Top 50 Players of the Jim Harbaugh Era
The last thread got me thinking, who are the top 50 players to play for Harbaugh?
I'll rank and put a list together some other time (if no one else does it sooner). For now, I'm just creating conversation...want to add anyone to the pool below? I recognize that "Top 50" is a lot, but feel free to share your Top 5, 10, 15, etc.
1. This is completely arbitrary. It's the middle of the summer, "THERE ARE..."
2. College years only (and college years at Michigan only, sorry transfers...this is Michigan, where your credits go to die in the Admissions office).
3. Take a holistic view - not just the most decorated players, not just the players with the most stats, not just the most individually talented players, not just the players whose teams accomplished the most (although impact to team success does matter)...look at everything.
4. NO PROJECTING for guys on the current roster or what guys would have been if not for (x) - guys like Johnson and Loveland are included in the pool because they individually talented and contributed in major ways to team success (doesn't mean either is Top 50, just worth putting into the pool).
5. Along the lines of #2, what you did pre-Harbaugh doesn't count (for the guys Harbaugh inherited)...so sorry to the Hoke Era All-Stars.
Here is a pool of players to start:
QB:
Jake Rudock
Shea Patterson
Cade McNamara
JJ McCarthy
RB:
De'Veon Smith
Karan Higdon
Sione Houma
Chris Evans
Ben Mason
Hassan Haskins
Blake Corum
Donovan Edwards
WR:
Grant Perry
Amara Darboh
Jehu Chesson
Nico Collins
Donovan Peoples-Jones
Ronnie Bell
Cornelius Johnson
Roman Wilson
TE:
Jake Butt
Nick Eubanks
Zach Gentry
Sean McKeon
Luke Schoonmaker
Erick All
Colston Loveland
OL:
Mason Cole
Graham Glasgow
Ben Braden
John Runyan
Michael Onwenu
Andrew Vastardis
Ben Bredeson
Erik Magnuson
Cesar Ruiz
Andrew Stueber
Jalen Mayfield
Ryan Hayes
Karsen Barnhart
Trente Jones
Trevor Keegan
Zak Zinter
Olu Oluwatimi
DL:
Taco Charlton
Chris Wormley
Chase Winovich
Mario Ojemudia
Willie Henry
Maurice Hurst
Bryan Mone
Ryan Glasgow
Carlo Kemp
Rashan Gary
Kwity Paye
Chris Hinton
Mike Morris
Aidan Hutchinson
Mazi Smith
Kris Jenkins
Mason Graham
LB:
James Ross
Joe Bolden
Ben Gedeon
Mike McCray
Devin Bush
Josh Uche
Khaleke Hudson
Josh Ross
Cameron McGrone
Michael Barrett
David Ojabo
Kalel Mullings
Junior Colson
DB:
Jabrill Peppers
Jarrod Wilson
Jordan Glasgow
Dymonte Thomas
Jourdan Lewis
Jeremy Clark
Delano Hill
Channing Stribling
David Long
Lavert Hill
Josh Metellus
Tyree Kinnel
Ambry Thomas
Brad Hawkins
Benjamin St.-Juste
Gemon Green
Vincent Gray
DJ Turner
Daxton Hill
Mike Sainristil
Makari Paige
Will Johnson
K/P:
Kenny Allen
Quinn Nordin
Will Hart
Brad Robbins
Jake Moody
Camaron Cheeseman
I actually thought about that, lol
Cam "you don't sleep on the gouda" Cheeseman
I think it has to be Aidan Hutchinson although I have a feeling Corum will be #1 when it's all said and done.
Man our secondary has been really good for a long time now.
Never Forget
Thank them for their service.
A prospect that I have blowing up this year will be added later, Freaks List member Kenneth Grant.
Don’t forget Murderwolf!
problem with that: he's always been here, thus, not on the list.
Alex Malzone
Joe Milton
Erick All
Aubrey Solomon
Quinn Nordin
Erick All was one of the best players on the team in 2021. Not sure why he’s in this group
It’s all fun and games until Joe Milton lights it up this year.
he cleaned up the overthrows last year and won the orange bowl mvp without his top two receivers.
im really just looking forward to the math equations you all come up with to somehow create some metric that shows Cade had a better 2023
Top fifty is a lot, particularly with old and fat fingers. Plus, we already squeezed out a top 7 or so in the pick three players thread.
So here’s my top guy.
Aidan Hutchinson
He led the team out of a devastating 2020 through unmatched play and leadership. As a bonus on top of being a Heisman Finalist, and despite HH’s 5 TDs, he was my MVP of the game that broke OSU’s back.
You could make a case for Charles Woodson as #1 if he was part of the Harbaugh years. Alas, he was not.
He wasn't part of the other Harbaugh years, either. 50 would be most of Jim's starting teammates, anyway.
Tell the glasgows to have as many children as possible
like arrows in the hand of the mighty warrior, so are the children of one's youth. happy is the man whose quiver is full. he shall not be afraid, but shall speak with the enemy at the gate.
That’s a good start! Now you need to narrow it down to 50 and then rank them. 🤷♂️
25 players would be more appropriate. Your parameters leave room for a lot of players that weren’t even all B1G.
are there transfers or no transfers? Your list has Rudock and shea, but you put “sorry transfers” in your post
OP said "college years at Michigan only, sorry transfers". My interpretation was transfers could be considered but only using their Michigan production.
That makes more sense. Thanks
I'll do a top 3 for the positions, since overall is probably Aiden Hutchinson with a bullet.
QB: JJ McCarthy, Jake Ruddddock, Cade McNamera
RB: Corum, The Don, Hassan Haskins
FB: Khalid Hill, Ben Mason, Sione Houma
WR: Nico Collins, DPJ, Ronnie Bell
TE: Jake Butt, Schoonmaker, Colston Loveland
OL: Olu, Zak Zinter, Cesar Ruiz
DL: Aiden Hutchinson, Mo Hurst, Kwity Paye
LB: Jabril Peppers, Devin Bush, Josh Ross
CB: Jourdan Lewis, David Long, Mike Sainristil
S: Dax Hill, Rod Moore, Jarrod Wilson
K: Moody, Blake O'Neil, Brad Robbins
Top 5: Aiden, Peppers, Corum, Butt, and.......Olu
Mike Sainristill over DJ Turner/Lavert Hill/Channing Stribling?
I also think Dymonte Thomas is underrated but I don't know if he actually makes it to top 3.
Maybe Darboh or Chesson over DPJ for me. They felt like they were open more.
I’m not sure if Bell is even top 5. Darboh, Chesson, DPJ, and Nico are locks. Chesson in 2015, Darboh in 2016, and Nico in 2019 were next level
DPJ in 2018 also was really freaking good when Shea decided to throw his way
Bell’s best season is much better than DPJ’s. I wonder if there is some revisionist history going on because DPJ has been good in the NFL.
I’m a day 1 Ravens fan
I like! Lots of amazing DL who don't make the list -- what a strong group they have been!
The one revision I would make: I'd put Erick All right behind Butt. I wouldn't fight anyone who wanted to put Schoon over All, but Erick gets my nod based on the PSU TD which remains evergreen in my memory. Putting Loveland's 16-235 (with 1 carry for -8 yards) ahead of All's 54-565 requires mental gymnastics that I am not flexible enough to complete.
Oluwatimi. Breaks rule #2 but in the era of the Transfer Portal don’t know how you leave off Michigan’s only Outland Trophy winner.
edit. Oops. He’s there. I guess you mean don’t count players who had greater success after transferring FROM Michigan?
Devin Asiasi was a great tight end. Unfortunately, had to transfer for personal reasons. We have had such a great group of TEs, I think he would be middle of the pack behind Butt, Loveland, Schoonmaker, and All.
EDIT:
Here is my top 10. Ridiculously hard to do. I could have easily switched several OL/DL/DBs for the names I picked. As usual, the skill positions get all the glory:
1 Blake Corum
2 Aidan Hutchinson
3 Olu Oluwatimi
4 Hassan Haskins
5 Donovan Edwards
6 JJ McCarthy
7 Devin Bush
8 Jabrill Pepper
9 Jourdan Lewis
10 Cade McNamara
He was the best blocker of them all even as a freshman
checkdown cade over Rudock is insane
You could argue one vs the other but I’m not sure you should call it insane to give the nod to Cade since he led Michigan to its 1st Big Ten title in years.
Rudock put the team on his back. Granted he lost the Utah game, he single handily won the Indiana game (as much as a game manager could). Lano Hill was quoted saying that we would’ve won the title in 2016 with Rudock.
The numbers aren’t even close. Rudock had to carry a lot more weight than cade. He didn’t have the benefit of three NFL running backs let alone one.
They both had nearly identical 141 ratings in the year they started at Michigan. They seem like comparable above average QBs to me with similar skill sets. I like them both.
it is going to be interesting to watch Cade at Iowa this year.
Devin Asi Asi was a stud!
I thought he was asi asi.
If I gave a starting lineup, 2deep
qb: JJ Mcarthy Jake Rudock
hm Wilton Speight
RB. Blake Corum Hassan Haskins
hm The Don, Higdon
Wr Nico Collins and Ronnie Bell Backups Amara Darbo, DJP and Roman Wilson
HM Cornelius Johnson,
LT Grant Winstrom, Mason Coke
LG Trevor Keegan, John Runyan
C Ceasar Ruiz, Olu Oluwitimi
RG Zac Zinter, Michael Onwenu
RT Andrew Steiner, Jalen Mayfield
TE Jake Butt, Luke Schoonemaker
hm Eric All
Hm Ryan Hayes, Bredeson
Dt Mo Hurst, Willie Henry
NT Mazi Smith, Ryan Glassgow
De Aiden Hutchinson, Kwitty Paye
Edge Rashan Gary, Michael Dana
Rlber Ojabo, Uche
hm Wormley, Graham and Jenkins, de Morris and Charleton
Ilber Devin Bush, Joe Bolden
Olber Cam Mcgrone Jr Colson
hm Ben Gedeon, Josh Ross,
Nickel Jabril Peppers, Mike Sainristil,
Dime Jordan Lewis because he has to be on this team…
Corners
Boundary Lavert Hill, DJ Turner
Wide Will Johnson, Ambry Thomas
hm David Long, Lavert Hill
Safety
Fs Rod Moore, Jarrod Wilson
SS Dax Hill, Makari Paige
hm Brad Hawkins, Dymonte Thomas, Hudson
K Moody
P Robbins
Kr Chris Evans
Pr AJ Henning
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I mostly agree with this list. I'd put Cade above Wilton, Wormly above Dana, I'd put Mayfield at the top of the list and Cole on the right. OUr Secondaries and Dlines have been stacked!
Here is my top 10 based on impact/expected impact after this year.
1 Aiden Hutchinson
2. Jabrill Peppers
3. J.J. McCarthy
4A. Donovan Edwards - i'm of the mindset he's the better all-around player
4B. Blake Corum
5. Devin Bush
6. Cesar Ruiz
7. Jourdan Lewis
8. Chase Winovich
9. Jake Moody - the best there ever was
10. Cade McNamara - won a title
What did cade do to win a title? Haskins had 5 tds against osu behind the best line in the nation and protected by a defense that featured three first round picks (Im counting O-JA-BO as a first rounder).
cade had 1 td pass and 4 interceptions and 144 ypg (434 yards) in our the three most title/playoff games.
He was pretty much had the same impact as peyton manning did in the 2016 super bowl, but gets peyton manning live on here
I disagree that Donovan is the better all around player. Blake is very good a catching passes out of the backfield and is a fantastic running back. Donovan is very good at running back and is fantastic at catching passes out of the backfield. No denying they are both great players.
It feels like recency bias because Corum missed those last few games. Edward's is more explosive and a superior reciever but Corum's vision, ability to set up a block, break a tackle, et cetera are also superior.
I forgot Moody. Absolutely deserves to be in the Top 10. I am not sure who I bump to make room for him.
Edwards over Corum and no Haskins?
The best player is going to end up being Will Johnson. Became pretty lockdown his first year and on a playoff team. He is already a freshman all American and has a chance of being a two time all American when his career is over.
I don't disagree, but Mason Graham and Colston Loveland were freshman all-americans as well.
Junior Colson, too.
It seems like if you start and play well, you've got a good shot. I can't find a list, but I'm guessing there are several guys in the "pool" who were freshman all-americans.