Six Michigan football players make ESPN 2023 top 100 college football players
College football season is fast approaching with Week 0 just over a week and a half weeks away, while the full season is set to start in just over two weeks.
Of course, the teams with the greatest players will likely find themselves in Houston in January, and Michigan football is among the best-represented teams in the sport in ESPN’s 2023 top 100 college players.
Tying Georgia, Ohio State, and Penn State with six inclusions, and ahead of Alabama with four, there are six Wolverines who are expected to stand out in 2023 according to ‘the worldwide leader.’ Here are the six Michigan football players who are ready for the spotlight on the national stage.
RB Blake Corum
The top-ranked running back in college football, big things are expected for Blake Corum, who is coming off of a knee injury that cut his 2022 campaign short.
7. Blake Corum
RB, Michigan, senior
Notable 2022 stats: 18 TDs, 1,463 rush yards
2022 ranking: 10Corum, a driving force for Michigan’s drive to a second straight Big Ten title and CFP berth, was a Doak Walker finalist, unanimous All-American and Big Ten Running Back of the Year in 2022 (1,463 rushing yards and 18 TDs). He had eight straight 100-yard rushing games from Sept. 24 through Nov. 19 last season.
RB Donovan Edwards
The second-highest running back on the list also plays for Michigan football. ESPN has Edwards on the list at No. 17, meaning that the Wolverines have the most talent at tailback of any other team in the country — at least on this list.
17. Donovan Edwards
RB, Michigan, junior
Notable 2022 stats: 991 rushing yards and 7 TDs
2022 ranking: NREdwards had 991 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2022. He established a career-high 216 rushing yards in Michigan’s 45-23 victory at Ohio State last year. He rushed for over 100 yards five times last season.
RG Zak Zinter
The third-best offensive lineman and best-rated guard on the list, senior right guard Zak Zinter comes in at No. 19 overall. With Zinter listed here, no other team other than Michigan has three players listed within the top 20 (Ohio State and Georgia each have two). The only players ahead of Zinter are Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt at No. 11 and Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu at No. 16.
19. Zak Zinter
OL, Michigan, junior
Notable 2022 stats: 0.5% pressure pct allowed; 4th in Big Ten
2022 rankings: NRA member of Michigan’s offensive line that won a second straight Joe Moore Award (best offensive line in the country), Zinter was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022. The Wolverines rushed for 238.9 yards per game, fifth in the FBS.
QB J.J. McCarthy
While it’s nice to see McCarthy relatively high among the best players in 2023, he’s the 12th quarterback on the list, behind Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Michael Penix, Jordan Travis, Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, Cam Rising, Sam Hartman, KJ Jefferson, Frank Harris, and Will Rogers. We’ll see if Michigan football opens up the offense and if McCarthy takes advantage.
39. J.J. McCarthy
QB, Michigan, junior
Notable 2022 stats: 2,719 passing yards, 22 TDs
2022 ranking: NRMcCarthy was a Davey O’Brien semifinalist in 2022 with 2,719 passing yards and 22 passing TDs, helping pilot Michigan to a second straight College Football Playoff appearance. He added 306 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. He threw for a career-high 343 yards in the Wolverines’ loss to TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
CB Will Johnson
Entering his second year, Johnson is slightly behind two other cornerbacks — Penn State’s Kalen King and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean. However, the former five-star may have the highest upside.
55. Will Johnson
CB, Michigan, sophomore
Notable 2022 stats: 3 INT, 3 PD, 25 solo tackles
2022 ranking: NRJohnson finished second on the Wolverines with three interceptions. He had a career-high eight tackles in Michigan’s decisive 45-23 victory at Ohio State while picking off two passes in a 43-22 victory over Purdue as the program claimed a second straight Big Ten title. Johnson was part of a secondary that ended the year sixth in the Big Ten in passing defense (191.8 YPG).
LB Junior Colson
Entering his third year and second as a starter, Colson is listed as the 10th-best linebacker entering 2023.
56. Junior Colson
LB, Michigan, junior
Notable 2022 stats: 101 tackles (42 solo)
2022 ranking: NRColson recorded 101 tackles (42 solo) to lead a Wolverines’ defense that finished third in the country in rushing defense (85.2 YPG) and fifth in the FBS in scoring defense (13.4 PPG). He had double-digit tackles in four games last year, paced by 15 in a 43-22 victory over Purdue in the Big Ten championship.
