The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 143 Final Grade: B Compared to the 2020 class, this haul was a bit lighter on high-end impact but still had players who factored into several iconic wins and moments. The most impactful signee for Michigan was McCarthy, finally giving the program a star signal-caller that panned out in Harbaugh's sixth full recruiting cycle. His arm talent, athleticism and competitiveness served as one of the major reasons that the Wolverines were able to push through their postseason plateau and win a national championship. Edwards was not as consistent a tailback as some thought he might be, but his legendary performances against Ohio State and in the national title game will go down as some of the most memorable in program history. Colson was a steady force at linebacker and tremendous at cleaning up plays at the second level and being reliable when called upon to make plays. Three players from this cycle would become NFL Draft selections in McCarthy, Colson and Benny. The story is still being written for Moore, who could have entered the NFL Draft in 2024 but decided to return, then spent the next two years injured. Like any recruiting class, there are always misses and transfers, especially in the era of player movement year over year. NFL DRAFT PICKS QB J.J. McCarthy — Minnesota Vikings; first round, No. 10 overall in 2024 LB Junior Colson — Los Angeles Chargers; third round, No. 69 overall in 2024 DT Rayshaun Benny — Baltimore Ravens; seventh round, No. 250 overall in 2026 CLASS RANKINGS Rivals Industry Ranking – 15th On3 – 14th ESPN.com – 11th 247 Sports – 13th Rivals – 11th Starters (7) Rayshaun Benny (16 career starts) Junior Colson (36) Greg Crippen (21) Donovan Edwards (14) Giovanni El-Hadi (25) J.J. McCarthy (28) Rod Moore (29) Specialists/Key Reserves (2) TJ Guy (7) Ike Iwunnah Departures (13) Raheem Anderson Andrel Anthony Kechaun Bennett Tristan Bounds Cristian Dixon Tommy Doman Tavierre Dunlap Dominick Guidice Louis Hansen Jaydon Hood Ja'Den McBurrows Tyler McLaurin George Rooks YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD 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. Washing- ton (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 2025: 9-4, 7-2 Big Ten, Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Texas (L, 42-27). Final Rankings: AP No. 21, Coaches No. 22 FIVE-YEAR RECORD Overall: 57-12 (.826) Big Ten: 38-7 (.844) Bowl Games: 3-3 Versus Ohio State: 4-1 Versus Michigan State: 4-1 Top-20 AP Finishes: 3 – 2021, 2022, 2023 Linebacker Junior Colson led the Wolverines in tackles in 2022 and '23. He was picked by his college coach Jim Harbaugh (left) and the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF