So there has been a lot of talk about just how talented the roster will be next season. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at exactly who we have at each position, where they were ranked, who we will lose after the season, and what recruiting needs remain for the 2020 class. Please note that each position group is sorted by their recruiting ranking, not by their position on the depth chart. I think it's also interesting to see what recruits have lived up to their ranking, surpassed their ranking, and perhaps not lived up to the ranking yet. I've bolded the players who I believe start at each position.
The roster is composed of players from the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 classes. Those classes were ranked 49th, 4th, 4th, 24th, and 10th respectively. The list also includes Shae Patterson and Mike Danna who were not originally apart of Michigan's recruiting class but transferred in at a later date. It does not include players who are no longer with the program. Overall, Michigan's roster is one of the most talented in the big ten and should have more than enough talent to compete for a championship. Michigan will have five 5 stars, ten top 100 players, and thirty-four 4 stars on the roster next season. The QB, WR, OLine, DL, and CB positions seem to be especially well stocked based on recruiting rankings. The offense seems to be a bit more talented than the defense but Don Brown tends to get the most out of his players. Please see the more specific break down below.
QB
RB
The roster is composed of players from the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 classes. Those classes were ranked 49th, 4th, 4th, 24th, and 10th respectively. The list also includes Shae Patterson and Mike Danna who were not originally apart of Michigan's recruiting class but transferred in at a later date. It does not include players who are no longer with the program. Overall, Michigan's roster is one of the most talented in the big ten and should have more than enough talent to compete for a championship. Michigan will have five 5 stars, ten top 100 players, and thirty-four 4 stars on the roster next season. The QB, WR, OLine, DL, and CB positions seem to be especially well stocked based on recruiting rankings. The offense seems to be a bit more talented than the defense but Don Brown tends to get the most out of his players. Please see the more specific break down below.
QB
- Current Players
- Shea Patterson - SR, 2016, 6.1 5 star, #3 overall, #1 DTQB
- Dylan McCaffrey - RS SO, 2017, 5.9 4 star, #131 overall, #7 PQB
- Joe Milton - RS FR, 2018, 5.8 4 star, #200 overall, #11 PQB
- Cade McNamara - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #8 PQB
- 2020 recruits
- JD Johnson - 5.8 4 star, #156 overall, #8 PQB
- Notes/remaining needs - From a rankings standpoint QB is one of the most talented positions groups. Everyone on the roster was ranked as a 4 star prospect coming out of high school and ranked in the top eleven of their position group. Shea is coming off a really good year and McCaffrey looks like he will be very good when he takes over. Milton and McNamara are unproven but the early reviews have been positive. JD Johnson has done well on the camp circuit and could rise in the rankings if he has a big senior season. The QB room seems to be in great shape and will only get better when McCarthy gets on campus in 2021.
RB
- Current players
- Zach Charbonnet - FR, 2019, 6.0 4 star, #60 overall, #4 RB
- Christian Turner - RS FR, 2018, 5.7 3 star, #18 RB
- Ben Van Sumeren - RS FR, 2018, 5.7 3 star, #34 ATH
- Hassan Haskins - RS FR, 2018, 5.6 3 star, #40 RB
- Tru Wilson - RS JR, 2016, 5.4 2 star, unranked CB
- 2020 Recruits
- Blake Corum - 5.9 4 star, #135 overall, #11 RB
- Notes/remaining needs - This isn't a big surprise but RB is one of Michigan's thinnest positions on the roster. We don't have any proven players and are low on numbers. Tru Wilson is the most proven back on the roster and will factor into the discussion but I'm not sure he's a guy you want as your starter. The hope is that Charbonnet makes an immediate impact and that Turner is able to exceed his ranking. The good news is that the players are all young and will be back next season. Corum is a great addition in the 2019 class and could be very good at Michigan. I'd still like to add another RB to the 2020 class. Adding someone like Berger, Edwards, or Toafili would really help increase the depth and talent in the RB room.
- Current players
- Donovan Peoples-Jones - JR, 2017, 6.1 5 star, #12 overall, #1 WR
- Tarik Black - RS SO, 2017, 5.9 4 star, #76 overall, #11 WR
- Nico Collins - JR, 2017, 5.9 4 star, #120 overall, #17 WR
- Cornelius Johnson - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #171 overall #27 WR
- Quintel Kent - FR, 2019, 5.6 3 star, #87 WR
- 2020 recruits
- Roman Wilson - 5.7 3 star, #76 WR
- Notes - Since we are moving towards an offense that will feature more pronounced differences between outside and slot WRs I have broken the position group into outside and slot WRs. It should be noted that there are guys like Kent, Bell, Wilson, and G. Johnson could play in the slot or move to the outside. This is my best guess as to where each player will end up. That said WR, both outside and slot, is the most talented position on the roster. DPJ and Collins each have proven themselves and Black has shown great potential when healthy. Johnson and Kent won't need be big contributors next season but given that we could lose one or two of DPJ, Collins, and Black it would be good to get them some experience. Wilson can fly and if he fills out could be really dangerous on the outside. It would be great if they could add one more big WR like Rice to the class.
- Current Players
- Giles Jackson - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #233 overall, #37 WR
- Mike Sainristil - FR, 2019, 5.6 3 star, #56 ATH
- George Johnson III - FR, 2019, 5.6 3 star, unranked
- Ronnie Bell - SO, 2018, 5.4 2 star, unranked
- 2020 recruits
- AJ Henning - 5.9 4 star, #84 overall, #3 APB
- Eamonn Dennis - 5.7 3 star, #73 WR
- Notes/remaining needs - Obviously all of the talent here if very young. The slot position is being redeveloped a bit and the staff has done a great job bringing in a lot of young talent. Bell has already shown to have the ability to out perform his recruiting ranking. The reports about Sainristil have been very complimentary so far and he looks like he could make an immediate impact. Jackson and Johnson were guys the staff liked enough to bring in before they new they were transitioning to a new offense and look like they could be very good in space. All of these players will be back next year so it does not look like the staff needs to add another player to the position group. Henning and Dennis were the staff's top targets and they were able to land both of them. Henning can fly and has a lot of talent. He could be special in the slot. Dennis also has really impressive film. They should push everyone at the position to get better.
- Current players
- Nick Eubanks - RS JR, 2016, 5.8 4 star, #9 TE
- Erik All - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #16 TE
- Mustapha Muhammad - RS FR, 2018, 5.8 4 star, #17 TE
- Sean McKeon - RS JR, 2016, 5.7 3 star, #34 TE
- Luke Schoonmaker - RS FR, 2018, 5.6 3 star, #39 TE
- 2020 recruits
- Nick Patterson - 5.7 3 star, #17 TE
- Matt Hibner - 5.5 3 star, unranked TE
- Notes/Remaining needs - It will be interesting to see how the TEs are used going forward but I think Eubanks could be in line for a really big year. He seems to have a knack for getting open down field and making big catches. He needs to do it more frequently but I think he will have the chance to do so within Gattis' system. McKeon is a known product at this point. He's solid but not spectacular TE that will provide good depth and is capable of making a play here and there. We didn't see/hear much about Muhammad and Schoonmaker last year but both seem like athletic guys who could do well under Gattis. The same is true of All who will be a true freshman this year. With the depth at the position All might not get a ton of reps but that's ok. He will get some time to add weight and become familiar with the system. Everyone could be back at the position next season so bringing in two tight ends in the 2020 class seems like more than enough. The staff is still prioritizing Theo Johnson and it sounds like Patterson is looking around so at this point if the staff can swap Johnson for Pattersion it will feel like a win.
- Current players
- Trente Jones - FR, 2019, 5.9 4 star, #90 overall, #12 OT
- Trevor Keegan - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #208 overall, #22 OT
- Jaylen Mayfield - RS FR, 2018, 5.8 4 star, #17 OT
- Karsen Barnhart - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #28 OT
- Jon Runyan Jr. - RS SR, 2015, 5. 3 star, #45 OG
- Ryan Hayes - RS FR, 2018, 5.6 3 star, #48 OT
- Andrew Stueber - RS SO, 5.6 3 star, #74 OT
- 2020 recruits
- Zak Zinter - 5.8 4 star, #157 overall, #16 OT
- Jef Persi - 5.8 4 star, #35 OT
- Notes/remaining needs - Interestingly enough two of our lowest ranked prospects might end up starting at the tackle position. Runyan is the only player from the 2015 class still on the roster. He also happens to be a returning first team all big ten selection at LT. I expect him to help anchor the line this season. Stueber and Mayfield are battling for the starting RT position. Each of them looked ok in the snaps that they received last fall. Stueber struggled against OSU but he was only a RS FR and should continue to get better. Mayfield saw action as a true freshman but was still able to RS. I think he has a higher upside than Stueber and will eventually win the starting position. After that we have a lot of inexperienced but talented young guys. Folks on the board have long criticized Michigan's tackle recruitment, but the past two seasons have helped restock to position. Hayes has the build to emerge as an ideal LT prospect and was highly ranked on TOS. Jones blew up during his senior year and is actually our highest ranked player right now. He is very athletic and has long arms. I think he is the type of guy who could be very good at LT or RT. The same is true for Barnhart. He is very athletic, so athletic that he got reps at WR and TE in high school, and has a lot of position versatility. He could play tackle or guard at Michigan and do so very well. Keegan was one of the staff's top targets at tackle last season and had a great offer list. He is another guy who has the frame to play right or left tackle. Obviously the young guys will need to adjust to the college game but there is a lot of young talent waiting in the wings. We the only player we lose for sure next year is Runyan so it seems like two is a good number of guys to bring in the 2020 class. Zinter is another versatile guy who could project to tackle or guard and Persi fits the mold of a traditional LT. Both guys should fit right in and improve the depth at the position.
- Current players
- Ben Bredeson - SR, 2016, 6.0 4 star, #60 overall, #2 OG
- Michael Onwenu - SR, 2016, 5.9 4 star, #147 overall, #7 OG
- Chuck Filiaga - RS SO, 2017, 5.8 4 star, #175 overall, #16 OT
- Nolan Rumler - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #199 overall, #10 OG
- Joel Honigford - RS SO, 2017, 5.7 3 star, #49 OT
- Zach Carpenter - FR, 2019, 5.7 3 star, #15 OG
- Jack Stewart - FR, 2019 5.6 3 star, #79 OT
- 2020 recruits
- Reece Atteberry - 5.7 3 star, #51 OT
- Micah Mazzccua - 5.6 3 star, #68 OT
- Notes/remaining needs - We have generally recruited the interior of the line well. Bredeson and Onwenu are guys who got reps right away and have been anchors on the inside for the past two years. Filiaga, Rumler, and Carptenter all had very impressive offer lists and were well thought of as recruits. Honigford and Stewart were guys the staff watched in person and prioritized. The depth chart is pretty straight forward. Bredeson and Onwenu will be the starters, Filiaga and Honigford are the 2s, and Rumler Carpenter, and Stewart should be able to redshirt and develop. That is unless Rumler is so good that he pushes one of Filiaga or Honigford out of the back up position. We will lose Bredeson and Onwenu after the season so bringing in at least two guys seems like a good idea. Then again a lot of the guys listed at tackle could slide down to guard. I think the staff has a good number of lineman on the roster. They can afford to focus on Raym for the last OL spot in the 2020 class. If they land him great, but if not they will still have the positioned well stocked.
- Current players
- Cesar Ruiz - JR, 2017, 6.0 4 star, #41 overall, #1 OC
- Stephen Spanellis - RS JR, 5.7 3 star, #36 OT
- 2020 recruits
- Notes/remaining needs - Ruiz was highly rated and played well last year in his first season as a full time starter. Spanellis has provided solid depth the past two seasons. He never seems to be able to win a starting position but when he gets reps there isn't much drop off from the guy he is replacing. If Ruiz has a big season he could go pro. That makes keeping Spanellis around for a 5th year very important. I don't have anyone else listed at the position but I'm sure they will teach one of the younger players how to snap. Rumler and Atteberry are two guys who have been mentioned specifically as potential centers.
- Current players
- Aidan Hutchinson - SO, 2018, 5.9 4 star, #128 overall, #8 SDE
- Taylor Upshaw - RS FR, 2018, 5.7 3 star, #25 SDE
- David Ojabo - FR 2019, 5.7 3 star, #34 SDE
- Julius Welschof RS FR 2018, 5.5 3 star
- 2020 recruits
- Braiden McGregor - 5.8 4 star, #23 SDE
- Aaron Lewis - 5.7 3 star, #43 SDE
- Notes/Remaining needs - So a lot of guess work is going into the DL positions. We have a lot of guys with similar builds who need to be spread across the four positions. I think we have a good idea of who the first team will be (ADE - Hutchinson, 3T - Jeter, NG - Kemp, WDE - Paye) but after that things get murky. Right now it sounds like Upshaw, Ojabo, and Welschof are all working at the Anchor End position. They are young and unproven but are all great athletes. Ojabo especially is raw but could be a freak if he puts everything together. There are similar questions with the incoming recruits. It seems like McGregor is destined to stay at anchor end but Lewis could slide inside to the 3T. I haven't listed Jenkins above because it seems like the staff plans to slide him inside as well. All of the players listed above have eligibility remaining so I'm not sure that the staff needs to add another recruit. It's a group with a lot of potential but is one of the lower ranked position groups on the roster.
- Current players
- Christoper Hinton - FR, 2019, 6.1 5 star, #15 overall, #2 DT
- Donovan Jeter - RS SO, 2017, 5.8 4 star, #13 DT
- Michael Dwumfour - RS JR, 2016, 5.5 3 star, unranked DT
- 2020 recruits
- Kris Jenkins Jr. - 5.6 3 star, #48 SDE
- Notes/remaining needs - As a group these guys were all pretty highly ranked, but Dwumfour is the only player who has seen extended playing time. He was hurt this spring and Jeter played well in his absence. It will be interesting to see if Jeter is able to hold on to the spot during fall camp or if Dwumfour wins back his position. Hinton is a stud and hopefully is ready to go from day one. If he can be a difference maker he could push his way into the line up early. If Hinton is able to have a Dexter Jackson or Ed Oliver type of impact as a freshman it would really help the defense. I'm not sure where Jenkins is slated to play but I think he'll end up at DT. It's also possible that Lewis ends up at DT and not DE. If both of those guys end up playing on the interior I'm not sure the staff needs to add another player on the DL, especially considering everyone will have eligibility remaining after the season is over.
- Current players
- Mazi Smith - FR, 2019, 5.9 4 star, #142 overall, #9 DT
- Carlo Kemp - RS JR, 2016, 5.8 4 star, #215 overall, #11 WDE
- Phillip Paea - RS SO, 2017, 5.7 3 star, #20 OG
- 2020 recruits
- Notes/remaining needs - Kemp played well as a back up last season. Hopefully he is able to take the next step forward and play well in extended snaps. It's been interesting to see him transition from a LB all the way do to a NG. Smith played well during the spring and the staff seems to be high on him. If he can provide good snaps as a back up we should be ok. Paea has bounced around a bit his first two seasons but seems to have settled in at NG. He should be a decent depth guy. I know a lot of folks have said that we need to sign a true NG recruit in this class but I think the position group should be fine going forward. Everyone will be back next season and if all of those SDE types continue to grow and transition to DT.
- Current players
- Luiji Vilain - RS SO, 2017, 5.9 4 star, #74 overall, #5 WDE
- Michael Morris - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #18 WDE
- Kwity Paye - JR, 2017, 5.7 3 star, #35 WDE
- Ben Mason - JR, 2017, 5.6 3 star, #35 MLB
- Gabe Newberg - FR, 2019, 5.6 3 star, unranked
- Mike Danna - RS SR, 2015, 5.4 2 star, unranked
- 2020 recruits -
- Notes/remaining needs - Paye played really well last year when Gary was hurt. I think he can be very good on the edge. Vilain has been hurt but emerged as Paye's back up in the spring. Mike Danna should help add to the depth as well. He was good at CMU last season but we have to see how his game translates to the Big Ten. Morris, Mason, and Newborn are all wild cards. I'm not sure that we can expect much out of them next season but they have a lot of potential. I'm not sure what to make of Mason's move to DL. He's a tough kid so I'm sure he'll find a way to make it onto the field but it could be a difficult adjustment for him. As a group the it feels like Michigan is in a position similar to the one they were in before the 2018 season. There are a lot of questions marks, but there are enough quality players that the position could end up being one of the strongest on the team by the end of the season.
- Current players
- Josh Uche - SR, 2016, 5.7 3 star, #22 WDE
- Notes/Remaining needs - Uche really emerged as a pass rusher last season. He's technically listed as Sam but really he only comes in on passing downs to rush the get to the QB. The staff seems to be recruiting a few players like Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Mitchell Melton for a similar role but now that they have committed elsewhere I'm not sure that they will try to fill this position going forward.
- Current players
- Jordan Anthony - RS SO, 2017, 6.1 5 star, #26 overall, #1 MLB
- Cameron McGrone - RS FR, 2018, 5.8 4 star, #195 overall, #16 OLB
- Joshua Ross - JR, 2017, 5.8 4 star, #222 overall, #15 OLB
- Charles Thomas - FR, 2019, 5.6 3 star, #35 MLB
- Devin Gil - SR, 2016, 5.5 3 star, unranked
- 2020 recruits
- Kalel Mullings - 5.9 4 star, #106 overall, #11 OLB
- Osman Savage - 5.8 4 star, #159 overall, #14 OLB
- Cornell Wheeler - 5.8 4 star, #233 overall, #13 MLB
- Nikhai Hill-Green - 5.7 3 star, #38 OLB
- Notes/Remaining needs - Some folks have questioned why we are bringing in so many LBs in this class but if when you look at the numbers it makes sense. Gil will graduate after this season and we'll be down to 4 true linebackers. Anthony has received good reviews during spring ball and should be able to fill in for Gil but after that there is a lot of untested depth. The group that we are bringing in is really talented and will help restock the position.
- Current players
- Khaleke Hudson - SR, 2016, 5.7 3 star, #26 ATH
- Anthony Solomon - FR, 2019, 5.7 3 star, #25 MLB
- Michael Barrett - RS FR, 2018, 5.6 3 star, unranked
- Joey Velazquez - FR 2019, 5.5 3 star, unranked S
- Jordan Glasgow - RS SR, 2015, unranked
- 2020 recruits
- William Mohan - 5.8 4 star, #23 OLB
- Notes/remaining needs - Hudson is 3 year returning starter and has made a lot of plays throughout his career. Glasgow provides good depth but will also graduate after this season. Hudson and Glasgow are very talented and there is plenty of depth at the position. Michigan just needs someone to step up after Hudson and Glasgow graduate. Mohan will be the highest rated player at the position next year but it is tough to really gauge the ratings because this is such a unique position. Mohan was also the staff's top Viper target so I wouldn't expect them to add another Viper in the class.
- Current players
- Ambry Thomas - JR, 2017, 5.9 4 star, #146 overall, #15 CB
- Jalen Perry - FR 2019, 5.8 4 star, #190 overall, #17 CB
- Lavert Hill - SR, 2016, 5.8 4 star, #176 overall, #14 CB
- Gemon Green - RS FR, 2018, 5.8 4 star, #39 CB
- DJ Turner - FR, 2019, 5.7 3 star, #47 CB
- Vincent Gray - RS FR 2018, 5.7 3 star, #60 CB
- Jaylen Kelly-Powell - RS SO, 2017, 5.7 3 star, #34 S
- 2020 recruits
- Andre Seldon - 5.8 4 star, #31 CB
- Notes/remaining needs - From a recruiting standpoint there is a lot of talent at this position. Hill is proven and should be a leader for this group. Gray in line to start after spring and has been talked about a lot during the offseason. He has really good size and could be a nice surprise next fall. I think Thomas wins the job at the nickel. He is a great athlete and could be a very good third corner. The rest of the guys are unproven but were well thought of as recruits. Perry and Turner could help provide immediate depth at CB and Kelly-Powell seems to be backing up the slot. Green was a four star coming out of high school but we didn't hear much about him last year. It will be interesting to see how he develops. Michigan will only lose Hill next season but given that the back ups are a bit unproven it would be nice to add one or two more corners in this class. Ideally, Gray and Green-Warren will join Seldon and add even more talent to an already solid group.
- Current players
- Daxton Hill - FR, 2019, 6.1 5 star, #24 overall, #1 S
- Quinten Johnson - FR, 2019, 5.8 4 star, #182 overall, #16 S
- Brad Hawkins - RS SO, 2017, 5.8 4 star, unranked WR
- J'Marick Woods - RS SO, 2017, 5.7 3 star, #45 S
- Sammy Faustin - RS FR, 2018, 5.7 3 star, #62 CB
- Josh Metellus - SR, 2016, 5.6 3 star, unranked S
- German Green - RS FR, 2018, 5.5 3 star, unranked S
- 2020 recruits
- Jordan Morant - 5.8 4 star, #20 S
- Notes/remaining needs - Hill and Johnson really helped increase the talent level at the position. They are both young but it wouldn't surprise me if they each pushed for playing time this year. Metellus has exceeded his recruiting ranking and should one of the leaders in the secondary next season. Hawkins was a bit of a mixed bag last season but he should continue to improve and I think he opens the season as the starter. Hill may win the job by the start of conference play. The rest of the guys weren't highly rated and haven't made much noise yet. Woods as drawn some positive reviews for his hitting ability but hasn't seen much game time. Morant has a really impressive offer list and is ranked much higher on TOS. He'll be a nice addition to the group. The staff doesn't need to take another safety but if there is a guy they really like I could see them trying to add one more player.
- Offense
- QB - Shea Patterson - SR, 2016, 6.1 5 star, #3 overall, #1 DTQB
- RB - Zach Charbonnet - FR, 2019, 6.0 4 star, #60 overall, #4 RB
- WR - Donovan Peoples-Jones - JR, 2017, 6.1 5 star, #12 overall, #1 WR
- WR - Nico Collins - JR, 2017, 5.9 4 star, #120 overall, #17 WR
- Slot - Mike Sainristil - FR, 2019, 5.6 3 star, #56 ATH
- TE - Nick Eubanks - RS JR, 2016, 5.8 4 star, #9 TE
- LT - Jon Runyan Jr. - RS SR, 2015, 5. 3 star, #45 OG
- LG - Ben Bredeson - SR, 2016, 6.0 4 star, #60 overall, #2 OG
- OC - Cesar Ruiz - JR, 2017, 6.0 4 star, #41 overall, #1 OC
- RG - Michael Onwenu - SR, 2016, 5.9 4 star, #147 overall, #7 OG
- RT - Jaylen Mayfield - RS FR, 2018, 5.8 4 star, #17 OT
- Totals: two 5 stars, five top 100 players, seven 4 stars, and two 3 stars
- Defense
- Anchor End - Aidan Hutchinson - SO, 2018, 5.9 4 star, #128 overall, #8 SDE
- 3T - Michael Dwumfour - RS JR, 2016, 5.5 3 star, unranked DT
- NG - Carlo Kemp - RS JR, 2016, 5.8 4 star, #215 overall, #11 WDE
- WDE - Kwity Paye - JR, 2017, 5.7 3 star, #35 WDE
- Mike - Joshua Ross - JR, 2017, 5.8 4 star, #222 overall, #15 OLB
- Will - Devin Gil - SR, 2016, 5.5 3 star, unranked
- Viper - Khaleke Hudson - SR, 2016, 5.7 3 star, #26 ATH
- CB - Lavert Hill - SR, 2016, 5.8 4 star, #176 overall, #14 CB
- CB - Vincent Gray - RS FR 2018, 5.7 3 star, #60 CB
- Nickel - Ambry Thomas - JR, 2017, 5.9 4 star, #146 overall, #15 CB
- S - Josh Metellus - SR, 2016, 5.6 3 star, unranked S
- S - Brad Hawkins - RS SO, 2017, 5.8 4 star, unranked WR
- Totals: zero 5 stars, zero top 100, six 4 stars, and six 3 stars
Last edited:
