Michigan lost many key players from last season’s national championship-winning team, including starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy and even head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The good news for the Wolverines is that they may return the two best defensive players in the country, cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackle Mason Graham. The two are looking to build on last season’s impressive year.
Johnson and Graham are expected to lead a young Michigan team this season. The offense is mostly new, so the defense must be ready to win games. The Wolverines saw that this past weekend when Johnson had a game-sealing pick-six against Fresno State.
The defense will have to make more big plays this weekend when they host number three Texas, and if Johnson can shut down Longhorns wide receiver Isaiah Bond and Graham can get after quarterback Quinn Ewers, there is a great chance Michigan can come out with a win.
Johnson and Graham have received a lot of high praise for their great play over the past few years, and one media outlet thinks they could be the first two players drafted in next year’s NFL Draft.
PFF Has Michigan’s Johnson And Graham Ranked High On Their Draft Board
Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus posted the Top Ten prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Will Johnson was number one, while Mason Graham came in at number two.
Top 10 Prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft⭐️
(Via: @TampaBayTre) pic.twitter.com/NmnxbfqM71
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 5, 2024
The two Wolverine stars are shown a lot of love, which is great for them and the team. There is no reason why Michigan can’t win against Texas, Oregon, USC, and Ohio State with the two Johnson and Graham and the rest of the talented defense.
There is no question that this season will be much harder than last year with all the turnover Michigan had on its roster, but fans should feel confident having Johnson and Graham stopping opposing offenses. Now, it will be up to the offense to get the job done.
It will be interesting to see what Michigan can do against Texas this weekend. Even though the Longhorns are favored in the game, don’t count out the Wolverines just yet. They will be ready to put up a fight in front of their home crowd.
