It's still offseason, so I'm still coming up with ways to turn my spreadsheets Michigan fan bar arguments into content. This one asks which class did the best job of loading up per position. We'll do the units too at the end.

Rules: Since 1990. Transfers count for the year they joined the team. Contributions at that position (but not at others) count. Underrated/Bust is a measure of what we got versus what people thought of the class when they signed. Janus is the Roman two-faced god, for the class with the highest highs and lowest lows.

More All-Michigan [Blank] Teams: 5-Stars, 3-Stars, 4-Stars O/D, Pros O/D, 1879-Before Bo, Extracurriculars, Position-Switchers, Highlights, Numbers O/D, State of Michigan, Names, Small Guys, Big Guys, Freshmen

Quarterback & Running Back

Only controversial to the haters. [Upchurch]

1st Team: Class of 2009

Give Rich Rodriguez this: his first full class was everything we thought Peanut Butter Jelly Time would be. Denard Robinson accrued over 10,000 yards at Michigan: 6,250 (8.4 YPA) passing and 4,495 (6.2 YPC) rushing. There were 49 touchdown passes that ended with #EATING motions, and 42 touchdown rushes that ended with a kneel. Classmate Tate Forcier flamed out in the end but not before the Year of Moxie and bailing Denard out of some holes in 2010; we'll always have 2009 Notre Dame.

And that was just the quarterbacks. Fitzgerald Toussaint has a good claim for best back at Michigan since Hart, even if we had to add "Poor Damn" to his later career. Vincent Smith was a part of some of the most memorable plays of his era (including those that aren't about Clowney), and has a spot on any team as the perfect third down back.

Those guys left little for tiny Technician Teric Jones, who moved to cornerback later in his career.

[After THE JUMP: Biggest Bust, Most Underrated, Biggest Janus, etc.]

2nd Team: Class of 2004

H&H Presents [Toledo Blade]

The four huge contributors of the 2009 class faced stiff competition from the two 2004 freshmen who defined the late Carr years. Chad Henne came to Michigan a five-star, started his first game on campus, and grew into a robot. His 2006 stands as the best year of quarterbacking in modern Michigan history, and though his senior year was marred by injury it was also the scene of the heroic comeback against MSU. Mike Hart remains just about everyone's favorite player from the decade, from his string of 200-yard games as a true freshman to his role in the 2007 MSU comeback and the quote that continues to define that rivalry.

The class also had Max Martin, who was good enough to also pass the upperclassmen their freshmen year, but didn't stick around to fend of Kevin Grady the following year. Roger Allison was a titanic fullback who featured in a couple of goal line plays before academic issues tanked his career.

HONORABLE MENTION: Chris Perry & Kevin Dudley (2000) were in a class together, but there was no QB and Reggie Benton/Tim Bracken didn't do much. Ricky Powers/Todd Collins/Jesse Johnson/Greg McThomas/Nate Holdren/Juan Kemp (1990) was strong up front. 

Biggest Janus: Class of 1991

This class had Tyrone Wheatley Jr. The rest: Che' Foster who left for the NFL really early, RB Ed Davis who was Mike Hart but Fumbly, and quarterback Craig Randall, who wasn't expected to be much but it would have been nice to have something to fall back on instead of Griese or Dreisbach in 1995. That tops 1993, in which Griese/Biakabutuka were the walk-on and unranked RB at the end of a huge class that got near zilch from four-stars Scot Loeffler, Jon Ritchie, JJ Brown, George Howell, and Dana Overton.

Biggest Bust: Class of 2016

We only got nine total starts from that ridiculous 1998 haul, but that's a poor measurement of contributions from Henson, Fargas, Cross, and Armstrong. There's also the Shane Morris/Derrick Green/Wyatt Shallman class but they're somewhat redeemed by De'Veon Smith/Khalid Hill/Henry Poggi. However Chris Evans and walk-on Tru Wilson both lost seasons, and therefore cannot make up for the fact that they're all we got from a class that was supposed to have our Andrew Luck in Brandon Peters, a onetime five-star Ohio State commit in Kareem Walker, and Stanfordian thunderback Kingston Davis, who flunked out of Last Chance U. The Harbaugh Era probably looks very different if those guys worked out. The other option is 2001, the class with puffed out 5-star Kelly Baraka, mega fullback Sean Sanderson, Texas thunderback David Underwood, and filler QB Spencer Brinton.

Most Underrated: Class of 1999

The 1998 class was Michigan's highest-ranked, and included the #1 QB (Henson), the #1 RB (Fargas) plus four-stars Walter Cross and Dave Armstrong. The following season, the one where you're convincing guys to sign up to be one year behind *those guys*, Michigan recruited Andy Mignery (3-star, #27 QB to Rivals), John Navarre (2-star, #33 QB), Ryan Beard (3-star, #40 RB), and B.J. Askew (3-star, #66 DE). They didn't get anything out of Beard, but Navarre started three seasons and change, setting several Michigan passing records, and B.J. Askew was an excellent RB/FB tweener who was team MVP their senior year. Mignery contributed at tight end.

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Receiver & Tight End

[UM Bentley Library/Screencap/Bentley also]

1st Team: Class of 1998

It wasn't exactly a surprise that the #1-ranked WR of 1998, David Terrell, and #2 Marquise Walker worked out. Terrell's 2,317 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns are both fifth all-time at Michigan, and Walker's 2,269 and 17 TDs are both ninth (Gallon tied him in TDs). Pulling four-star Bennie Joppru out of Minnesota during the Glen Mason era tacks on another 800 yards and 8 scores, and even Quebecois Deitan Dubuc contributed a few years.

2nd Team: Class of 2012

It's close though. All three of Devin Funchess (2014), Jehu Chesson (2015), and Amara Darboh (2016) got to be the team's leading receiver for a season, tackle-sized TE AJ Williams was finally used correctly under Harbaugh, and Dennis Norfleet was fun even if they always found some flimsy excuse to call back his long returns.

HONORABLE MENTION: Roy Roundtree, Kevin Koger, Tae Odoms, Darryl Stonum, Brandon Moore, Mike Kwiatkowski, and Terrence Robinson (2008); Avant, Breaston, Tabb, Brian Thompson, and Kevin Murphy (2002), Toomer, Mercury, and Damon Jones (1992), and Aaron Shea, Tai Streets, DiAllo Johnson and Kevin Bryant (1995).

Biggest Janus: Class of 2017

The Big Four were supposed to challenge the Walker/Terrell one. On one hand there's Nico Collins things and Donovan Peoples-Jones versus a Spartan named Person. On the other Tarik Black broke both feet, Oliver Martin is on a straight line to a pro career in Australia.

Based on his current trajectory we project Oliver Martin will enroll at Colorado in 2021, UNLV in 2022, and finish his career at Cal-Bakersfield. https://t.co/fvrjPLCEGK pic.twitter.com/5kuRorAI1E

— Seth M. Fisher (@Misopogon) August 21, 2020

Biggest Bust: 2016 Wide Receivers, and 1990 Tight Ends

There are a lot of classes to choose from with one good player and a bunch who didn't work out. Also this makes no sense if we excuse the class of Kekoa Crawford, Eddie McDoom (who's transferring again), Ahmir Mitchell, Nate Johnson and Devin Asiasi for having Sean McKeon and Nick Eubanks in it. Ditto the now-forgotten but much more highly ranked 1994 class, which got no starts from touted WRs Tyrone Butterfield, Todd Brooks, or Anthony Williams, but many from TEs Jerame Tuman and Mark Campbell.

It also gives us a chance to recognize Gary Moeller whiffed on two big-time TEs in Gordon Laro (Lemming's #2 TE) and Street & Smith All-American John Jaekin (#16 TE to Lemming), after a major head-to-head victory over Ohio State for the Cleveland area prospect who was the (eventual) receiver in the wildest play in Ohio high school football history. Laro transferred to Boston College. Jaekin stuck it out at Michigan and passed away suddenly just a few weeks ago; a football alumni support group is trying to raise money for the family.

Fine it's Ronald Bellamy's Underachieving All-Stars. The 1999 class, which despite coming on the heels of Terrell-Walker-Joppru had three very highly touted players in Ronald Bellamy, Brent Cummings, and Tyrece Butler, as well as TE Philip Brackins (and Mignery). Bellamy was fine but never more than a #2 banana, and the result was a couple years of locking on to Marquise Walker or young Braylon Edwards before the Avant/Breaston class was ready to play.

Most Underrated: 2012

Darboh was the only consensus four-star, with Funchess and Norfleet on the line, while the sites were skeptical AJ Williams wouldn't grow into a small offensive lineman, or that Jehu Chesson could develop a waistline.

Offensive Line

Tommy Tuberville has always been a loser.

1st team: Class of 1996

The one thing the 1997 offense has going for it, other than being paired with and able to borrow from the 1997 defense, was that offensive line stood up. That was actually quite a concern—people were worried after the '96 season that the great offensive line history at Michigan was starting wane. In stepped the redshirt freshmen, DE convert Steve Hutchinson, and still-not-quite-grown Frey-type offensive tackle Jeff Backus. The whole run-into-stacked-boxes thing wasn't ideal, but it wasn't a complete disaster because a future NFL Hall of Famer was grading the path for all of those draws. Backus was so steady he left Michigan and the Detroit Lions with the records for most consecutive starts. In short order, classmate David Brandt joined them at center to form 60% of the greatest OL in Michigan history. The three of them combined for 131 starts. Paul Tannous probably would have been right there with them; he was the 6th man going into their redshirt freshman season, but an injury ended his career shortly after.

2nd Team: Class of 1992

I almost did the controversial thing here because All-Americans Jon Runyan Sr. and Rod Payne are comparable to Hutchinson and Backus, Thomas Guynes was a very good guard who made for a decent tackle when called upon, and Harold Goodwin didn't start but was a regular contributor behind some ridiculous names, then became a successful OL coach in the pros (and recruited his brother Jon). Eric Wendt, a career backup, was also in that class.

HONORABLE MENTION: 2016 (Bredeson/Onwenu/Spam/Vastardis); 2001 (Stenavich/Lentz/Henige); 2009 (Lewan/Schofield); 2012 (Mags/Kalis/Braden/Bars); 1999 (Pape/Pearson/Morgan/Demeterius); and 1991 (Marinaro/Trezelle/Mike Sullivan)

Biggest Janus: Class of 2003

This was a year when Michigan really needed to load up to replace the impending graduations of Stenavich/Pape/Lentz/Guys named Dave generation. It was really successful on the left side, with Jake Long and Adam Kraus. But getting nothing from similarly ranked Jeff Zuttah and Pat Sharrow had ugly long-term consequences for the rest of the OL.

Biggest Bust: Class of 2013

You knew this was coming. Five-star center Patrick Kugler was the only guy to even start a season, and he probably shouldn't have. Guard Kyle Bosch burned his redshirt then had a fair career at West Virginia after his alcoholism got out of control here. Tackle Logan Tuley-Tillman was another off-field casualty. Touted tackle Chris Fox might have been good but never recovered from his knee injuries. Guard Dan Samuelson was a reach who didn't pan out. Guard David Dawson was a career backup.

Before that disaster the answer was the 2004 class of Alex Mitchell, Brett Gallimore, Grant DeBenedictis and Jeremy Ciulla, which along with the Janus side of 2003 was the reason the late DeBord offenses were so left-handed. The 1995 class got decent play from its two reaches Chris Ziemann and Steve Frazier, but striking out on all three of highly ranked Eric Moltane, Jeff Potts, and Ron Acheson is the reason the 1996 class had such a clear path to playing time.

Most Underrated: Class of 2007

This was the year Lloyd Carr began recruiting for their shift to outside zone blocking, and a lot of people thought the soon-to-retire coach and his staff were mailing it in, with one tiny center named David Molk, and after striking out with some higher-profile prospects, a 2-star late flip from Ball State named Mark Huyge, who impressed only people who thought his name was an epithet. Calvin Magee didn't complain.

Defensive Line

We tried "Legion of Doom" for a nickname but it was already taken. [UM Bentley Library (Robert Kalbach x2, Sara Stillman)]

1st Team: Class of 1995

I have 122 starts listed for these guys, who formed the meat of the 1997 front and kept up the pressure for a couple of years after it. We still use Rob Renes as the go-to comparison for a not-large disruptor who won't let a doubleteam move him at nose tackle. Josh Williams was a very underrated DE/DT on all of those teams. James Hall was small but a relentless terror off the edge, taking over for the highly touted OLSM star David Bowens, who did his damage early before being dismissed. St. Ignatius star Patrick Kratus didn't stick out but he played out his eligibility and gets a copy of HTTV every year.

2nd Team: Class of 2012

The funny thing about the class that turned around Michigan's defensive line fortunes under Hoke is the two highest-ranked dudes in it were washouts. 5-star Ondre Pipkins ended up transferring to Texas Tech and hasn't made an NFL roster, and 4-star DE Tom Strobel appeared only as a very bad DT when Glasgow was injured. But holy hell was Rivals wrong to dog on Chris Wormley, walk-on Ryan Glasgow established the family was not a one-off, Willie Henry was as disruptive as he was undefined, Mario Ojemudia was good enough to keep Taco Charlton on the bench, Matt Godin "started" over Maurice Hurst in 2016, and even Royce Jenkins-Stone, recruited as a linebacker, was a serviceable WDE after Ojemudia was hurt their senior year.

HONORABLE MENTION: 1993 (William Carr, Glen Steele, Ben Huff, and Brent Blackwell) and 2004 (Alan Branch, Tim Jamison, Will Johnson, and Marques Walton).

Biggest Janus: Class of 2006

The five-star Brandon Graham is my pick for the best defensive end of the era. But oof did they miss on near-five-star Adam Patterson, fail to develop Greg Banks, and got nothing from 300-pound NT Jason Kates or DE/DT development project Quintin Woods. Those awful GERG defensive lines—differentiated because one of them had a senior Graham—trace their origins back to this class.

Pending how this year goes the 2017 class could upgrade from a candidate for the category below, but that would take some breakouts from Luigi Vilain and Donovan Jeter (or Jess Speight) to help Kwity Paye offset Aubrey Solomon, Deron Irving-Bey, Philip Paea, and Corey Malone-Hatcher.

Biggest Bust: Class of 2005

The 2005 class was a lot like the 2017s: lost out in the end with all of the 5-stars they pursued until Signing Day, but still held onto a bunch of highly rated DL--too many to imagine in three or four years being short on them. Of them only Terrance Taylor did anything. Marques Slocum never should have been recruited, James McKinney and Eugene Germany flamed out spectacularly (the latter in the St. Patrick's Day Nerd Massacre), and Andre Criswell, a fullback who ballooned into a DT, was some last-day icing best known for his coach hating on Rich Rod years year.

Most Underrated: Class of 1999

Norman Heuer (then Boebert), was a top-150 guy but Brighton's Grant Bowman and little Shantee Orr were three-stars and maybe only that because of the Michigan bump. That three-man class, which was largely the work of DL coach Brady Hoke, started 78 games and formed 75% of a solid front in the early aughts that Michigan never quite managed to add a good enough fourth to.

Linebacker

The Entire Class of '16 Blitz was a sight to behold. [Patrick Barron]

1st team: Class of 2016

It's hard to ask for more from Devin Bush Jr. than we got in his two years of starting, or to hope Khaleke Hudson would be any better in his three years as a starter after Jabrill Peppers defined the Viper role. We could wish circumstances put Josh Uche on the field more, or that Devin Gil wasn't quite so good in practice that Josh Ross didn't get stuck behind him. We do wish the best for Elysee Mbem-Bosse.

2nd Team: Class of 1998

Before there was Devin Bush Jr. there was Larry Foote. Before there were Vipers the strongside linebacker was a part-DE monster defined by Victor Hobson. We also got six starts out of Evan Coleman and a few memorable special teams plays. If you're counting NFL linebackers, Cato June was in this (my) class too.

HONORABLE MENTION: Class of 1994 (Sam Sword, Clint Copenhaver, Chris Singletary, Tim Laws, and Jeff Holtry)

Biggest Janus: Class of 1990

On the one hand they got All-American Steve Morrison from the almost-a-four-star range, and there were days when you could see why Matt Dyson was a top-150 player. On the other side they washed out on 5-star Bobby Powers, and got little or nothing from the rest of their high 3-stars Charlie Stumb, Jason Kendrick, and Marcus Walker, which is why the 1993 and 1994 defenses were constantly scrounging for true freshmen to put around Morrison, and Gary Moeller was ultimately forced to ditch the 3-4 defense he and Bo had run at Michigan since 1969 for a 4-3 under front.

Of course the Biggest Janus in a single recruit was 2006's almost-5* Jonas Mouton.

Most Underrated: Class of 2002

It was one guy. That one guy was a 3.49-star in my ratings, a 5.6 to Rivals, #707 overall on the composite. He was David Harris. There's also 1996, which got Dhani Jones, Ian Gold, and Grady Brooks, all three-stars.

Biggest Bust: Class of 2008

And boy did we ever pay. Kenny Demens was fine but Michigan needed J.B. Fitzgerald, Marcus Witherspoon, hybrid safety Brandon Smith, and Rich Rod's bring-along modern LB Taylor Hill to hit to have any option but Ezeh and Mouton until Demens could develop. 2017 needs a bounceback season from Josh Ross—the lowest ranked guy of his class—to excuse the defections of 4.5-stars Drew Singleton and Jordan Anthony.

Secondary

The first great secondary in how long? [Bryan Fuller/Paul Sherman/Fuller]

1st Team: 2013

The NEVER FORGET era was over in 2011 but left its remnants across a mostly zone defense through 2012. That was the time the makings of a vicious man-to-man generation arrived, though their beginning was inauspicious. Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling had gypsy problems. Talented safeties Delano Hill and Dymonte Thomas uselessly burned their redshirts on special teams. By 2015 however this group was starting (Hill and Thomas switched off opposite senior Jarrod Wilson), and with half a season of Jeremy Clark formed the best secondary of the decade as seniors. We won't forget NEVER FORGET, but neither will we forget three consecutive shutouts, and the Big House giving this group a standing ovation at the end of the BYU game. Late PSU flip Reon Dawson and eventual (extremely undersized) Rutgers hybrid safety Ross Taylor-Douglas were also in this class, but weren't needed when the whole top end worked out their issues with the supernatural.

2nd Team: 2016

The next generation was on hand to witness the above, as David Long, Lavert Hill and Josh Metellus all got an opportunity to see the field in non-garbage time as freshmen. Metellus even started when Jabrill Peppers couldn't go right before the Orange Bowl. Pro Football Focus nearly lost its mind trying to apply their coverage metrics to Long and Hill because the numbers kept coming back with conclusions like it's better to spike the ball than throw it in their directions. Metellus was another guy the coaches and wonks adored, but a few too memorable bad things that happened on his watch prevented that adoration from overcoming the fanbase. So is life as a safety.

HONORABLE MENTION: Class of 2001 (Marlin Jackson, Ernest Shazor, Markus Curry, and Jacob Stewart)

Biggest Janus: Class 1992

I got to defensive backs before I realized I want to have a "Janus" section for every position group. The impetus was when I saw that Michigan got Ty Law and as much as you can ask for from diminutive 3-stars Chuck Winters and Woody Hankins, but in the same class with some spectacular misses in 5-star Earl Little and Stephen L. King, plus some reaches that didn't pan out in Tyrone Noble and Jean-Agnus Charles, the Quebecois who hosted Tim Biakabutuka on his visit, and nearly lost him for us. Tshimanga recalled in ten minutes of meeting JAC he said he doesn't hang with anyone on the team and is probably going to transfer. 

Most Underrated: Class of 1994

The 2014 class of just Brandon Watson got the most out of Brandon Watson, but I'm going to go with the two-man class of 1994, with CB Andre Weathers just over the four-star mark and safety Markus Ray just under it, because that's half the 1997 secondary right there. Also because the 2021 secondary class is identical to that one, right down to the smart safety from Ohio.

Biggest Bust: 2010

Demar Dorsey. Never Forget. Cullen Christian. Never Forget. Terrence Talbott. Never Forget. Courtney Avery. Never Forget. Josh Furman. Never Forget. Ray Vinopal. Never Forget. Marvin Robinson. Never Forget. Carvin Johnson. Never Forget.

In non-Rich Rod disasters, only Vincent Gray of the NO MORE SLOT FADES class of 2018 has started a game, with Myles Sims, Sammy Faustin, Gemon and German Green, and Casey Hughes the Utah transfer either gone or not playing.

Most Underrated: Class of 2004

I remember 2004 recruiting well, especially that we were in a pretty foul mood about missing out on ever high four-star Michigan pursued (It's okay because Justin King is totally coming next year, we said). The guys they did get started a total of 91 games and the name you probably most recognize is because he left with bad words about Rich Rod. That would be Morgan Trent, the highest-rated defensive back in the class not counting moved-from-WR Doug Dutch. It also had Jamar Adams, who is best known as the one guy it was nice to compare safeties to during a bleak safeties era. Poaching Stanford's DBs coach Ron English that year also got us transfer Grant Mason, a onetime OLSM athlete who was pretty good in his short Wolverine career. Even Charles Stewart, a rare for the time pull from Farmington Hills Harrison, got in five starts in 2008 and wasn't a disaster. Only long-and-tall WR/CB Keston Cheathem didn't contribute from this class.

Offense as a Whole

This will serve.

1st Team: Class of 1998

No class is complete, but Drew Henson came with all sorts of wonderful toys: David Terrell, Marquise Walker, and Bennie Joppru to pass to. A lightning-thunder RB tandem of Justin Fargas and Walter Cross. A decent fullback in Dave Armstrong. Offensive tackle needs help with just Joe Denay and air, but it's solid up the middle with Jonathan Goodwin and Dave Petruziello.

2nd Team: Class of 2009

We already discussed the 2009 backfield of Denard, Forcier, Toussaint, and Vincent Smith. They've also got Jeremy Gallon and Kelvin Grady at receiver, and a pair of star tackles in Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield. That's most of what you need for a killer spread offense…which Al Borges tried to use as a towtruck.

HONORABLE MENTION: 1995: Tom Brady passing to Tai Streets and Diallo Johnson, with Aaron Shea in to help. A couple of decent swing guards in Chris Ziemann and Steve Frazier, Clarence Williams and JR Ford are decent athletic outlets at running back.

Biggest Bust: Class of 2013

Not a surprise since they made the words "Six-man OL class" a pejorative around here. Tack on Shane Morris, Derrick Green, Wyatt Shallman, and the three receivers (C'sonte York, Jaron Dukes, and Da'Mario Jones) who caused position coach Jeff Hecklinski to play down the importance of speed, and you've got the beginnings of Brady Hoke's end.

Most Underrated: Class of 2015

This came down to two transition classes. The Carr-Rich Rod one had Roundtree, Omameh, Koger, Odoms, Stonum, Barnum, and NFL'er Mike Cox in it, but too many downers like Justin Feagin is the only QB, and Sam McGuffie, whose career didn't make it past two Ohio State headshots, or Kurt Wermers, who for all of that never did lead his World of Warcraft guild past the first boss of AQ40.

Harbaugh on the other hand managed to wring almost a normal class's contributions out of Jon Runyan Jr., Zach Gentry, Karan Higdon, Grant Newsome, Grant Perry, and Iowa transfer Jake Rudock. John O'Korn, Nolan Ulizio, Tyrone Wheatley Jr., and Alex Malzone were in that class too.

Defense as a Whole

It was fun while it lasted. [Barron]

1st Team: Class of 2016

Remember because of the state of the roster after Late Hoke this class had to fill a lot of positions for 2017 to avoid relying on freshmen. It got 38 starts from Josh Metellus, 37 from Lavert Hill, 36 from Khaleke Hudson, 26 from David Long, 25 from Devin Bush Jr., 24 from Carlo Kemp (so far), 22 from Rashan Gary, 12 from Devin Gil, 9 from Josh Uche, four from Michael Dwumfour, and only really missed on Ron Johnson and Elysee Mbem-Bosse. Don Brown did work.

2nd Team: Class of 2012

Hoke did leave some great upperclassmen around though. Ryan Glasgow, Willie Henry, Matt Godin, Chris Wormley, Mario Ojemudia, Royce Jenkins Stone, plus extra parts would be a fine roster, let alone a quarter of one. Linebackers James Ross and Joe Bolden defined their era. In the secondary they got two fine players in Jarrod Wilson and Jeremy Clark. Misses were Tom Strobel, Ondre Pipkins, Terry Richardson, Kaleb Ringer, and Allen Gant.

HONORABLE MENTION: The 2013s completed what was missing from 2012, adding Jourdan Lewis, Delano Hill, Dymonte Thomas and Channing Stribling (and Reon Dawson and Ross Taylor-Douglas) to that secondary, plus Mo Hurst, linebackers Mike McCray and Ben Gedeon, Taco Charlton, and did I mention Mo Hurst because Mo Hurst.

Biggest Bust: Class of 2017

Some of these guys are still around and could be for awhile longer thanks to the NCAA giving everyone an extra year of eligibility. But let's go down the list by stars: Aubrey Solomon is gone, Luigi Vilain is still coming back, Drew Singleton is gone, Ambry Thomas is gone, Jordan Anthony is gone, Josh Ross is coming off a bad season, Deron Irving-Bey is gone, Donovan Jeter…, Corey Malone-Hatcher was medicaled immediately, Jaylen Kelly-Powell did not work out and he's gone, Brad Hawkins (don't hate), Benjamin St-Juste is gone, Phil Paea hasn't materialized, J'Marick Woods is gone, HEY KWITY PAYE. I know there's time yet, but the Ambry news yesterday adds to a list of a group that came in like a gatling gun of four-stars, and which doesn't have many hits nor bullets left.

Biggest Bust, But For Real: GERRRRRRRRRRRGGGG

You want the one with JT Turner, Will Campbell, Anthony LaLota, Quinton Washington, Isaiah Bell, Vladimir Emilien, the Gordons, Brandin Hawthorne, WHO Mike Jones, and Adrian Witty? No? Then how about the follow-up class of the NEVER FORGET list from earlier plus Jibreel Black, Richard Ash, Ken Wilkins, Davion Rogers, Terry Talbott, and Antonio Kinard? The 2009 class did have Craig Roh. The 2010 class had Jake MF Ryan. It doesn't make it right.

Biggest Janus: 2008

One one hand I want to give them credit for what they got from Mike Martin, Kenny Demens, J.T. Floyd, and Jordan Kovacs, who were all underrated dudes to increasing degrees. On the other hand this set up the awful defenses of the Rich Rod era by whiffing on Cissoko, Brandon Smith, JB Fitzgerald, Taylor Hill, and Marcus Witherspoon, all four-stars at positions that were badly in need of more starters.

Most Underrated: Class of 2016

I thought about 2001 but less acknowledged good players like Lawrence Reid, Pierre Woods, Markus Curry, and even Scott McClintock were properly ranked. The old-time classes found some good 3-stars too but they all have a bunch of top-100 types who didn't work out. So it's the first Don Brown class, even if much of it committed before he did, because Devin Bush and Khaleke Hudson were rated as three-stars, Devin Gil was in "if we still had two-stars" territory, and they didn't know what to make of Josh Uche or Carlo Kemp. And of course Josh Metellus.

Best Class Since 1990

pic.twitter.com/8KQnSuFkCd

— Brandon Kornblue (@KornblueKicking) February 6, 2019

1st Team: Class of 1995

Charles Woodson and Tom Brady, inarguably two of the best to play the game, were in the same class. So was Rob Renes, Tai Streets, James Hall, Josh Williams, and Aaron Shea! While they missed on some OL, Steve Frazier and Chris Ziemann could play. Running back Clarence Williams, 1997 captain Eric Mayes, talented receiver DiAllo Johnson, and David Bowens, and Daydrion Taylor were in this class.

2nd Team: Class of 1998

It was ranked #1 for a reason, and to a segment of the population "Henson/Terrell/Walker" is a shorthand for how ludicrous it was to recruit an entire passing game in a few weeks. But this class goes deep. The offense also had Fargas and Walter Cross, and Bennie Joppru, and Dave Armstrong. The line got Jonathan Goodwin and Dave Petruziello. The defensive line had longtime starters in Dan Rumishek and Shawn Lazarus, linebackers in Victor Hobson and Larry Foote, and defensive backs in Cato June, Todd Howard, Julius Curry. They even had a decent kicker in Hayden Epstein.

HONORABLE MENTION: The 1992 class gave us Jarrett Irons, Rod Payne, Jon Runyan Sr., Ty Law, Amani Toomer, Thomas Guynes, and Mercury Hayes.

Biggest Bust: Class of 2005

The 2005 class has a few highlights in Mario Manningham and Terrance Taylor. The only other starters from this class were David Moosman, Brandon Harrison, Carson Butler, and Mark Ortmann. They got nothing or very little from Marques Slocum, Antonio Bass (guh, that injury), James McKinney, Cory Zirbel, Eugene Germany, Justin Schifano, Tim McAvoy, LaTerryal Savoy, Jason Forcier, Mister Simpson, Johnny Sears (guhhhhh), Brandon Logan, Chris McLaurin, Chris Richards (guhhhhh), and Andre Criswell. But Zoltan and Jason Olesnavage!

I kind of want to say 2010 here but Gardner and Jake Ryan were higher highs for a class that was full of three-stars, and it wasn't these guys who ended Michigan's bowl streak with a 3-9 season.

Biggest Janus: Class of 2009

Denard, Lewan, Gallon, Schofield, Toussaint, Vincent Smith, and Tate made up the bulk of an offense that went from the worst in Michigan history before they arrived to #2 in the S&P+ in their true sophomore season, while the defensive class was so bad it got the coaches who did that justifiably fired.

Most Underrated: Class of 1994

This class, back when people still remembered it, was dogged for falling beneath Michigan's standards. We forget now but one of the reasons Michigan didn't hesitate to fire Mo after the Excalibur incident is his team had gone 8-4 two years in a row. A year before all that, the shine was wearing off, and its staff's two best recruiters, Cam Cameron and Les Miles, had just departed. Headliners Rasheed Simmons and Tyrone Butterfield didn't pan out here, and Juaquin Feazell and Chris Floyd, ranked highly then and remembered today for their versatility and consistency, were harder to appreciate as youngsters down the depth chart. Down the line however, the staff's work with the less starry recruits would pay off with a national title. Jansen, Sword, Tuman, Ray, Weathers, Copenhaver, Chris Howard, Mark Campbell, Scott Dreisbach, Jay Feely, and Jay Vinson would go on to play huge roles in the mid-90s.