The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 29 KENNETH GRANT DL ★★★★ Grant earned All-America third-team hon- ors in 2024, capping off a U-M career with 41 appearances, 17 starts and All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and 2024. The Miami Dol- phins selected Grant 13th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. CONNOR JONES OT ★★★ Played in 12 games over four seasons at Michigan before entering the transfer portal in December 2025, later signing with Georgia State for his fifth collegiate season. KODY JONES CB ★★★★ Jones appeared in 16 games over four seasons before entering the transfer por- tal following the 2024 season. He originally committed to Memphis but wound up at Kennesaw State in 2025 after the spring por- tal period. WILL JOHNSON CB ★★★★★ The Freshman All-American in 2022 turned himself into an All-America first-teamer and consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore, earning Defensive MVP honors in the 2023 CFP National Championship game. He was limited to six games in 2024, but still declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and was a second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals. MARLIN KLEIN TE ★★★ Klein spent most of his career as a backup tight end, but was named a team captain in 2025, hauling in a career-high 24 catches for 248 yards and a touchdown en route to All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. The Houston Texans selected Klein in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. ALESSANDRO LORENZETTI IOL N/R Never appeared in a game across three seasons in Ann Arbor and transferred to Bay- lor ahead of the 2025 campaign. Did not see game action last season and has returned for a fifth year in 2026. COLSTON LOVELAND TE ★★★★ Loveland finished his Michigan career with a team-high 56 catches (a single-season U-M tight end record) for 582 yards and 5 touch- downs in 2024 despite a late-season shoul- der injury. He entered the 2025 NFL Draft as a junior and was selected No. 10 overall by the Chicago Bears. DERRICK MOORE EDGE ★★★★ Named a 2025 team captain and made 53 career game appearances with 23 starts as a Wolverine, earning All-Big Ten honors three times, capping off his career as a first-team selection by the conference coaches in 2025. The Detroit Lions picked Moore in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. TYLER MORRIS WR ★★★★ Appeared in 34 games with 13 starts at Michigan before transferring to Indiana in 2025, but missed the season with a knee in- jury suffered in spring practice. He is return- ing to the Hoosiers for a fifth season in 2026. ALEX ORJI ATH ★★★★ Played in 20 games with three starts at quarterback at U-M before transferring to UNLV in 2025, appearing in three games be- fore a season-ending injury. Orji is competing for the starting job again this season with the Rebels. MICAH POLLARD LB ★★★ Checked into 27 games at U-M and finished with 15 career tackles. Pollard transferred to Liberty in 2025 and returned for a fifth season in 2026. MYLES POLLARD CB ★★★ Pollard played in 10 games over three sea- sons in Ann Arbor, recording 2 total tackles. He transferred to Memphis in 2025 before moving on to East Carolina for the 2026 cam- paign. JIMMY ROLDER LB ★★★★ Rolder emerged as a defensive anchor in 2025, leading the team with 73 tackles and earning a Butkus Award semifinalist nod and All-Big Ten second-team honors. Rolder was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. KEON SABB S ★★★★ Appeared in 14 games with five starts dur- ing Michigan's 2023 national championship run before entering the transfer portal. Sabb is entering his third season as a starter at Alabama. DEUCE SPURLOCK ATH ★★★ Appeared in two games at linebacker in 2022 but transferred to Florida following the season and played only three games over the next two seasons. He transferred to Liberty in 2025 and is entering his fifth collegiate season. CJ STOKES RB ★★★ Stokes played in 11 games as a freshman, but only two during the 2023 campaign. He transferred to Charlotte, where he played in eight games with three starts over two sea- sons. Stokes transferred to Furman to play the 2026 season. AMORION WALKER WR ★★★ After bouncing between receiver and cor- nerback at Michigan, with brief stint at Ole Miss before a return to Ann Arbor, Walker transferred to Middle Tennessee State in 2025, catching 15 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. He transferred to UNLV for the 2026 season. ❏ TOP CONTRIBUTOR DT Mason Graham It did not take long for Graham to become a cornerstone player for the Wolverines. He earned a starting role as a true freshman and then exploded in 2023 with a second-team All-America season and All-Big Ten first-team praise, along with winning the Defensive MVP Award in the Rose Bowl. A 7-5 regular season in 2024 was disapointing, but Graham and fellow defensive tackle Kenneth Grant were almost single-handedly responsible for a 13-10 upset victory against Ohio State as three-score underdogs. UNSUNG HERO EDGE Derrick Moore The 2022 class had three first-round NFL Draft picks (Graham, Grant and tight end Colston Loveland) and another (cornerback Will Johnson) who likely would have been a first-rounder if not for injuries during his final season. But Moore, a team captain in 2025, was a four-year contributor for the Wolverines and finished on a high note with a 10-sack season during his final year in Ann Arbor. READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT THIS FALL DB Zeke Berry By virtue of being the lone player left from this class on the roster, Berry gets the nod here. He is expected to start and play a big role for the third season in a row as either an outside cornerback or a nickel in coordinator Jay Hill's defense. Berry briefly considered the transfer portal during the transition from Sherrone Moore to Kyle Whittingham but elected to return for a fifth and final season donning the Maize and Blue. REPORT CARD Players in Class: 23 Rivals Industry Ranking: 9th Players Still At Michigan: 1 A