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Michigan's 2022 haul stands atop ESPN's recruiting class rerank

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•01/25/25•

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Mason Graham
(Photo by Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines football landed the No. 9 recruiting class in the nation in 2022, its highest standing since 2019, but the 22-member group performed at an even higher level than that would indicate. In ESPN.com’s reranking of the 2022 class, the Wolverines checked in No. 1.

After all, Michigan’s rising senior class has a 36-6 record in Ann Arbor, having won two Big Ten championships and a national title. Four members — cornerback Will Johnson, defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and tight end Colston Loveland — popped up as first-round picks in Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft.

“This Wolverines class boasted two playoff appearances and a national championship, propelling them from No. 8 to the No. 1 slot,” ESPN.com’s Craig Haubert pointed out, noting that his publication had Michigan No. 8 while On3 had them No. 9 in 2022. “Yes, those playoff appearances came during this class’s freshman and sophomore seasons, but this group still contributed.”

Here are the top 10 teams in the rerank and where they stood after signing day in 2022.

TeamESPN RerankOn3 Industry Ranking In 2022Difference
Michigan1st9th+8
Penn State2nd7th+5
Georgia3rd3rd—
Boise State4th64th+60
Texas5th5th—
LSU6th12th+6
Alabama7th2nd-5
Iowa State8th40th+32
Arizona9th28th+19
Tennessee10th15th+5

Moving up eight spots from its original ranking, Michigan had the fourth-largest jump among schools in ESPN’s top 10.

There are also teams that were in the top 10 back in 2022 but are lower now: Texas A&M (No. 1 to No. 25), Ohio State (No. 4 to No. 11), Notre Dame (No. 6 to No. 12), Oklahoma (No. 8 to outside the top 25) and North Carolina (No. 10 to outside the top 25).

Many Wolverines from the 2022 class have had massive impacts on Michigan’s success over the last three seasons, and several will be big pieces for the Maize and Blue this coming season.

“While injuries cut his junior season short, in-state corner Will Johnson, a top-five corner prospect, performed like a highly touted prospect over his first two seasons and notched seven interceptions during that span,” Haubert wrote. “Defensive line signees Derrick Moore, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant accounted for 11.5 sacks during Michigan’s title run. Moore, the top prospect in the class, will return to Ann Arbor. Johnson and former three-stars Graham and Grant are now projected first-round NFL draft picks.

“Tight end Colston Loveland is another projected first-rounder from this class. Michigan pulled Loveland out of Idaho, and he started 17 games over his first two seasons. He was third on the team in receptions (45) in 2023 and had a 41-yard catch to kick off a key scoring drive during the fourth quarter of the CFP National Championship game. ESPN 300 wide receiver Tyler Morris and versatile athlete Alex Orji were productive contributors. [Safety] Keon Sabb impacted Michigan’s title run and has since transferred to Alabama.”

Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s 2022 class featured one five-star (Johnson) and 11 four-stars, according to the On3 Industy Ranking. The rest of the group consisted of three-stars, other than lineman Alessandro Lorenzetti, who checked in unranked.

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