The 10-best recruits Michigan football has gotten on defense in the modern era
Michigan football has long been considered one of the best programs in all of college, and while there have been a lot of big names to come through Ann Arbor on offense, it’s the defense that’s tended to lead the way.
Even though Jim Harbaugh came to the program in 2015 as an offensive mastermind, recruiting during his tenure or even before has often flourished more so on the defensive side of the ball. With that in mind, we’re taking a look at the best recruits that the maize and blue have gotten on defense in the modern era of college football.
EDGE Rashan Gary
High School: Paramus (N.J.) Catholic
Class: 2016
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 1 overall
Gary is the top-ranked recruit that Michigan football has ever gotten, coming in at No. 1 in the country, regardless of position, in the 2016 recruiting class. Though Gary didn’t put up eye-popping numbers like, say, a JaDeveon Clowney, he did a solid job setting the edge, often paving the way for Chase Winovich to do his thing on the other side.
Picked at No. 12 in the 2019 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, Gary has flourished in the pro ranks, playing more as an outside linebacker than a traditional defensive end.
VIPER Jabrill Peppers
High School: Paramus (N.J.) Catholic
Class: 2014
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 4 overall
When Peppers committed to then-coach Brady Hoke, it sent shockwaves through the recruiting world. But he really thrived under Jim Harbaugh, starting with his sophomore year, and reaching his apex his junior campaign. A jack-of-all-trades, Peppers did a little bit of everything. He came to Ann Arbor as a safety, but he played nickel, corner, VIPER, kick and punt returner, wide receiver, running back, and more.
He continues to be a solid player in the NFL.
EDGE LaMarr Woodley
High School: Saginaw (Mich.) Texas School
Class: 2003
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 4 overall
A popular shirt in Woodley’s time in Ann Arbor read: ‘Guns don’t kill people, Lamarr Woodley kills people.’ That spoke to his prowess coming off the edge for the Wolverines. Leading the Big Ten in sacks his senior year, Woodley was a unanimous All-American, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, the Big Ten defensive lineman of the year, and went on to a prolific NFL career.
LB Prescott Burgess
High School: Warren (Ohio) Warren G. Harding
Class: 2003
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 5 overall
Burgess was a solid player but not necessarily spectacular. He started in 20 games and was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2007 NFL draft. Burgess was an All-Big Ten honorable mention in both his junior and senior seasons.
EDGE Brandon Graham
High School: Detroit (Mich.) Crockett
Class: 2006
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 16 overall
Graham cut his teeth during the last two years of Lloyd Carr but really made a name for himself in 2008 when he was the lone bright spot on the defensive side of the ball in Rich Rodriguez’s first year. He was elite in Ann Arbor and that continued on to the pros — where he still is after all these years. He’s played exclusively for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he’s still a starter.
S Dax Hill
High School: Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington
Class: 2019
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 23 overall
Hill surprised many when he committed to Michigan football in Week 4 of the 2018 season, but there was some recruiting drama when he flipped to Alabama just weeks before signing day. However, once signing day arrived, he flipped back to the Wolverines.
He saw a lot of early action at nickel before becoming the starting safety in 2020 and 2021. He wasn’t just solid, he was elite, especially in his junior season. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals — where he still plays.
CB Will Johnson
High School: Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South
Class: 2022
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 15 overall
The only player on this list that is a current member of the team, it seemed like a no-brainer that the Michigan legacy would follow in his father’s footsteps. He strongly considered some other schools, including Ohio State, but ended up a Wolverine.
And he’s thrived ever since he arrived, starting in the latter third of his freshman year and being a key player on the defensive side of the ball for the national championship team in 2023. In fact, he was named defensive MVP in the national championship game.
S Ernest Shazor
High School: Detroit (Mich.) King
Class: 2001
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 20 overall
It took a few years for Shazor to catch on in Ann Arbor, but he started the final 11 games of 2003 and every game in 2004. His junior season, not only did he finish with 84 tackles, but he was a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten safety.
DT Aubrey Solomon
High School: Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County
Class: 2017
Rating: Five-star
Ranking: No. 30 overall
Michigan was able to hang onto Solomon even though it appeared before signing day that he would flip to hometown Georgia. However, he still made it to Ann Arbor and got some early playing time in his first year. But the next year, there were some off-field (non-legal) issues and Solomon ended up transferring to Tennessee.
DT Christopher Hinton
High School: Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School
Class: 2019
Rating: Four-star
Ranking: No. 47 overall
Once a five-star (which he was at the time of his commitment), Hinton fell off a little during his senior year of high school, falling to a four-star. Once arriving in Ann Arbor, he got a lot of early playing time, even starting for the Wolverines in the bowl game against Alabama that year. He was a solid player for the maize and blue and is now playing for the Chargers in the NFL.
