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2023 Season Countdown: #21 Jaylen Harrell

Name: Jaylen Harrell
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 242 lbs.
High school: Tampa (FL) Berkeley
Position: Defensive end
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #32
Last year: I ranked Harrell #31 and said he would be a part-time starting edge (LINK). He started twelve games and made 30 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 5 quarterback hurries.
TTB Rating: 84

Instead of being a part-time starter, Harrell was essentially a full-time starter in 2022, starting twelve out of fourteen games. He was a pretty consistent player, even though he’s not flashy. In a bit of an oddity for his body type, he seems to be better at the run at 242 lbs. and not anything special as a pass rusher. He does occasionally come through with some pressure on the quarterback, and perhaps his best game was the 2-sack performance against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship game.

This year Michigan is down a couple decent pass rushers in Mike Morris (7.5 sacks in 2022) and Eyabi Okie (4.0), who moved on to the Seattle Seahawks and the Charlotte 49ers, respectively. Okie was a pass rush specialist and a backup, but he still played a good-sized role, especially down the stretch. Harrell has a chance to step up his game, but getting after the quarterback is not really his forte. The pass rush will likely come from elsewhere, including defensive end Braiden McGregor and Coastal Carolina transfer Josaiah Stewart. There has been some talk out of camp that Harrell has improved his game this off-season, so we’ll see whether he continues to be a steady player or can take the next step.

Prediction: Starting defensive end; 35 tackles, 5 sacks

2023 Season Countdown: #22 A.J. Barner

Name: A.J. Barner
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 251 lbs.
High school: Aurora (OH) Aurora
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #89
Last year: Barner played at Indiana. He had 28 catches for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: N/A

Somewhat ridiculously, Michigan lost four tight ends from last year who played regularly: Erick All (transfer to Iowa), Luke Schoonmaker (drafted by the Cowboys), Joel Honigford (undrafted free agent signed by the Arizona Cardinals), and walk-on Carter Selzer (graduation), the last of whom played in 28 games over the past couple seasons. That doesn’t include Louis Hansen, who transferred to UConn.

Also somewhat ridiculously, tight end is still a position of strength for the Wolverines. The top guy is Colston Loveland, but Barner is pushing him, and they should make a good duo. Matt Hibner and Max Bredeson have also played quite a bit, and the fifth guy is 4-star Marlin Klein, whom everyone around the program thinks is a freak athlete.

The interesting thing about Barner is that he’s a guy who can play both on and off the line – along with Loveland – so they can be used interchangeably, they can shift and trade, and it won’t necessarily tip off defenses. Barner had a decent season for a struggling Indiana Hoosiers team last year and was named a team captain, so the leadership is there. I think it will be tough for any individual receiver (wideout or tight end) to put up great numbers because of the dominant running game that exists, but I think both Barner and Loveland will have some big plays this season because of their length and athleticism. They should be fun to watch.

Prediction: Part-time starting tight end; 20 catches for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns

2023 Season Countdown: #23 Josaiah Stewart

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Name: Josaiah Stewart
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Everett (MA) Everett
Position: Defensive end
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #5
Last year: Stewart played at Coastal Carolina. He made 36 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: N/A

Stewart was offered by Michigan when he came out of high school in the class of 2021, back when Michigan had a strong connection in New England with then defensive coordinator Don Brown (who is now the head coach at UMass). But for whatever reason, Stewart ended up at Coastal Carolina and exploded as a freshman with 12.5 sacks, which made him First Team All-Sun Belt. His numbers fell off a little bit in 2022, though 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks still make for a decent season.

Stewart transferred to Michigan in the off-season and participated in the spring game. He’s a little undersized at 6’1″ but I think his play is still going to translate to the Big Ten. He may not rack up 12.5 sacks in a season or be a first team all-conference player, but if Michigan’s impressive defensive tackle group can eat up interior blocks and give Stewart one-on-one opportunities against offensive tackles, he’s going to win his fair share of battles. I think he will play more than Eyabi Okie, who was a one-year rental last year and now playing for Charlotte. Okie was a pure pass rusher, whereas Stewart should be able to hold up a little better against the run.

Prediction: Backup defensive end; 25 tackles, 4 sacks

2023 Season Countdown: #24 Michael Barrett

Name: Michael Barrett
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 239 lbs.
High school: Valdosta (GA) Lowndes
Position: Linebacker
Class: Sixth year senior
Jersey number: #23
Last year: I ranked Barrett #28 and said he would be a backup inside linebacker (LINK). He started thirteen games and made 72 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions (returned for 52 yards and 1 touchdown), and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: 82

Barrett has been around for five years already, going into year six. And you would be hard pressed to find a Michigan player who has had a more versatile career for the Wolverines. Barrett has spent at least a little bit of time at running back, slot receiver, safety/linebacker hybrid, inside linebacker, kickoff returner, and upback on the punt team, just to name a few. He has notched a passing attempt (1), rushing attempts (2), kickoff returns (4), tackles (143), sacks (5.5), interceptions (2), a defensive touchdown (1), and even an uncredited lateral that turned into a kickoff return touchdown for A.J. Henning against Maryland in 2021.

In fact, it would be easier to say what he hasn’t done: he has zero punt attempts, field goal attempts, extra points attempts, or receptions.

So even though Michigan has a potential early NFL draft entrant at inside linebacker (Junior Colson) and the #4 transfer recruit in the country (Ernest Hausmann), it’s hard for me to think Barrett won’t be starting for Michigan in his sixth and final year. Barrett doesn’t wow too often – though there was that highlight reel hit on Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan in 2020 – but he’s such a good all-around athlete and utility man that it’s great to have him around. As a coaching staff, it has to be nice to know that he can be asked to do various things on defense and special teams and perform all those tasks admirably. Durability used to be a concern, but he’s up to 239 pounds (from 233 last year) and generally holds up pretty well. This should be another solid year for the Georgia native.

P.S. Have I mentioned before that I like former high school quarterbacks?

Prediction: Starting inside linebacker and special teamer; 60 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception

2023 Season Countdown: #25 Rayshaun Benny

Name: Rayshaun Benny
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 296 lbs.
High school: Oak Park (MI) Oak Park
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked Benny #40 and said he would be a backup defensive tackle (LINK). He made 13 tackles.
TTB Rating: 81

Benny redshirted in 2021, playing in just three games. Last season he became a regular backup on the defensive line, though not heavily used. Mazi Smith, Mason Graham, and Kris Jenkins took up the majority of defensive tackle snaps, and all three shined more than Benny.

But the buzz has been building for Benny, and he seems to have become quicker during his couple years on campus. Despite putting on a few pounds since last year, he looked more athletic in the spring game than he did in his first or second years.

Smith is gone to the NFL, but Graham and Kenneth Grant are likely to take most of the nose tackle snaps. But with Graham likely playing more nose tackle this year, that opens up some more snaps at 3-tech for someone like Benny. He should have a good season, and it will be interesting to watch going into 2024 whether Michigan will aim to start Graham and Grant at the DT and NT positions, respectively, or whether they’ll play Benny at 3-tech and use Graham in both places. Those should be three starter-quality players for two spots in 2024.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle