Where Michigan stands in 2024 post-spring college football rankings

Michigan Wolverines football is entering a new era under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore, but it hopes to replicate the success it had in 2023, winning the program’s 12th-ever national championship. Spring practices are in the books, and according to the national media, the Maize and Blue are set to contend once again.

Five different media outlets released post-spring top 25 rankings, and Michigan was ranked in the top 12 in all of them. The Wolverines appeared anywhere from No. 7 to No. 12 and will face three teams that were top 10 in every ranking: Ohio State, Oregon and Texas.

Uncertainty with Michigan’s starting quarterback vacancy, a first-time head coach, seven new assistant coaches and 10 starters to replace on offense have national reporters less bullish on the Wolverines than they were after U-M won the national title in January. In nine “way-too-early” rankings released Jan. 9, the Wolverines checked in no worse than sixth and stood top four in six of them.

Here’s a look at five post-spring top 25 releases.

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Athlon Sports: No. 7

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Missouri, No. 10 Notre Dame

Big Ten: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Penn State, No. 23 USC

Steven Lassan: “The Wolverines lost a ton from their national championship squad, but don’t expect a drastic drop in wins for new coach Sherrone Moore. A defense anchored by likely preseason All-Americans in [junior] linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and [junior] cornerback Will Johnson ranks among the best in college football. Uncertainty surrounds the quarterback battle after spring practice. Expect the offense to flow through [senior] running back Donovan Edwards.”

The Joel Klatt Show: No. 8

Top 10: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 6 Utah, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Penn State, No. 10 Missouri

Big Ten: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 4 Oregon, No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Penn State, No. 15 USC, No. 22 Nebraska, No. 24 Iowa

Joel Klatt: “They get the benefit of the doubt over Penn State because they have handled Penn State physically over the last couple of years. The defense is going to be incredibly good again. They are so good up front. It’s the best defensive tackle core in America: Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. They’ve got good players on the outside. Will Johnson is probably the best corner in the country. That defense is going to be stout.

“On offense, they’ve got Donovan Edwards back at running back. They’ve got to figure out what’s going on at quarterback, but let’s remember, it doesn’t feel all that different. Everything is the same, yet everybody is different. They have a new head coach, new coordinator, new strength coach, new quarterback, and yet, it’s kind of business as usual because all of those people were just promoted. Nothing has changed for the players, but for us on the outside, we look in and say, ‘everything is different.’ So, it’s a little bit of an interesting dichotomy, if you will.

“Michigan’s schedule doesn’t do them any favors. They’ve got Texas in Week 2 (Big Noon Kickoff will be live in Ann Arbor), USC in Week 4, then travel for a national championship rematch against Washington in October, then they’ve got Oregon in November in the Big House, and then they face Ohio State in the Shoe to finish the year. That’s ridiculously difficult. Michigan has a lot to prove.”

The Athletic: No. 9

Top 10: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Missouri, No. 9 Michigan, No. 10 Miami

Big Ten: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Penn State, No. 20 Iowa

Ari Wasserman: “Michigan is a hard team to rank. The Wolverines are the defending national champs, but they lost coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and a ton of other big-time contributors. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan returns important pieces like running back Donovan Edwards, [junior] tight end Colston Loveland, cornerback Will Johnson and defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. Michigan also has to figure out who its starting quarterback will be. Is this still a program that can make noise in the Playoff?”

USA Today: No. 11

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Mississippi, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Missouri, No. 10 Clemson

Big Ten: No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Oregon, No. 11 Michigan, No. 16 Penn State, No. 22 USC, No. 24 Iowa

Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith: “The Wolverines played six games without Jim Harbaugh last year, but his permanent departure drastically changes things, especially with loss of QB J.J. McCarthy. With an unsettled quarterback situation, expect Sherrone Moore to rely on the running game, though the offensive line needs some retooling. The defense should remain nasty and keep Michigan in games. The question is whether they can win enough of them to return to the playoff.”

CBS Sports: No. 12

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Missouri, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 9 Penn State, No. 10 LSU

Big Ten: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 9 Penn State, No. 12 Michigan, No. 18 Washington

Dennis Dodd: “The defending champs come back to earth a bit after 40 wins the last three seasons, a national championship and 13 players taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Wolverines are still hovering around playoff contention. Sherrone Moore takes over as both the winningest active head coach (4-0!) and also a full-time rookie head coach.”