The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 leader for pass breakups by a defensive line- man (12), Grant tallied 32 tackles, 6.5 stops for loss, 3 sacks, 5 passes defended and 2 fumble recoveries as a junior. CONNOR JONES OT HHH Appeared in two games as a freshman in 2022, his only action as a Wolverine to this point. KODY JONES CB HHHH Competed in 15 games as a reserve in three seasons in Ann Arbor, prior to transferring to Memphis (spring 2025) and finally Kennesaw State (fall 2025). WILL JOHNSON CB HHHHH The Defensive MVP of the College Football Playoff national championship game to cap off the 2023 season, Johnson became the No. 47 overall draft selection this year. He started six games at cornerback in 2024, to- taling 14 tackles, 1 TFL, 5 pass breakups and 2 interceptions, before suffering a season- ending injury. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2024 and consensus first- teamer in 2023. He also earned a first-team All-America nod by Sports Illustrated in 2023. MARLIN KLEIN TE HHH The Cologne, Germany, native appeared in 13 games with six starts last season, hauling in 13 catches for 108 yards. The team's most improved player on offense in 2024, Klein is projected as a starter entering the 2025 campaign. ALESSANDRO LORENZETTI IOL N/R Came to the program as an offensive line- man but switched to defensive line, didn't appear in any games in three years and en- tered the transfer portal this spring. COLSTON LOVELAND TE HHHH The first tight end taken in the 2025 NFL Draft (No. 10 overall), Loveland was named a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and a first- team All-Big Ten selection in 2024. He ap- peared in 10 games, leading the team with a single-season program tight end record 56 catches for 582 yards and 5 touchdowns. He caught 45 passes for 649 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023, earning first-team All- Big Ten honors. Loveland had 2 touchdowns as a freshman in 2022, totaling 16 catches for 235 yards. DERRICK MOORE EDGE HHHH Moore racked up 23 tackles with 6 for loss and 4 sacks, 4 quarterback hurries, 2 pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 2024, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten rec- ognition. He tallied 34 tackles with 6 for loss and 5 sacks in 2023, and posted 8 tackles and 2 sacks as a key backup on the 2022 team. Moore was the second-highest rated recruit in the class (No. 37 overall), behind only Johnson (No. 16). TYLER MORRIS WR HHHH The Bolingbrook, Ill., native led U-M's wide receivers with 248 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on 23 catches in 2024, before transferring to Indiana. He tore his ACL in his first spring with the Hoosiers and will miss this fall's campaign. Morris hauled in 16 catches for 222 yards and a score in his first two seasons in the maize and blue. ALEX ORJI ATH HHHH Started three games at quarterback last season — versus USC, Minnesota and Wash- ington — and appeared in 11. He completed 25 of his 47 passes for 150 yards and 3 touch- downs with 2 interceptions, and he also rushed 53 times for 260 yards and a score. A change-of-pace quarterback in 2023, he rushed 15 times for 85 yards and a touch- down in six games. Orji made the move to UNLV this offseason and is in a battle with Virginia transfer Anthony Colandrea for the starting job. MICAH POLLARD LB HHH Transferred to Liberty this offseason, af- ter appearing in 17 games, with most of his snaps coming on special teams, during his three-year career in Ann Arbor. MYLES POLLARD CB HHH The Nashville, Tenn., native transferred to Memphis following the 2024 campaign. He saw action in eight contests, making 2 tack- les, as a Wolverine. JIMMY ROLDER LB HHHH Has been considered a "third starter" since the start of last season and is set to assume that role again, playing significant snaps along with seniors Jaishawn Barham and Er- nest Hausmann. He appeared in 12 tilts last season, making 26 tackles with 1.5 for loss. The Orland Park, Ill., native saw time in six games in 2023 and 13 in 2022, recording 19 tackles in that two-year span. KEON SABB S HHHH In 2023, he tallied 28 tackles, 1 stop for loss, 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups, and broke out in the national championship game win over Washington, notching 2 pass breakups. That came after seeing time late in four games as a freshman in 2022. Sabb transferred to Alabama in 2024, where he made 39 tackles and 2 interceptions in seven contests before going down with a season- ending injury. DEUCE SPURLOCK ATH HHH Entered the transfer portal in January 2023 after one year at Michigan in which he com- peted in two games. The Alabama native played at Florida from 2023-24 and is now at Liberty. CJ STOKES RB HHH Rushed 55 times for 273 yards and 1 touch- down as a freshman in 2022, before notching 4 carries for 8 yards in two contests in 2023. He transferred to Charlotte, where he posted 7 rushes for 33 yards and a score in 2024. AMORION WALKER WR HHH Spent two seasons at Michigan, transferred to Ole Miss for the spring of 2024, returned to the Wolverines for the 2024 season and then left for Middle Tennessee State this spring. Walker played both wide receiver and defensive back during his U-M career, recording 4 catches for 38 yards, 3 tackles and 1 pass breakup. ❏ TOP CONTRIBUTOR TO DATE DT Mason Graham The Mission Viejo, Calif., native went from the No. 298 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the Rivals Indus- try Ranking, to a unanimous first-team All-American in 2024 and the No. 5 over- all NFL Draft pick in 2025. Graham was dominant from Day 1, playing in all 14 games with two starts as a freshman be- fore taking over as a full-time starter his final two seasons. A true game-changer, Graham took over multiple tilts defen- sively, with the 13-10 win over Ohio State in 2024 being his masterpiece. UNSUNG HERO Edge Derrick Moore Moore has only been a starter one sea- son, but he's missed only one game during the last three seasons and has made big play after big play. Totaling 9 sacks over the last two years, Moore was tied atop the Wolverines' defense with 37 quarter- back pressures in 2024, and the Baltimore native made the game-winning tackle on fourth down in overtime of the CFP semifi- nal game against Alabama in 2023. READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT THIS FALL TE Marlin Klein The German led Michigan tight ends and ranked eighth on the offense with 418 snaps last season, but this is his time to break out. Colston Loveland has de- parted for the NFL, clearing the way for more opportunities for Klein, who's been described as faster than last year's No. 10 overall pick.