Michigan football the only team with three No. 1 players at their position groups, per PFF

Michigan led the country with nine Wolverines on Pro Football Focus (PFF)’s list of the top 101 players in college football in 2023, unsurprising given the Maize and Blue finished 15-0 and won the national championship. But despite sending a record 18 players to the NFL Combine, U-M still has top-end talent returning for the 2024 campaign.

PFF’s Max Chadwick released his rankings of the top 10 returning players at each position, and Michigan had seven different athletes pop up.

Three juniors stand atop their position groups, too — defensive tackle Mason Graham, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland. Michigan is the only school to have three players lead different position groups, and LSU is the only other program to have multiple No. 1 selections in linebacker Harold Perkins and offensive tackle Will Campbell.  

Graham was a first-team All-Big Ten pick and second-team All-American by Sporting News in 2023, logging 7.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Johnson was named a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection and first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated last season, totaling 4 interceptions. Loveland racked up 4 touchdowns and 649 receiving yards last season, with the latter totaling standing as the most by a Michigan tight end since two-time All-American Jake Butt recorded 654 in 2015. Loveland was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree.

Four others appeared in the top 10 at their position units — junior linebacker Jaishawn Barham (fifth), defensive tackle Kenneth Grant (sixth), senior safety Rod Moore (seventh) and senior EDGE Josaiah Stewart (ninth). 

Barham transferred in from Maryland and has been working with the starters this spring, while Moore reportedly suffered an injury in March and Stewart decided to return for another season after tallying 5.5 sacks for the Maize and Blue a year ago.

Grant and Graham, meanwhile, could make up the top defensive tackle duo in the nation. U-M and Notre Dame are the only two programs with a pair of top-10 returning tackles. The Fighting Irish saw Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills rank third and 10th, respectively.

What PFF’s Max Chadwick said about each Michigan player

• TE Colston Loveland: Loveland went from a promising freshman to one of the nation’s best tight ends as a sophomore. He finished as the fourth-most valuable FBS tight end this past season according to PFF’s wins above average metric and was fifth among them in receiving yards (649).

Loveland’s elite athleticism at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds makes him nearly unguardable. His 88.7% open-target rate in 2023 placed him in the 97th percentile for all tight ends in the country.

• CB Will Johnson: Johnson immediately lived up to his five-star billing, posting a 91.1 grade in man coverage as a true freshman in 2022 to lead all Power Five cornerbacks.

He followed that up by allowing just a 29.1 passer rating into his coverage as a sophomore, which placed fifth among all cornerbacks in college football. On six targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze this past season, Johnson allowed just three catches while also coming down with an interception.

He has all the physical traits you’d want in a cornerback at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds with excellent speed, footwork and ball skills for the position. If he was eligible to be selected in 2024, he’d be the first corner off the board. He would’ve been the first one taken in 2023, as well. Johnson has the makings of a special cornerback prospect who’ll likely be a top-five pick next April.

• DT Mason Graham: Graham was excellent in his first year at Ann Arbor, leading all FBS true freshmen interior defensive linemen with an 80.3 PFF grade. He took his game to a whole new level as a sophomore. According to PFF’s wins above average metric, he was the fourth-most valuable defensive tackle in the nation and was sixth in that same group with a 15.9% pass-rush win rate. Graham was one of only two interior defensive linemen in the country to finish with top-10 grades as both a pass rusher and run defender. The other was Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat.

The rising junior has a relentless motor to combine with ridiculous agility that makes him nearly unblockable. Even if an offensive lineman gets a clean shot on him, he has great power at 6-foot-3, 318 pounds to shed the block and find the ball carrier. Graham’s a nearly complete defensive tackle who’ll continue terrorizing Big Ten offenses on his way to likely becoming a high selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he was eligible for the 2024 draft, he’d likely be the first defensive tackle off the board.

• DT Kenneth Grant: Between Grant and Graham, the defending national champions have easily the best defensive tackle duo in college football heading into 2024. That’s despite losing a projected second-round pick at that position in Kris Jenkins.

Among returning Power Five interior defensive linemen, Grant was the sixth-most valuable according to our wins above average metric. That’s despite playing in a rotational role on Michigan’s defensive line. The sophomore’s 78.4 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2023 was a top-15 mark among defensive tackles as well. With Jenkins gone, Grant should only shine more as a full-time starter next to Graham.

• Jaishawn Barham: Barham broke onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022, placing fifth among Power Five linebackers with an 83.1 PFF coverage grade. He finished the season as the seventh-most valuable linebacker in the country according to PFF’s wins above-average metric.

Barham was limited by injuries as a sophomore and posted just a 44.7 PFF coverage grade this past season. He’ll try to rebound at a new home in 2024, as he transferred from Maryland to Michigan in December.

• S Rod Moore: Moore had a relatively down junior season (71.3 PFF grade) compared to what he did as a sophomore (83.9 PFF grade). However, he still has been the sixth-most valuable returning Power Five safety over the past two years according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His six interceptions in that stretch are tied for third in that same group.

Unfortunately, he won’t have much of an opportunity to rebound in his senior campaign as he just recently tore his ACL in practice. He’ll still be a leader of Michigan’s defense from the sidelines until he can get back onto the field, which might not happen until later in the season.

• EDGE Josaiah Stewart: After excelling as a pass rusher at Coastal Carolina for a couple of years, Stewart took his talents to Ann Arbor for the 2023 season. Despite playing only the fourth-most snaps among Michigan edges, he made his presence felt. His 17.1% pressure rate this past season ranked third among Big Ten edge defenders. He also became a much better run defender, earning an 84.9 grade in that aspect, which placed him fifth among Power Five edges.

Stewart doesn’t have great size (6-foot-1 and 245 pounds) but makes up for it with his explosiveness and ability to convert speed to power. Expect him to become more of a household name as a full-time starter next year.