Re-visting Michigan football's national title team: All but one starter now in the NFL

The Michigan Wolverines wrapped the 2025 NFL Draft with seven selections, including a trio of first-rounders for the first time since 2001.

Last year’s class sent a program-record 13 players to the NFL Draft, giving the Wolverines 20 draft picks over the last two seasons and several UDFA signings, to boot.

With the large draft haul, it is worth looking back at the starters of the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship win over Washington, where almost every player who started that night is now in the NFL.

Here is how it breaks down.

OFFENSE

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings: 1st round, No. 10 overall in 2024)
McCarthy became the first Michigan quarterback drafted in the first round since Jim Harbaugh, going No. 10 overall to the Minnesota Vikings last offseason. He played in the preseason before undergoing surgery on his knee that kept him out for the 2024 season, but is expected to be the Vikings’ starter this year.

Running back Blake Corum (Los Angeles Rams: 3rd round, No. 83, 2024)
The Michigan legend had 58 carries for 207 yards along with 7 catches for 58 yards during his rookie campaign as the backup to Kyren Williams. He was the Offensive MVP of the national title game.

Wide receiver Roman Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers: 3rd round, No. 84, 2024)
Wilson was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023 and wound up in the Steel City, but battled injuries last season and played in only one game.

Wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (Los Angeles Chargers: 7th round, No. 253, 2024)
Jim Harbaugh and company used one of their late-round picks in 2024 on the Michigan wideout, but he was waived early in the season and wound up on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. He signed a futures deal with the organization in January.

Tight end Colston Loveland (Chicago Bears: 1st round, No. 10 overall, 2025)
A movable chess piece at tight end is all the rage in the NFL these days, and the Chicago Bears used a premium selection in the 2025 NFL Draft to place Loveland in a talented group of playmakers around quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.

Left tackle LaDarius Henderson (Houston Texans: 7th round, No. 249, 2024)
The Texas native stayed home and was taken late in last spring’s draft. He was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on July 17.

Left guard Trevor Keegan (Philadelphia Eagles: 5th round, No. 172, 2024)
Keegan wound up with the Eagles as a reserve, but was part of a Super Bowl winner during his rookie season, giving him championships at the highest level of both levels of the sport.

Center Drake Nugent (San Francisco 49ers: UDFA, 2024)
Nugent spent the season with the 49ers on the team’s practice squad and signed a futures deal with the team in January.

Right guard Karsen Barnhart (Los Angeles Chargers: UDFA, 2024)
A Harbaugh favorite, Barnhart spent his first season in the league on the practice squad and re-upped on a futures contract.

Right tackle Trente Jones (Green Bay Packers: UDFA, 2024)
Jones slipped through the cracks in the draft and signed with Green Bay before retiring from football.

NOTABLES
Running back Donovan Edwards (New York Jets: Undrafted free agent, 2025)
“The Don” had no shortage of iconic moments in a Michigan uniform, headlined by his 104 yards and two touchdowns in the national title game. He went undrafted and is heading to the Jets.

Right guard Zak Zinter (Cleveland Browns: 3rd round, No. 85, 2024)
Zinter did not start the national title game after breaking his leg in the win over Ohio State, but we’d be remiss mentioning him here. He played in all 17 games and started three of them last season.

Offensive tackle Myles Hinton (Philadelphia Eagles: 6th round, No. 91, 2025)
Hinton started 10 games at left tackle this past season and was a key reserve during the 2023 run. He reunites with former linemate Keegan in Philly.

Offense

EDGE Jaylen Harrell (Tennessee Titans: 7th round, 252nd, 2024)
Harrell appeared in all 17 games last season with the Titans, making 13 tackles and adding a pressure.

EDGE Braiden McGregor (New York Jets: UDFA, 2024)
McGregor signed as an undrafted free agent and then made the team’s 53-man roster out of training camp. He suited up in 7 games, finishing with 6 tackles.

DT Mason Graham (Cleveland Browns: 1st round, No. 5, 2025)
Graham became the highest-drafted Wolverine since Aidan Hutchinson (No. 2, Detroit Lions, 2022) when the Browns traded back to land him in the 2025 Draft.

DT Kenneth Grant (Miami Dolphins: 1st round, No. 13, 2025)
Eight picks after Graham went to Cleveland, Grant came off the board as Michigan’s third first rounder in the 2025 class.

DT Kris Jenkins (Cincinnati Bengals: 2nd round, No. 49, 2024)
Jenkins made 15 appearances with 9 starts during his rookie season with the Bengals, and was also a teammate of former Wolverine defensive backs Daxton Hill and DJ Turner.

LB Junior Colson (Los Angeles Chargers: 3rd round, No. 69, 2024)
Harbaugh’s first draft pick of one of his former players came via Colson, who had 29 tackles during his rookie season

LB Michael Barrett (Carolina Panthers: 7th round, No. 240, 2024)
Barrett is the most well-traveled of his Michigan teammates early in his career. The Panthers traded Barrett to the Seahawks in August, then released him on Sept. 10. The Cleveland Browns picked him up two days later before being released in October. The Green Bay Packers signed him to the practice squad in November and he signed a futures deal in January.

CB Will Johnson (Arizona Cardinals: 2nd round, No. 47, 2025)
Outside of Shedeur Sanders, Johnson had one of the most surprising draft weekend drops. He was considered a top-10 talent by some, but slipped to the second round due to injury and durability concerns in NFL front offices. He was the Defensive MVP of the national title game.

CB Josh Wallace (Los Angeles Rams: UDFA, 2024)
Wallace played in all 17 games with the Rams as a rookie and made three starts for an eventual playoff team.

Nickel Mike Sainristil (Washington Commanders: 2nd round, No. 50, 2024)
Sainristil was one of the best young rookie defensive backs in the league last season, making 16 starts and grabbing a pair of interceptions in the regular season. He added two more in a Divisional Round upset of the Detroit Lions.

S Makari Paige (New York Giants: UDFA, 2025)
Paige signed a UDFA deal with the Giants shortly after going unselected in this year’s draft.

NOTABLES
S Rod Moore (Returning to Michigan in 2025)
The only player not drafted from the title team came back for the 2024 season before suffering a torn ACL in spring camp. He is returning for a fifth and final season with the Maize and Blue in 2025.

EDGE Josaiah Stewart (Los Angeles Rams: 3rd round, No. 90, 2025)
Stewart was a stalwart in the EDGE rotation before a breakout season as a starter in 2024, heading to the Los Angeles Rams and reuniting with Corum as a fellow third-round selection.

Special teams

K James Turner (Detroit Lions: UDFA, 2024)
Turner signed a UDFA contract with the hometown Lions before being waived in June. The Packers claimed him shortly after before releasing him in July.