The 20 Michigan football seniors who can return for 2025 season

Michigan Wolverines football will recognize its fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-year senior and graduate students ahead of Saturday’s game against Northwestern, the eighth and final outing of the season at The Big House.

While Michigan has a 5-5 record in 2024, the senior class has enjoyed an immensely successful run in Ann Arbor. The fourth-year seniors have posted a 45-8 record, making them the winningest class over four seasons in program history.

Even though the Wolverines will honor these players, a slew of seniors and graduate students have eligibility remaining beyond this season, meaning they can return to Michigan (if both parties agree to it) or head elsewhere.

Others, meanwhile, are done with college football once the campaign concludes. The following Michigan scholarship players are out of eligibility following the 2024 season:
• CB Aamir Hall
• OL Myles Hinton
• S Quinten Johnson
• RB Kalel Mullings
• S Makari Paige
• OL Josh Priebe
• QB Jack Tuttle
• LS William Wagner
• S Wesley Walker
• RB Donovan Edwards
• EDGE Josaiah Stewart

Due to the COVID season and redshirts, most of Michigan’s seniors who will be honored are in the bucket of athletes who have remaining eligibility. Here’s a rundown of scholarship players in that group:

WR C.J. Charleston (1 season remaining)

The Youngstown State transfer redshirted in 2019 and lost the 2022 season due to an Achilles injury. He suffered a severe injury Nov. 9 at Indiana, and his health status is unknown, but he does have another season of eligibility.

CB Ricky Johnson (1)

The UNLV transfer had the COVID season in 2020 and redshirted in 2022, meaning he has a year left. He’s been a deep reserve for Michigan this season.

OL Jeffrey Persi (1)

The fifth-year player is currently dealing with an injury but may return this week. He’s appeared in 37 games, including 14 on the offensive line with three starts.

OL Raheem Anderson (1)

The Detroit native has played mostly on special teams throughout his career.

EDGE Kechaun Bennett (1)

Bennett has mostly been a special teams player over the last four seasons.

DT Rayshaun Benny (1)

Having redshirted in 2021, Benny has another season left, and he’s near the top of the priority list when it comes to Michigan seniors potentially coming back. He’s played in 39 games with three starts, totaling 68 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

OL Tristan Bounds (1)

The 6-foot-8, 305-pounder has appeared in only six clashes over the last four seasons.

FB/TE Max Bredeson (1)

A team captain, Bredeson is the heart and soul of the offense. Not only is he seen firing up the team after they touch the banner pregame, he’s a key piece of the offense with the way he run blocks. He’s played in 37 games with six starts in his career and has logged 267 offensive snaps in 10 outings this season.

OL Greg Crippen (1)

Michigan’s current starter at center, Crippen waited his turn for quite some time, playing behind multiple transfers at the position. He’s seen time in 24 clashes with five starts.

P Tommy Doman (1)

Michigan’s starting punter and kickoff specialist has struggled punting this season, but he’d be entering his third year in those roles if he returns.

RB Tavierre Dunlap (1)

He’s played mostly on special teams, recording only 14 carries.

OL Giovanni El-Hadi (1)

El-Hadi stuck it out at Michigan despite having returning starters ahead of him for years, and he’s finally gotten his shot this season. He’s opened all 10 games at right guard this year and has totaled 13 starts throughout his career.

EDGE TJ Guy (1)

Guy has become a key backup for Michigan in his fourth season, starting two games due to injuries to others and recording 5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

LB Jaydon Hood (1)

He contributed on special teams at different points in his career but didn’t push for playing time on defense until 2024. He’s made 5 tackles this year, tallying 64 defensive snaps as the Wolverines’ fourth inside linebacker.

DT Ike Iwunnah (1)

Iwunnah didn’t take a single snap as a college player until 2024, and he’s become a depth piece on the interior of Michigan’s defensive line.

EDGE Tyler McLaurin (1)

McLaurin joined the program as a linebacker but shifted down to EDGE. He hasn’t pushed for playing time on defense, almost exclusively playing special teams.

S Rod Moore (1)

Michigan’s star safety only had one season of eligibility coming into the year, but since he’s still out with an ACL injury, his redshirt is intact. He can come back for another year, and if he does decide to, the Wolverines would have one of the top safeties in the country back. Moore was a third-team All-Big Ten performer in 2023, he’s started 27 games and has racked up 141 tackles and 6 interceptions in his career.

WR Peyton O’Leary (1)

The former walk-on has started three games this year, hauling in 6 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown after spending the previous three seasons as a backup.

QB Davis Warren (1)

Warren won Michigan’s starting quarterback job out of fall camp, and while he spent the middle part of the year on the bench, he regained the role and has opened six of 10 outings. While his numbers haven’t been spectacular — 59 completion percentage, 958 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 7 interceptions — he’s proven to be the Wolverines’ best option behind center.

CB Ja’Den MCBurrows (2)

McBurrows’ career has been marred by injury. He missed the end of the 2021 season and all of 2022 with a knee injury, before going down with another season-ender after appearing in four games this season. He was in the two-deep at nickel back.