Revisiting Michigan football's 2019 recruiting class

Michigan football’s fifth recruiting class under head coach Jim Harbaugh still has legacies in motion and chapters to be written. With that said, it currently looks like it has a chance to be his best since returning to Ann Arbor.

Leading up to this class signing, Michigan had been dealt back-to-back soul-crushing losses to Ohio State, one of which led to a failed opportunity to make it to the Big Ten Championship. The second closed out a disappointing 9-3 campaign in 2019. Some believed that Harbaugh’s time at Michigan was beginning to teeter.

All he and his staff did was sign the seventh-ranked recruiting class in the nation and top group in the Big Ten. Here is a look at what that class became and who the figures are that are still finishing out their careers.

Five-star safety Daxton Hill (No. 8 overall, No. 1 in Oklahoma)

A wearer of many hats in his three seasons, the former five-star recruit declared early for the 2022 NFL Draft at the season’s end. He played safety, nickel and boundary cornerback in his time in Ann Arbor and was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2021.

Four-star defensive lineman Chris Hinton (No. 36 overall, No. 8 in Georgia)

Hinton was the team’s biggest surprise departure in the early stages of the 2021 offseason, declaring early for the NFL Draft. He made 18 starts in 31 games for the Wolverines and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection from the coaches and media in 2021. Hinton had 32 total tackles and one sack this season.

Four-star running back Zach Charbonnet (No. 40 overall, No. 5 in California)

There was a point in time where Charbonnet looked like the next star running back at Michigan. However, injuries and a crowded room played a part in him moving back out west to attend UCLA. He appeared in 18 games in Ann Arbor with nine starts and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten performer in 2019. Charbonnet had seven 100-yard games for the Bruins in 2021 and was named second-team All-Pac-12.

Four-star defensive lineman Mazi Smith (No. 100 overall, No. 4 in Michigan)

Smith was the anchor of the defense during the 2021 season, starting every game at defensive tackle. The honorable mention All-Big Ten performer had 37 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hits in 2021. Smith has 14 starts under his belt in 21 career games played.

Four-star offensive tackle Trente Jones (No. 109 overall, No. 13 in Georgia)

Michigan enters the offseason with a few spots open on the offensive line, namely at right tackle. Jones is expected to contend for that spot after spending much of his early time as a reserve/extra offensive lineman.

Four-star interior offensive lineman Nolan Rumler (No. 186 overall, No. 5 in Ohio)

The Wolverines never saw Rumler emerge as much more than a reserve on the offensive line. He appeared in one game in 2020 and played guard against Western Michigan in 2021 before entering the transfer portal. Rumler is now a member of the Kent State football program.

Four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan (No. 188 overall, No. 1 in Illinois)

A 2021 honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, Keegan has appeared in 19 games in his career with 12 career starts at left guard. He will return to his projected role for the 2022 season.

Four-star wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (No. 194 overall, No. 1 in Connecticut)

Johnson has developed into a reliable and steady presence at wide receiver for the Wolverines. He has appeared in 32 career games at Michigan and has 59 catches for 935 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons.

Four-star wide receiver Giles Jackson (No. 235 overall, No. 34 in California)

An honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree as a return specialist in 2019, Jackson played in 18 career games at Michigan before transferring to Washington in 2021. He had eight catches for 87 yards in his first year with his new team.

Four-star cornerback Jalen Perry (No. 241 overall, No. 25 in Georgia)

The four-star recruit and No. 241 player in the 2019 class has played in 12 games in his Michigan career, bouncing between cornerback and safety.

Four-star EDGE David Ojabo (No. 244 overall, No. 5 in New Jersey)

Ojabo exploded in his third year on campus with 11 sacks playing on the other side of Aidan Hutchinson. The All-American and program record-holder for forced fumbles in a single season (five) played in 20 games with eight starts at Michigan. He is expected to go in the top half of the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Four-star offensive tackle Karsen Barnhart (No. 257 overall, No. 8 in Michigan)

Barnhart is expected to compete for a starting job on the offensive line ahead of the 2022 season, specifically at right tackle. He has appeared in 17 games in his career with four starts at left tackle and two at left guard.

Four-star linebacker Anthony Solomon (No. 265 overall, No. 33 in Florida)

Solomon was recruited to play the VIPER position in Don Brown’s defense but was never able to find a role under Mike Macdonald this season. He played in 23 games in three years with only 42 snaps on defense. Solomon entered the portal on Jan. 3 and announced his transfer to Arizona on the same day.

Four-star quarterback Cade McNamara (No. 269 overall, No. 1 in Nevada)

It took four recruiting classes, but Harbaugh and the Wolverines finally recruited a quarterback that could start and win games for the program. McNamara has not put up gaudy numbers, but he has made 15 starts in 18 games played and was a third-team All-Big Ten selection during the 2021 season. He will compete again for the starting job in 2022.

Four-star tight end Erick All (No. 356 overall, No. 10 in Ohio)

All had some drops issues early in his career, but he broke out in 2021 en route to an All-Big Ten honorable mention season. He has appeared in 32 games at Michigan with 10 starts and contributed 38 catches for 437 yards and two touchdowns in 2021. All returns for a fourth year next season.

Four-star cornerback Quinten Johnson (No. 362 overall, No. 3 in DC)

Johnson has played a scout team and special teams role during his time in Ann Arbor. He recorded three tackles in 2021.

Four-star EDGE Mike Morris (No. 366 overall, No. 41 in Florida)

Morris returns in 2022 as another player projected to play a bigger role. He played in all 14 games in 2021 and made four starts, notching 16 tackles (one for loss) and half a sack. Morris also intercepted a pass in the game at Michigan State on Oct. 30.

Four-star cornerback DJ Turner (No. 383 overall, No. 42 in Florida)

One of Michigan’s breakout players on defense in 2021, Turner came on halfway through the year and made seven starts. His play down the stretch earned him honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and he will enter the offseason as CB1 on the roster.

Three-star linebacker Charles Thomas (No. 505 overall)

Thomas appeared in two games on special teams during the 2019 season before entering the transfer portal in 2020.

Three-star interior offensive lineman Zach Carpenter (No. 522 overall, No. 20 in Ohio)

Michigan was expecting Carptenter to be in the mix for an interior offensive line job early in his career, but it never came to be. He redshirted in 2019 and appeared in five games in 2020 before entering the transfer porta. Carpenter wound up at Indiana and played five games with three starts at guard in 2021.

Three-star wide receiver Mike Sainristil (No. 588 overall, No. 1 in Massachussetts)

Sainristil has appeared in 33 games at wide receiver for the Wolverines with nine starts to his name. He is a solid complementary piece on offense, recording 22 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns during the 2021 season.

Three-star offensive tackle Jack Stewart (No. 621 overall, No. 6 in Connecticut)

Michigan has not played Stewart in a game during his college career.

Three-star EDGE Gabe Newburg (No. 649 overall, No. 23 in Ohio)

Newberg did not see game action in 2021. He played in four games during the 2020 season and notched three tackles.

Three-star wide receiver George Johnson (No. 833 overall, No. 114 in Florida)

Johnson was a three-star recruit out of high school, according to On3’s consensus, and ranked as the No. 833 overall prospect in the 2019 class. He played in five career games in three seasons in Ann Arbor after switching from wide receiver. Johnson entered the portal on Jan. 5. Johnson announced his transfer to play for former U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown at UMass on Jan. 16.

Three-star wide receiver Quintel Kent (No. 930 overall, No. 42 in Ohio)

Michigan never received a contribution from Kent, who withdrew from the team prior to his freshman season beginning due to a medical issue.

Three-star linebacker Joey Velazquez (No. 1068 overall, No. 47 in Ohio)

The dual-sport athlete (baseball) played six games in 2021 and recorded a tackle. He is an important scout team player for the Wolverines.

Michigan football’s 2019 class overview

It is still a bit early to put a final analysis on this class together, but this was a dynamic group that played a major role in turning around the program’s fortunes in 2021. Hill, Ojabo, McNamara, All and others were crucial pieces on Michigan’s Big Ten Championship team with the former two having a shot to be first-round picks.

The 2019 season included moments where Michigan was lining up Ben Mason at defensive tackle, so that position group needed an upgrade in the worst way. The Wolverines hit on both their interior defensive line commits, even if it took someone like Smith a little longer to percolate and develop. Hinton is off to the NFL earlier than expected, but is a solid prospect and will get drafted.

There is not a glaring disappointment in the class, either. Charbonnet was a hit for Michigan but wanted to go play out West and became a star for UCLA. He was part of a numbers game in Ann Arbor and it worked out for everyone. Rumler and Carpenter were expected to be key pieces on the offensive line eventually, but it never came to pass.

In terms of under-the-radar guys, Turner and Sainristil are the two gems. Turner specifically exploded onto the scene in 2021 and has the look of a Jourdan Lewis/David Long-type of prospect for Michigan.

With redshirt years and the COVID pause, this class could stick around a little longer than most, which gives it the opportunity to keep developing and run up the accolades. The argument can still be made the 2016 class was superior, and it likely will be in terms of high-end NFL talent, but this group has some of that, too. It also has accolades with a conference title and College Football Playoff appearance. That is enough to give it the nod above all the others.

The grade on this class could potentially be with a bit of projection here, but we will hand it out anyways.

Grade: A-*

*Incomplete with plenty of contributors on campus still

RELATED:

• Revisiting Michigan football’s 2015 recruiting class | 2016 | 2017 | 2018