Michigan shocked the college football world last year when they brought home their first title since 1997, shared with Nebraska, but their first outright title since 1948.
Many Wolverines, including their head coach, Jim Harbaugh, left this offseason for the NFL, but that won’t stop Michigan from competing this season.
The Wolverines are looking to win their fourth Big Ten title in a row, and there is still a great chance they can do it on the back of two players.
Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman from Pro Football Focus published an article about The 50 best players in college football ahead of the 2024 season, and two Wolverines made the Top Five.
Michigan’s Mason Graham
Defensive tackle Mason Graham came in number three on the list, and here is what PFF had to say about the star lineman: “Graham was the fourth-most valuable defensive tackle in the nation this past season, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, 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 T’Vondre Sweat. Graham is currently the top prospect on PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft big board.”
Graham is looking to have a big season, and if the Wolverines want to win against Texas, Oregon, and Ohio State, they will have to dominate at the line of scrimmage. Graham will be the main anchor on the Wolverines’ defensive line, and if he can get after the quarterback, one of the best corners in college football will be there to make a play on the ball.
Will Johnson
Will Johnson is one of the best cornerbacks in college football, and there is a chance he will be the best defensive player in the nation this season. PFF has the star corner ranked fourth as the best player in the country. “Johnson’s 90.1 man-coverage grade since 2022 is tied for the best mark in college football — equal to that of Quinyon Mitchell, who was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Johnson has ideal size (6-foot-2 and 202 pounds) and technique for the position. He has all the makings of a potential top-five pick in 2025 and will remind many of Pat Surtain II.”
Johnson will face some tough matchups this season, going against wide receivers Texas’s Isaiah Bond, Oregon’s Evan Stewart, and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka.
If Johnson can shut down all three guys, there is a great chance Michigan will come out on top in all three of those games. That would put them in the conversation to be one of the first four seeds in the college football playoff.
Michigan is built on defense, and last season, it won the national championship with the best defense in the county. There is a chance this defense will be better in 2024.
