Two Wolverines listed in ESPN’s top 100 players for 2022
The Wolverines are coming off the best season they have had since 1997. Michigan defeated Ohio State, won the Big Ten, and made its first College Football Playoff appearance before faltering to Georgia. The maize and blue finished No. 3 in the final AP poll.
Michigan did lose a lot on defense, but the Wolverines return just about everyone on the offensive side of the ball, and they gained Olu Oluwatimi at center, who transferred from Virginia after being the Rimington Award runner-up in 2021.
With so many key pieces coming back for the 2022 season, you would think that Michigan would have multiple players in the ESPN top-100 college football players for the 2022 season.
Not the case at all.
There were more than 11,000 votes cast by ESPN voters, and it was based on one-on-one votes on how the top 100 was created.
The first Michigan player that was ranked was Blake Corum at No. 79.
RB, Michigan, Junior
Notable 2021 stats: 952 yards, 11 TDs
Last year’s ranking: NRAs a sophomore last season, Corum ran for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns on 143 carries as the Wolverines won the school’s first Big Ten title since 2004 on the way to the College Football Playoff. With Hassan Haskins gone, Corum is Michigan’s undisputed top back.
The second player, and the final one, ranked was DJ Tuner at No. 86.
CB, Michigan, Senior
Notable 2021 stats: 33 tackles (26 solo), 2 INT
Last year’s ranking: NRTurner appeared in all 14 of Michigan’s games in 2021 — starting eight. He had 33 tackles to go with nine pass breakups and a pair of interceptions during his junior year. Turner, an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, recorded a career-high nine tackles in the Wolverines’ 42-27 victory over Ohio State.
A few players that we think could have been ranked in the top 100 would include Olu Oluwatimi, Ronnie Bell, Mazi Smith, Erick All, and Junior Colson.
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