Ohio State and Michigan football players ranked:
The 23 best people in the current competition
COLUMBUS, Ohio – At a glance and at a rough estimate, one could say that in the 2019 college football season, in which Ohio State defeated Michigan 56-27, the distribution of the Buckeyes’ 23 best players and Wolverines might have happened something like this:
Ohio State had four first-team All-Americans that season, while Michigan had none. Ohio State has eight first-team All-Big Ten players, while Michigan has three. Ohio State had seven players selected in the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, while Michigan had two. COLUMBUS, Ohio – At a glance and at a rough estimate, one could say that in the 2019 college football season, in which Ohio State defeated Michigan 56-27, the distribution of the Buckeyes’ 23 best players and Wolverines might have happened something like this:
17to 6 Ohio State. Probably from 4pm to 7pm.Ohio State had four first-team All-Americans that season, while Michigan had none. Ohio State has eight first-team All-Big Ten players, while Michigan has three. Ohio State had seven players selected in the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, while Michigan had two. Both teams made the playoffs last season. They can definitely be in the top 4 teams again this year.
Of the players who made All-Big Ten last season, whether on the first, second or third team, Ohio State had nine players and Michigan six. Of the players listed in PFF’s top 10 return rankings at each position, Michigan has eight and Ohio State has seven.
There are more than 23 players from these two teams who deserve to be on a list like this. Right now, this May, we are relying more on the past than the future.
That leaves two second-year defensive players who could be absolute stars this season:
Ohio State safety Sonny Styles and Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.
That has eliminated two edge attackers who could break through but are a bit difficult to keep at the moment:
Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer (who played a stand-up rusher last season named The Jack, which made him nervous) and Michigan’s Braden McGregor (who played just 282 snaps in his career).
That eliminated several potential key transfers (Ohio State corner Davison Igbinosun, defensive tackle Tywone Malone and offensive tackle Josh Simmons, and Michigan left tackle LaDarius Henderson, right tackle Myles Hinton and cornerback Ernest Hausmann.)
And that eliminated some good and consistent football players, from Ohio State quarterback Steele Chambers to Michigan quarterback Mike Sanristil. Also, maybe we just forgot about someone, but we hope not.
With that, here are our Top 23 for Games of 2023. If you don’t want to do the math, we’ll give you the final result.
Why Williams is #23:
Fifteen players from Ohio State and Michigan were named All-Big Ten last season and will return this season. Thirteen of which you will see later in this list. The final spot at No. 23 went to the remaining two: Ohio State offensive guard Matthew Jones and Williams. Jones was a second-team selection last season, while Williams finished third. But Williams wasn’t healthy for part of last season, but he still averaged 6.5 yards per carry, third in the Big Ten. Additionally, Michigan has two running backs in the top 23, so the nod goes to bowling returns, which also gives the Buckeyes two running backs in the top 23.
Why is Barrett ranked 22nd:
A third-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Barrett remains for a sixth season with the Wolverines. Named the most improved defensive player last year, he played in 49 games with 20 starts. He is Michigan’s second-leading tackler in 2022. Why is the ransom number 21:
He’s a playmaker who finished third on the Buckeyes in tackles last season with 74. His spot in the top 23 isn’t guaranteed, but his scoring chops have helped him get that position, like Ransom’s. He proved to be a favorite of defensive coordinator Jim. Knowles with an aggressive and instinctive style.
Why Moore is #20:
He led Michigan’s secondary in tackles last season and had the third-highest PFF grade among safeties in the Big Ten. The Ohio native has 17 career starts and shared Michigan Defensive Player of the Week honors five times last season.
Why Keegan is #19:
He was named first-team All-Big Ten by the league’s coaches last season, but he was the second-best guard on Michigan’s roster. His PFF class ranks him just 26th among Big Ten defenders, but the coaches love him and he will be a third-year starter on the team as an offensive lineman. the best of the team. best in the country last season.
Why Stover is number 18:
Why Colson is #17:
People voted him in that range, just outside the top 15 for a defender named second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and third-team by the media last season. He led the Wolverines and ranked fourth in the conference with 101 tackles, and there’s no doubt the third-year player with 21 career starts has been solid. There may be greatness there too.
Why McCord is #16:
It’s difficult to find a suitable landing spot for a first-year starter at quarterback who has yet to win a job. He completed 41 of 58 passes for 606 yards in his career, which isn’t much. But the Ohio State quarterback has been invited to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist four of the past five years. So McCord at 16 doesn’t reveal much, but everyone knows what the OSU QB could be in the Ryan Day era.
Why is Burke ranked 15th:
After a great spring, Burke should return to his 2021 form, when he started every game and was a freshman All-American. He played better in the second half of last season as he got healthier and now he will give the Buckeyes the best cornerback play they have seen since 2019. At his best, he He is in the top 10 players on this list.
Why Nugent is #14:
The two-year starter at Stanford is one of three transfers vying to play on Michigan’s offensive line (along with former Stanford player Myles Hinston and Arizona State’s Ladarius Henderson, potentially starting tackle LEFT). Michigan landed a center transfer last season in Olu Oluwatimi, and he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman and a first-team All-American. Don’t expect Nugent to do that. But it will be good.
Why Hall is #13:
He battled injuries last season but showed what he can accomplish in his first full season in 2021, including 1,590 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns ball. At his best, he looks like a top five player on this list and he could get back there this season.
Why Jenkins is number 11:
That number may be low for Jenkins, who has been tabbed by Jim Harbaugh as potentially the best player on Michigan’s defense this season. He started every game last season and was second in tackles among Big Ten defensive tackles. His partner at defensive end last season, Mazi Smith, was a first-round pick in April, and Jenkins could play in the first round this season.
Why is Jackson ranked 10th:
He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the media last season and a second-team selection by the coaches. The highest-rated guard recruit in the 2021 class, Jackson, just starting his second year, has a chance to prove himself as one of the best guards in the country. His PFF grade last season was the best among Big Ten defenders.
Why is Edwards at #9:
If Blake Corum hadn’t stayed at Michigan, Edwards would have been a legitimate Heisman candidate after rushing for 991 yards last season and averaging 7.1 yards per carry. With Corum out late last season with an injury, Edwards rushed for 216 yards against Ohio State, 185 against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship and 119 against TCU in the playoffs. He should continue this momentum in more races this season, and that requires him to crack the top 10.
Why Johnson is number 8:
The former five-star recruit was an All-American selection last season. In 488 snaps, he had the highest PFF grade on Michigan’s defensive line, and PFF gave him the highest grade in man coverage in the Power 5. That makes him, according to PFF, a No. 3 corner in the nation entering this season. With D.J. Turner went into the second round of the NFL Draft, Johnson was considered Michigan’s No. 1 corner.
Why is McCarthy ranked 7th:
He was a second-team All-Big Ten quarterback for the media last season and third-team for the coaches, and has a lot of potential in his second year as a starter. At a time when Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia are recruiting new starting QBs, McCarthy’s return is the biggest reason why Michigan is a national championship contender. He threw for just 194 yards per game last season, but his yards per attempt ranked third in the Big Ten and he’ll have more opportunities to get ripped this season. He threw two devastating pick-sixes in the national semifinal loss to TCU, but overall his touchdown-to-interception ratio was 22-5.
Why Eichenberg is in 6th place:
A first-team All-Big Ten selection last season and second-team All-American, Eichenberg ranked second in the conference with 120 tackles and was the league’s leading returning tackler. He’s definitely in the top 10 and you could be in the top 5.
Why Zinter is number 5:
A first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Zinter is poised to become one of the best interior offensive linemen in the country this season. Entering his fourth season as a starter, PFF ranked him as the second most valuable guard in the Power Five last season. This long run combined with last season’s high level of play puts him in the top five. Why Tuimoloau ranked 4th:
That’s somewhat of a positive prediction for the third-year player and former five-star recruit, but Tuimoloau was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection while ranked sixth in the conference with 11 tackles for loss last season. Ultimately, he is a clear choice at this position in a clear top four.
Why Egbuka is number 3:
It was an easy choice, as Egbuka, after 1,151 receiving yards last season, was considered the nation’s second-best receiver. He was second team All-Big Ten last season.
Why is Corum ranked 2nd:
One of two returning first-team All-Americans, Corum is the clear top-two pick after totaling 1,463 yards last season. That’s nearly 122 rushing yards per game, and his 15 rushing touchdowns rank fifth in the country.
Why Harrison is number 1:
There’s no competition here for the top spot as college football’s best receiver; one of the five best players in college football; and along with Corum, one of two All-Americans returning to the first team in the rivalry. Harrison had 77 catches for 1,263 yards last season and was fourth nationally with 14 touchdowns.
The Buckeyes have three of the top four, but the top 10 is 5 to 5 and the top 20 is 10 to 10. We’re not trying to fake that. We tried to showcase the best players in this rivalry as best we could with six months to go until the match.
Ohio State has always had talent. But Michigan’s talent is there, too. And that’s part of the reason why The Rivalry is no longer as unbalanced as it has been for so long.
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