The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
142 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW CLASS RANKINGS On3 Industry Ranking – 10th ESPN.com – 11th Rivals – 11th 247 Sports – 13th Starters (7) Blake Corum (28 career starts) Jaylen Harrell (30) Kris Jenkins (33) Braiden McGregor (18) Makari Paige (32) Roman Wilson (23) Zak Zinter (42) Specialists/Key Reserves (1) Kalel Mullings (5) Departures (15) Reece Atteberry Eamonn Dennis Darion Green-Warren A.J. Henning Matthew Hibner Nikhai Hill-Green (6 starts) Aaron Lewis William Mohan Jordan Morant RJ Moten (15) Jeffrey Persi (3) Osman Savage Andre Seldon Dan Villari Cornell Wheeler YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD 2020: 2-4, 2-4 Big Ten, No bowl ap- pearance. Final Rankings: AP unranked, Coaches unranked 2021: 12-2, 8-1 Big Ten, Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal) vs. Georgia (L, 34-11). Final Rankings: AP No. 3, Coaches No. 3 2022: 13-1, 9-0 Big Ten, Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal) vs. TCU (L, 51-45). Final Rank- ings: AP No. 3, Coaches No. 3 2023: 15-0, 9-0 Big Ten, Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal) vs. Alabama (W, 27-20 OT), CFP National Championship vs. Washington (W, 34-13). Final Rankings: AP No. 1, Coaches No. 1 2024: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten, ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Alabama (W, 19-13). Final Rankings: AP unranked, Coaches unranked FIVE-YEAR RECORD Overall: 50-12 (.806) Big Ten: 37-6 (.860) Bowl Games: 3-2 Versus Ohio State: 4-0 Versus Michigan State: 3–2 Top-20 AP Finishes: 3 – 2021, 2022, 2023 Top Six Performances 1. Blake Corum vs. Washington, 2024 National Championship Corum saved a vintage star-making performance for U-M's 34-13 national title win over Washington on Jan. 8, 2024. A little over two years after rushing for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns in a win over Washington in 2021, Corum finished the CFP Championship win with 134 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries. The scoring runs were his 26th and 27th of the year, extending his school record in the biggest game of his life. 2. Blake Corum vs. Alabama, 2024 College Football Playoff Semifinal Corum's clutch postseason kicked off with several legendary plays in the season's biggest moment with U-M on the ropes. He finished the contest with 19 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown, along with 2 catches for 35 yards and a receiving score. Corum picked up a critical fourth-down catch on the game-tying drive in regulation, then followed it up with 2 rushes for 25 yards and the game-winning score in overtime. One year after he was rehabbing his knee in Los Angeles while TCU beat U-M, 51-46, he had an iconic showing in "The Granddaddy of Them All." 3. Roman Wilson vs. Alabama, 2024 College Football Playoff Semifinal Wilson had put up bigger stat lines throughout his career, including 6 touchdowns on his first 12 touches of the season. Still, his 4 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown was needed in every way. One of his grabs against the Crimson Tide came on a botched trick play on a pass from Donovan Edwards to J.J. McCarthy, who lobbed the ball down the field before getting creamed in the second quarter. He had a catch that set up the team inside the 10-yard line with a little over two minutes to go, and then scored the game-tying touchdown two plays later. 4. Blake Corum at Penn State, 2023 With Jim Harbaugh's suspension going into effect just before kickoff and the PSU pass rush forcing U-M to put the ball on the ground, Corum helped his team keep its perfect season alive through the illegal scouting allegations. Michigan ran the ball 32 straight times to end the game, and Corum was the bell cow with 26 carries for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns. He put the game on ice with a 30-yard run with 4:15 to go in a 24-15 win in raucous Happy Valley. 5. Kalel Mullings vs. USC, 2024 Michigan's switch to Alex Orji as its starting quarterback for the Big Ten season opener meant a run- heavy approach, and Mullings answered the call. He had a 53-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, which gave the Wolverines an early lead and sparked a 14-3 advantage at the half. USC stormed back to take a 24-20 lead with 7:01 remaining, but in the game's final drive, Mullings reeled off a 63-yard run on third-and-1 at the USC 17, setting Michigan up for a victory that was achieved by his ensuing 1-yard touchdown run. He finished the day with 17 carries for 159 yards and 2 scores. 6. Blake Corum vs. Maryland, 2022 Michigan had some competitive rust to knock off with a weak nonconference schedule, and in the Big Ten opener against Maryland, Corum was there to set the pace and save the day in a 34-27 victory. Corum ran 30 times for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns. His longest rush came on a 47-yard touchdown run with 3:31 to go to give the Wolverines a 34-19 lead. Wide receiver Roman Wilson made a fingertip grab for a 29-yard gain on Michigan's game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, scoring two plays later on this 4-yard touchdown reception. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF