Michigan Football: Top 10 most impactful three-star recruits over the last decade

Chris Breiler | 15 Hours Ago

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Michigan Wolverines typically have one of the top recruiting classes in the country year in and year out, but they've also done a pretty good job at identifying guys who are stars in the making. While fans typically don't get excited about three-star recruits these days, the reality is that some of them actually go on to become top contributors on the roster. In fact, some of them go on to become Michigan Football legends.

With that, here are the most impactful three-star (composite) recruits to come through Ann Arbor over the last decade:

10. Josh Uche

Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Free Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC

At Michigan

• Three-year letterman (2017-18-19)
• Two-time All-Big Ten honoree (second team, coaches, 2019; third team, media, 2019; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2018)
• Named the team's Defensive Player of the Year (2019)
• Appeared in 39 games in his Michigan career with nine starts

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9. DJ Turner II

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

At Michigan

• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team coaches; third team media, 2022; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2021)
• Shared Most Improved Player (Defense) honors and Defensive Skill Player of the Year honors in 2021
• Appeared in 36 games including 28 in the secondary with 22 starts 
• Four-year letterman (2019-20-21-22)

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8. Kwity Paye

Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

At Michigan

• Appeared in 38 games in his Michigan career with 20 starts along the defensive line
• Two-time All-Big Ten honoree (second team, coaches, 2019; third team, media, 2019; honorable mention, media, 2018) 
• 2020 Senior CLASS Award Finalist
• Co-recipient of the Richard Katcher Award (2019) with Aidan Hutchinson
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2018-19-20)
• Four-year letterman (2017-18-19-20)
• Voted a Team Captain by his teammates (2020)

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7. Ronnie Bell

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At Michigan

• Two-time All-Big Ten honoree (third team, coaches and media in 2022; honorable mention, media in 2019)
• Voted a captain by his teammates (2021)
• Five-year letterman (2018-19-20-21-22)
• Recipient of the 2018 Rookie of the Year Award (Offense) and 2019, '22 Offensive Skill Player of the Year awards
• Has appeared in 47 games in his career with 31 starts at wide receiver

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6. Kenneth Grant

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At Michigan

• All-American (third team, 2024)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches, 2023-24; second team, media, 2024; third team, media, 2023)
• Two-time letterman (2022-23)
• Has appeared in 41 games along the defensive line (one game, special teams only) with 17 starts

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5. Kris Jenkins

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

At Michigan

• All-American (second team, 2023)
• Voted a captain by his teammates (2023)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches, 2023; third team, media, 2023; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2022)
• Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021)
• Four-time letterman (2020-21-22-23)
• Has appeared in 44 career games with 32 starts along the defensive line

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4. Hassan Haskins

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

At Michigan

• 2021 All-American selection by the American Football Coaches Association (second team) and the Associated Press (third team)
• Two-time All-Big Ten honoree (consensus first team, 2021; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2019)
• Voted an alternate captain by his teammates (2021)
• Four-year letterman (2018-19-20-21)
• Appeared in 37 career games, including 33 contests at running back with 22 starts
• Named the team's Most Improved Player on Offense (2019) as well as the Toughest Player and Offensive Player of the Year (2021)
• Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 29, 2021)
• Racked up 169 yards on 28 carries and tied a Michigan record with five rushing touchdowns against Ohio State (Nov. 27)

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3. Jake Moody

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

At Michigan

• Consensus All-American (2021)
• Second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, AP, AFCA (2022)
• CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 (2021)
• NFF Hampshire Honor Society Member (2023)
• Four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2019, '20, '21, '22)
• Two-time Bakken-Andersen Big Ten Kicker of the Year (2021-22), the first winner in Michigan history
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team, 2022; first team, coaches; third team, media, 2021)
• U-M's first-ever Lou Groza Award winner (2021); a two-time finalist (2022)
• William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist (2022)
• In his first game place kicking (Indiana, Nov. 17, 2018), set Michigan records for single-game kick scoring (19 points) and most made field goals in a game (6)
• Set single-season program records for made field goals (29), PATs (60), points scored (147), and 40-plus yard field goals in a season (10); all set in 2022
• Owns career program records for points (355), field goals (69), 40-plus yard field goals (17) and tied-most 50-plus yard field goals (4), PAT percentage (100)
• Three-time Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week: twice outright (Oct. 11, 2021, Nebraska; Oct. 17, 2022, Penn State) and once as a co-recipient (Nov. 19, 2018, Indiana)• Three-time Lou Groza Award Star of the Week following his 15-point games at Michigan State (Nov. 1, 2021) and against Penn State (Oct. 15, 2022), and a 17-point game against Michigan State (2022)
• Recipient of the 2018 Team Rookie of the Year Award (Special Teams), and the 2021, '22 Specialist of the Year Awards
•Appeared in 60 games as the team's kickoff specialist, handling field goal and PAT duties in 40
• Five-year letterman (2018-19-20-21-22)

NOTE: Moody had no rating coming out of high school according to 247 Sports and Rivals.

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2. Michael Barrett

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

At Michigan

• Voted a captain by his teammates (2023)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (third team, coaches; honorable mention, media, 2022-23)
• Named the team's Most Improved Player on Defense (2022)
• Finished his career with the most games played (64) in program history
• The winningest player in program history; part of teams that 61-14 from 2018-23, and appeared in 52 wins himself
• Six-time letterman (2018-19-20-21-22-23)
• Appeared in 64 games, with 35 starts at linebacker

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1. Mike Sainristil

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

At Michigan

• All-American (first team, 2023)
• Twice voted a captain by his teammates (2022-23)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches, 2023; first team, media, 2023; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2022)
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 20, 2023)
• Won both the Offensive (2021, co-) and Defensive (2022) Skill Player of the Year Awards
• Five-time letterman (2019-20-21-22-23)
• Finished his career tied for the single-season (2023) and career lead in interceptions returned for touchdowns (two)
• Program record-holder in single-season interception return yards (232; 2023) and second in career interception return yards (240)
• Recorded the longest interception return in CFP National Championship Game history (81 yards; 2024)
• Appeared in 62 games in his career at wide receiver, defensive back, and on special teams with 34 starts (nine on offense, 25 on defense) and work at punt returner
• Changed to jersey number 5 from 19 prior to the 2021 season; changed to 0 from 5 prior to the start of the 2022 season
• Though he played both sides of the ball in high school, began his U-M career on offense before switching primarily to defense prior to the 2022 season

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