Heading into the 2024 season, one Michigan’s biggest challenge will be replacing the 18 players who played a critical role in 2023. Offensively, the Wolverines need to find an answer at quarterback, construct an entirely new offensive line, and replace its top two wide receivers. Defensively, Michigan is tasked with finding replacements for guys like Mike Sainristil, Mike Barrett, Junior Colson, and Jaylen Harrell.
The good news is that, even with the loss of so much veteran talent, the Wolverines are returning some of the top players in college football on both sides of the ball – particularly when it comes to the defense. Cornerback Will Johnson is widely regarded as college football’s top returning cornerback in 2024, and now PFF College has named Mason Graham as the top returning interior defensive lineman.
Here’s what PFF had to say about Graham at the No. 1 spot:
“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.“
Graham is joined up front by fellow junior Kenneth Grant, who comes in at No. 6 on PFF’s list.
“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.“
Michigan featured arguably the top defensive unit in 2023, and it’s quite possible the Wolverines could do it again in 2024 – despite significant departures. In the secondary, Michigan returns guys like Will Johnson, Rod Moore, Makari Paige, and reportedly Quinten Johnson. At linebacker, the Wolverines are set with two transfers – Ernest Hausmann from Nebraska, and Jaishawn Barham from Maryland. Michigan also returns significant experience on the edge with Josiah Stewart and Derrick Moore.
The biggest question mark defensively is at the corner position opposite Will Johnson. After losing veteran corner Josh Wallace to the draft, Michigan will either rely on a young up-and-coming corner to fill his shoes or look to the portal once again this spring. Another question mark is first-year defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who joins Sherrone Moore’s staff after six years as the DC with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants.
