Seven Michigan Wolverines named top-100 players in country by On3
On3 analysts Charles Power and Clark Brooks compiled a list of the top 100 players in college football entering the 2023 season, and seven Michigan Wolverines football standouts made the cut, including five who were named top five at their respective position.
Here’s a look at the Wolverines who are considered top-100 players nationally.
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No. 14 overall, No. 1 RB: Blake Corum
Michigan senior running back Blake Corum finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting last season and would’ve likely been a finalist had he been a full participant against Illinois and Ohio State, and played at all versus Purdue in the Big Ten championship game. He rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning unanimous All-America honors.
Corum underwent surgery on his meniscus and MCL in early December and is on track to be fully healthy by June.
No. 35 overall, No. 5 CB: Will Johnson
Michigan sophomore cornerback Will Johnson burst onto the scene at the end of last season after playing a smaller role earlier in the year. He recorded 3 interceptions, including 2 in the Big Ten championship game, and was key in the Wolverines slowing down Ohio State star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who stands No. 3 on Power’s list. With Johnson on him, Harrison caught 3 passes on 3 targets but for only 34 yards, including just 5 yards after the catch, and 1 first down.
A former five-star prospect, Johnson comes back as one of the top players on the Michigan defense — Power believes he’s the best — and the lone returning cornerback with ample game experience.
No. 46 overall, No. 4 DT: Kris Jenkins
Michigan senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins is one of the more underrated players in the Big Ten, but he’s beginning to get his due heading into the 2023 campaign. He led all defensive tackles nationally with 40 tackles on run plays and paced Michigan’s defensive line with 54 overall stops, adding 3.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks last season.
A likely captain, Jenkins decided to return for another year at Michigan despite receiving feedback that he could’ve be a top-100 NFL Draft this spring.
No. 48 overall, No. 2 OG: Zak Zinter
Another who could have gone pro this offseason, Michigan senior right guard Zak Zinter was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, after earning second-team honors by the media in 2021. He’s mean and nasty but also athletic — the kind of combination that the NFL covets — and will be a high-round draft pick following this season.
No. 70 overall, No. 7 QB: J.J. McCarthy
Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a projected 2024 first-round NFL Draft pick according to both The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler and ESPN.com’s Todd McShay, but he stands as the No. 70 overall prospect in the country per Power. However, the On3 analyst believes his upside is high.
“I view several players in the 61-80 range to have high ceilings,” Power wrote. “I think you have to start with the quarterbacks. J.J. McCarthy showed some real flashes as a playmaker in leading Michigan to the College Football Playoff last fall. He’s not always asked to do a ton with the Wolverines’ preference to grind things out on the ground, but I think we could see McCarthy take a jump as a junior if he improves his overall consistency. The talent to make big plays as a passer and runner is there.”
McCarthy completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,719 yards and 22 touchdowns with 5 interceptions (3 were returned for touchdowns) in 2022, leading Michigan to its first-ever 13-win season and its second straight College Football Playoff appearance. He also rushed for 306 yards and 5 scores on 70 touches.
No. 79 overall, No. 10 RB: Donovan Edwards
Corum is Michigan’s No. 1 running back, but junior Donovan Edwards will have a big role as well. He filled in nicely — even playing with a cast on his right hand — when Corum went down at the end of last season, amassing 520 yards and 3 touchdowns in the last three games. His 75- and 85-yard touchdown dashes in the fourth quarter at Ohio State cemented him as a “legend,” according to head coach Jim Harbaugh.
When he has use of both hands, Edwards is lethal as a pass-catcher both out of the backfield and at slot receiver. He hauled in 18 catches for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2022, after recording 20 grabs for 265 yards and 1 score during his freshman campaign.
“I think Donovan Edwards is also one of the more underrated talents at the position in college football,” Power wrote. “Edwards shares the backfield with Blake Corum, but we saw what he could do with feature back touches once Corum was injured late in 2022. I view Edwards as a higher end talent and his versatility really projects well to the NFL, in my opinion.”
No. 84 overall, No. 5 S: Rod Moore
Michigan junior safety Rod Moore was a three-star recruit but began out-playing his ranking almost immediately, after enrolling in the summer of 2021. He led the defensive backfield with 71 tackles and topped the Wolverines with 4 interceptions last season. Moore is on the radar as another potential 2024 draft pick, but he could come back for his senior season next fall.
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