Top 20 Michigan football signees since 2000
![Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24. Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_13/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/wolverine_digest/01j2s5zmsn8315v4acdn.jpg)
Michigan football is a storied program that has had many of great players walk through the halls in Ann Arbor. When it comes to recruiting, the Wolverines have had their ups and downs, but Michigan is a destination where players want to go and get to the next level.
In this article, we are going to go back down memory lane and look at the top recruits who have signed with the Wolverines. For this, we will use 247Sports Composite rankings. Recruiting rankings became existent on 247Sports back in the year 2000 -- hence why this article is from 2000 to present.
Here are the top 20 signees that Michigan has reeled in since 2000. All stats come from MGoBlue.
1. DT Rashan Gary
Class: 2016
Hometown: Paramus (NJ) Paramus Catholic
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 1 overall player
Years as a Wolverine: 2016-18
Michigan stats: 136 tackles, 25 TFLs, 10 sacks, 1 forced fumble
2. ATH Jabrill Peppers
Class: 2014
Hometown: Paramus (NJ) Paramus Catholic
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 3 overall, No. 1 ATH
Years as a Wolverine: 2014-16
Michigan stats: 45 carries for 239 yards and five TDs, 10 catches for 82 yards, 39 punt returns for 510 yards and a score, 120 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, three sacks, one INT, and 11 pass deflections
3. QB Ryan Mallett
Class: 2007
Hometown: Texarkana (TX) Texas High
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 5 overall, No. 2 Pro-Style QB
Years as a Wolverine: 2007
Michigan stats: 61-141 for 892 yards, seven TDs, and five INTs
*Transferred to Arkansas
4. LB Lamarr Woodley
Class: 2003
Hometown: Saginaw (MI) Saginaw
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 4 overall, No. 2 LB
Years as a Wolverine: 2003-06
Michigan stats: 177 tackles, 50.5 TFLs, 24 sacks, five pass deflections, 10 forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries
5. S/LB Prescott Burgess
Class: 2003
Hometown: Warren (OH) Warren G Harding
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 5 overall, No. 1 S
Years as a Wolverine: 2003-06
Michigan stats: 173 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, four sacks, four INTs, 14 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries
6. RB Kelly Baraka
Class: 2001
Hometown: Portage (MI) Portage Northern
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 12 overall, No. 3 running back
Years as a Wolverine: 2001
Michigan stats: Never played a down, kicked off team.
7. DE Brandon Graham
Class: 2006
Hometown: Detroit (MI) Crockett
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 16 overall, No. 3 LB
Years as a Wolverine: 2006-09
Michigan stats: 138 tackles, 56 TFLs, 29.5 sacks, three pass deflections, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks
8. S Daxton Hill
Class: 2019
Hometown: Tulsa (OK) Booker T. Washington
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 14 overall, No. 1 S
Years as a Wolverine: 2019-21
Michigan stats: 145 tackles, seven TFLs, three INTs, 17 pass deflections, three forced fumbles
9. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Class: 2017
Hometown: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 12 overall, No. 1 WR
Years as a Wolverine: 2017-19
Michigan stats: nine rushes for 87 yards, 103 receptions for 1,327 yards and 14 TDs, 89 punt returns for 743 yards and two TDs
10. CB Will Johnson
Class: 2022
Hometown: Grosse Pointe (MI) Grosse Pointe South
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 15 overall, No. 3 CB
Years as a Wolverine: 2022-current
Michigan stats: 54 tackles, three TFLs, seven INTs, 14 pass deflections
11. QB Chad Henne
Class: 2004
Hometown: Reading (PA) Wilson
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 18 overall, No. 3 Pro-Style QB
Years as a Wolverine: 2004-07
Michigan stats: 828-1387 for 9,715 yards, 87 TDs, and 37 INTs
12. S Ernest Shazor
Class: 2001
Hometown: Detroit (MI) Martin Luther King
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 20 overall, No. 1 S
Years as a Wolverine: 2002-04
Michigan stats: 166 tackles, 19 TFLs, three sacks, four INTs, 12 pass deflections, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries
13. RB Kevin Grady
Class: 2005
Hometown: Grand Rapids (MI) East Grand Rapids
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 21 overall, No. 4 RB
Years as a Wolverine: 2005-06, 2008-09
Michigan stats: 200 carries for 783 yards and 10 TDs, 20 catches for 150 yards
14. DT Aubrey Solomon
Class: 2017
Hometown: Leesburg (GA) Lee County
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 23 overall, No. 2 DT
Years as a Wolverine: 2017-18
Michigan stats: 24 tackles, 2.5 TFLs
*Transferred to Tennessee
15. RB Derrick Green
Class: 2013
Hometown: Richmond (VA) Hermitage
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 27 overall, No. 4 RB
Years as a Wolverine: 2013-15
Michigan stats: 212 carries for 898 yards and seven TDs, three receptions for 33 yards
*Transferred to TCU
16. DT Chris Hinton
Class: 2019
Hometown: Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian School
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 31 overall, No. 4 DT
Years as a Wolverine: 2019-21
Michigan stats: 55 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks, four pass deflections, two fumble recoveries
17. QB J.J. McCarthy
Class: 2021
Hometown: La Grange Park (IL) IMG Academy
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 25 overall, No. 5 QB
Years as a Wolverine: 2021-23
Michigan stats: 482-713 for 6,226 yards, 49 TDs, 11 INTs; 161 carries for 632 yards and 10 TDs
18. CB Marlin Jackson
Class: 2001
Hometown: Sharon (PA) Sharon
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 33 overall, No. 3 CB
Years as a Wolverine: 2001-04
Michigan stats: 195 tackles, 13 TFLs, two sacks, nine INTs, 34 pass deflections, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two blocked kicks
19. OL Marques Slocum
Class: 2005
Hometown: Philadelphia (PA) West Philadephia Catholic
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 33 overall, No. 1 OG
Years as a Wolverine: 2007
Michigan stats: eight tackles, 0.5 TFL
*Dismissed from Michigan
20. CB Donovan Warren
Class: 2007
Hometown: Long Beach (CA) Polytechnic
247Sports Composite Rankings: No. 29 overall, No. 4 CB
Years as a Wolverine: 2007-09
Michigan stats: 170 tackles, five TFLs, one sack, six INTs, 22 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries
- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -
More Michigan News:
Michigan Edge Rushers: One thing I like, one thing I don’t, one thing to watch
Ranking the top 5 Michigan interior D-linemen from the Jim Harbaugh era