, 27). PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF