Where Michigan football stands in way-too-early top 25 rankings for 2023

Michigan Wolverines football went 13-1 with a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance. The Maize and Blue are set to return running back Blake Corum, starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy and other key players. There are less than nine months until the 2023 season, but “way-too-early” top 25 rankings give U-M a strong chance to compete for the national title again.

In fact, Michigan checked in No. 2 in five out of the seven sets of rankings we examined. It didn’t slot lower than No. 3, either. Georgia is the unanimous No. 1 team, which is no surprise, with the Bulldogs coming off two-straight national championships.

The Wolverines are the highest Big Ten team in six of the seven rankings. Ohio State appeared as the top Big Ten team in just one. Pundits are also high on Penn State, which went 11-2 with a Rose Bowl victory in 2022.

Here’s a roundup of where Michigan stands in those early rankings.

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Sports Illustrated: No. 2

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 USC, No. 9 TCU, No. 10 Florida State

Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan, No. 4 Penn State, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 23 Wisconsin

Pat Forde: “This is subject to radical revision if [head coach] Jim Harbaugh bolts to the NFL. But until Big Ten East rivals Ohio State and Penn State prove they can even come close to beating the Wolverines, they deserve to be the highest-rated team from that conference.

“[Junior] quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running backs [senior] Blake Corum and [junior] Donovan Edwards return to keep the offense humming, with [sophomore] Colston Loveland looking like the next dynamic Michigan tight end. Replacements are needed at wide receiver and on the offensive line. An outstanding defense will also takes some hits, but that was the case last year as well, and the unit maintained a high level of performance. [Sophomore] cornerback Will Johnson is a rising star. The non-conference schedule is once again soft.”

Pro Football Focus: No. 2

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 USC, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Penn State, No. 8 LSU, No. 9 Tennessee, No. 10 Washington

Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 24 Wisconsin

Max Chadwick: “Michigan proved last season’s Big Ten championship and playoff berth weren’t flukes, repeating those feats in 2022.

“The Wolverines will return many key players from this year’s squad, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Donovan Edwards and cornerback Will Johnson.

“The biggest returnee, though, is running back Blake Corum. The junior was my pick to win the Heisman Trophy this season after leading all players with a 95.9 grade. In fact, that grade ranks fourth among Power Five players since PFF began charting college football in 2014.”

Athlon Sports: No. 2

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 USC, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Florida State, No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Tennessee, No. 10 Washington

Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 8 Penn State, No. 24 Wisconsin

Steven Lassan: “With back-to-back East Division titles, and The Game in Ann Arbor late in the season on tap, the path to the Big Ten championship runs through Michigan in ’23. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Donovan Edwards headline coach Jim Harbaugh’s offense once again next fall, but the standout juniors will be operating behind a retooled offensive line that could feature three transfer starters, including former Stanford center Drake Nugent. Tight end Colston Loveland (16 catches) is a rising star.

“Michigan’s defense should rank among the best in the nation once again, especially with Will Johnson returning at cornerback after a standout freshman season, along with the continued development of [junior] linebacker Junior Colson, [junior] safety Rod Moore and [sophomore] linemen Mason Graham, [graduate EDGE] Eyabi Okie and [sophomore EDGE] Derrick Moore.”

Los Angeles Times: No. 2

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 USC, No. 7 Penn State, No. 8 Washington, No. 9 Florida State, No. 10 Oregon

Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 20 Iowa

J. Brady McCollough: Michigan was already positioned to start the offseason in this lofty spot before star running back Blake Corum announced Monday that he will return for his senior season, citing “unfinished business,” but now the expectations have grown even more for a third straight win over Ohio State, Big Ten championship and playoff appearance. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy should make a big jump in his second full year as the starter, and game-breaking tailback Donovan Edwards will join Corum in a terrifying backfield. Plus, Michigan owns the fourth-best transfer portal haul. The only question is whether Jim Harbaugh will be back with the Wolverines or coaching in the NFL.

FoxSports.com: No. 2

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 USC, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Penn State, No. 8 TCU, No. 9 Utah, No. 10 Clemson

Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 24 Iowa

RJ Young: The return of Blake Corum is legitimately shocking. The sure-fire first-round pick elected to run it back, giving the Wolverines an opportunity to win their third straight Big Ten title and make their third straight CFP appearance.

ESPN.com: No. 3

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 USC, No. 8 LSU, No. 9 Oregon, No. 10 Tennessee

Big Ten: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 Penn State, No. 25 Iowa

Mark Schlabach: The Wolverines face a lot of uncertainty, as coach Jim Harbaugh has been connected to NFL openings in Denver and Indianapolis. For what it’s worth, Harbaugh released a statement last week in which he said he intends to coach the Wolverines in 2023. If Harbaugh leaves, Michigan will probably fall out of the top four.

“It finally seemed to turn the corner under Harbaugh, defeating rival Ohio State and reaching the CFP in each of the past two seasons. Depending on how many underclassmen return in 2023, Michigan could again be the team to beat in the Big Ten.

“Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is coming back, and star RB Blake Corum announced Monday he would return after injuring his left knee 11 games into the season. Turner and Big Ten defensive lineman of the year Morris have entered the draft, while linebacker Michael Barrett might as well.

“Regardless, Harbaugh has built a solid culture and foundation. A handful of additions from the transfer portal might provide some immediate help. [LaDarius] Henderson, [Myles] Hinton and Nugent were multi-year starters in the Pac-12, and Stewart had 12 ½ sacks at Coastal Carolina in 2021.”

The Sporting News: No. 3

Top 10: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 6 LSU, No. 7 USC, No. 8 TCU, No. 9 Penn State, No. 10 Washington

Big Ten: No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 9 Penn State, No. 19 Wisconsin

Bill Bender: “There is another round of Jim Harbaugh-to-the-NFL rumors to sort out, but the Wolverines are primed for another Big Ten championship run. Blake Corum’s return was a welcome surprise, and that will mesh well with quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Donovan Edwards.

“The defense should be better around a core that includes Junior Colson, Will Johnson and Mike Sainristil. Nebraska transfer Ernest Hausmann was among the transfer portal finds. The Wolverines’ schedule sets up for another fast start, too.”