'The Wolverines will be back': Michigan believes it can repeat as national champions in 2024
HOUSTON, Texas — The work put in for Michigan to achieve the 2023 national championship began last January. The Wolverines will aim to go back-to-back next year at this time, and while they’ll enjoy the glory of beating Washington to capture the sport’s grandest prize, the labor will start back up for 2024.
Michigan sophomore cornerback Will Johnson — one of the team’s top stars who had an interception on the first play of the third quarter in the national championship game — will be a headliner on the 2024 version of the Wolverines. He and his stellar sophomore class that also includes defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, wide receiver Tyler Morris and tight end Colston Loveland believe they can accomplish something special again.
“We had a great group of guys that will be back next year that are super talented in my class, and other guys that will come back, too,” Johnson pointed out. “So I’m just ready to keep enjoying this while I can and get back to work whenever we get started again.”
One of the older guys who came back on the 2023 team is senior running back Blake Corum, who forwent the NFL for a shot at a national title. His ‘unfinished business’ was completed Monday night, and he believes Michigan will have enough that will return to compete for the title next season.
“I definitely think the guys will run it back,” Corum said. “They know what it takes. They know what it’s like. And something [Michigan head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh always says is don’t get a big head. And none of the guys on the team will have a big head after this win.
“Obviously we’ll enjoy the moment right now, but the guys will be ready to go back to work with [strength and conditioning] Coach [Ben] Herb[ert] and with their coaches. And I definitely believe the Wolverines will be back.”
The Wolverines will lose Corum and other key pieces, including potentially junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but talent remains and the prospect of adding more through the transfer portal is there.
Harbaugh is living in the moment, soaking up Michigan’s sweet victory and 15-0 season. He also came back, returning to his alma mater as head coach in 2015, and accomplished one of the main goals he set out to capture.
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“It’s been a team effort all the way,” Harbaugh said of delivering a national title. “Nothing fancy. No surprises. Just good old-fashioned, roll-up-your-sleeve hard work and teamwork, and it’s been a beautiful thing. So often the goal is to, you’re chasing perfection, and it’s hard to be perfect.
“And it rarely comes around. You hope to achieve excellence along the way. But, gosh, it’s perfect. It was a perfect 15-0.
“Congratulations. It wasn’t just resolution, guys just talking about it, it was repetition, daily repetition. Good, old-fashioned hard work and teamwork.”
For now, Michigan is all smiles, ready for a happy flight home and parade, which will likely take place this weekend.
“Yeah, pretty excited about that,” Harbaugh noted. “Hearing some good things. Parade, I think everybody wants a parade. Talking to the players, what do you guys want? What do you want to do to celebrate this? Have a parade. Who doesn’t love a parade?”
