The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 143 Final Grade: B+ Corum does a lot of the heavy lifting here, given his standing as one of the most impactful players in program history, and someone who belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of Harbaugh-era players along with Zinter. Only eight of the 23 players signed actually finished their time with the program, while the players who transferred out, outside of Moten and Hill-Green, were not impactful at any point in their careers. Given that they signed during the dawn of the NIL and transfer portal developments, it might not be all that surprising. The group produced five NFL Draft picks with Jenkins leading the way as the cycle's only top-50 selection. Three others went in the third round (Corum, Wilson, Zinter), while Mullings closed out the class's draft output by going in the sixth round in 2025. Corum might have gone higher had he not suffered the knee injury in 2022 and the number of carries he had during his time wearing a winged helmet. The hits in the class made up for a good amount of misses. The class featured players who produced many legacy moments and guys like Corum and Mullings who became workhorse tailbacks. However, compared to the 2019 class that produced cornerstone players like safety Daxton Hill, offensive lineman Trevor Keegan, defensive back Mike Sainristil, defensive lineman Mazi Smith, corner- back DJ Turner and others among eight NFL Draft picks, this group fell short in the aggregate. NFL Draft Picks DT Kris Jenkins — Cincinnati Bengals; second round, No. 49 overall in 2024 RB Blake Corum — Los Angeles Rams; third round, No. 83 overall in 2024 WR Roman Wilson — Pittsburgh Steelers; third round, No. 84 overall in 2024 OG Zak Zinter — Cleveland Browns; third round, No. 85 overall in 2024 RB Kalel Mullings — Tennessee Titans; sixth round, No. 188 overall in 2025 Reece Atteberry OT 24 D Atteberry was an offensive lineman before switching to the defensive line in 2023. He made 14 appearances in his final season before en- tering the transfer portal in 2024. He never materialized elsewhere. Blake Corum RB 45 A+ Corum suited up for 45 games with 28 starts in his career, earning first-team All-America nods in 2022-23 (unanimous during his junior season) in addition to finishing in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting twice and earning a pair of Big Ten Running Back of the Year awards. He finished his career seventh all-time in rushing yards (3,737) in addition to holding program records for rushing scores (58), total touchdowns (61) and career points scored (366). The Los Angeles Rams selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Eamonn Dennis ATH 29 D+ Dennis played in 29 games during his Michigan career, primarily as a special-teams player. He transferred to Ohio University following the 2023 season. Darion Green-Warren CB 0 F Never played in a U-M game during his career and transferred to Nevada in 2022. Jaylen Harrell EDGE 46 A- Appeared in 46 contests with 31 starts in his career, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention honors in both 2022 and '23. He started all 15 games in 2023, racking up a team-high 9 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. The Tennessee Titans selected him in the seventh round in 2024. A.J. Henning WR 33 C+ Two-time All-Big Ten selection as a returner appeared in 33 career games at wide receiver with three starts and made 24 appear- ances as a returner. Henning returned 28 punts for 201 yards and 1 touchdown and 11 kickoffs for 241 yards, along with 9 recep- tions for 60 yards, and 9 yards on 3 carries. Henning transferred to Northwestern in 2023 and signed with the Miami Dolphins in the spring of 2025. Matthew Hibner TE 28 D+ Hibner got into 28 games during his U-M career, including 16 appear- ances at tight end while primarily contributing on special teams. He transferred to SMU in 2024, where he started eight of 14 games for the ACC champs with 24 receptions for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns. Nikhai Hill-Green LB 18 C+ Did not see game action in 2022 while dealing with a soft tissue injury. Hill-Green, who recorded 50 tackles in 2021, transferred to Charlotte to play for Biff Poggi in 2023 before transferring again to Colorado. He transferred to Alabama in December 2024. Kris Jenkins EDGE 44 A One of the tone-setters for the U-M defense, Jenkins appeared in 44 games with 32 starts and was a team captain during the 2023 champi- onship season. He was a two-team All-Big Ten selection and a second- team All-American in 2023, eventually being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Aaron Lewis EDGE 0 Inc. Enrolled early in 2020 but decided to transfer that summer. He would Class Of 2020 Summary Name Position Appearances Ind. Grade Name Position Appearances Ind. Grade Four-star wideout A.J. Henning represented the No. 11-ranked 2020 Michigan recruiting class on the cover of The Wolver- ine's annual recruiting issue. A two-time All-Big Ten selec- tion as a return man, he transferred to Northwestern in 2023 and signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins this past spring.