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2024 Season Countdown: #109 Devon Baxter

Name: Devon Baxter
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Clinton (MD) Gwynn Park
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Baxter was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 55 tackles, 13 sacks, 9 pass breakups, and 3 fumble recoveries.
TTB Rating: 78

Baxter was a bit of an under-the-radar recruit until Michigan jumped into the ring. He took an official visit to Michigan in mid-June of 2023, and a few days later, he publicly committed to the Wolverines. He finished as a low-ish 4-star as the #26 edge player and #337 overall in the 247 Composite, but 247 itself is highest on him, ranking him all the way up at #182 overall in the class.

Personally, I like Baxter as an athlete to get into the program. I think he could be a standout receiving tight end, and he could also be an outstanding edge rusher. He has the length, burst, and change-of-direction skills to make an impact getting after the passer, perhaps more so than anyone in the pipeline right now. Very few people in Michigan’s program have the length and quickness Baxter possesses. But he’s also very light right now at 235 pounds, and his technique is lacking. He plays as a stand-up edge mostly, but sometimes he puts his hand in the dirt or even kicks inside sometimes, too. Michigan needs to get him in the weight room and see how quickly he can put on some much needed strength, because he could be a Taco Charlton-like player, and Michigan will need some natural pass rushers in the near future.

Prediction: Redshirt

2024 Season Countdown: #110 Hogan Hansen

Name: Hogan Hansen
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: Bellevue (WA) Bellevue
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #81
Last year: Hansen was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 11 passes for 224 yards and 4 touchdowns, and ran 8 times for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns; he also made 44 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries.
TTB Rating: 78

Hansen made the great choice of picking a college program that also wears winged helmets, so he can keep the same look from his high school years. He also picked a team that loves to use tight ends. Even if Jim Harbaugh, the tight end whisperer, is gone to the NFL, I think it’s a pretty safe assumption that Sherrone Moore will continue to use a heavy dose of tight ends in his offensive philosophy. Hansen comes from a Wing-T program where he isn’t used to getting the ball a ton (19 offensive touches as a senior) and he has good technique as a blocker, so it will largely be a matter of adding size and strength in college.

Fortunately for his development, Hansen will probably not be asked to play right away. Michigan has returning star Colston Loveland at the position, and he’ll be backed up by guys like Marlin Klein and Deakon Tonielli, not to mention fullback-ish tight ends Max Bredeson and Jalen Hoffman. Additionally, Michigan brought in an elite tight end prospect in Brady Prieskorn in the 2024 class. This should be a year of preparation and development for Hansen.

Prediction: Redshirt

2024 Season Countdown: #111 Alexander Lidback

Name: Alexander Lidback
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 217 lbs.
High school: Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #46
Last year: I did not rank Lidback. He was not on the team.
TTB Rating: N/A

Lidback has been hanging around Michigan’s program for several years, but last year wasn’t one of them. Which is unfortunate for him, because he missed out on the national championship run. No, he was on the team in 2021 and 2022 as a walk-on linebacker before missing 2023, and now he’s back to compete at a linebacker position that lost a lot of pieces. Michigan lost both starters in Michael Barrett and Junior Colson to the NFL draft, as well as some transferring backups like Jeremiah Beasley, Semaj Bridgeman, and Joey Velazquez.

Still, Lidback is unlikely to play much of a role in 2024. He did not see game action in 2021 or 2022, and he’s probably knocking off some rust from missing 2023. With the depth the Wolverines have at linebacker – even behind new starters Ernest Hausmann and Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham – it’s going to be tough for any walk-on to find playing time, and the top walk-on is probably Christian Boivin. We might see Lidback make an appearance on special teams or perhaps in a blowout, but he’s most likely a scout team player.

Prediction: Backup linebacker

2024 Season Countdown: #112 Mason Curtis

Name: Mason Curtis
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Nashville (TN) Ensworth
Position: Edge
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Curtis was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 31 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 4 fumble recoveries, 4 pass breakups, and 2 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 73

Curtis has been a very quiet recruit for Michigan in the class of 2024. He committed to the Wolverines in June of 2022 and we never heard much of a peep from him through his junior and senior years. Part of the lack of excitement for him, in my opinion, is probably the uncertainty about what position he will play in the future. He played some safety in high school, but the original plan for him was to play linebacker, and then when he signed in December, Michigan labeled him as an edge. He’s probably even versatile enough to grow into a tight end if things were to shake out in a certain way.

As for this year in particular, Curtis is unlikely to contribute. Especially if the coaching staff thinks he’s an edge player, he needs to add . . . oh . . . about 40 pounds before he’s an option. He could contribute as a special teams player if necessary, but I’m not sure there’s a dire enough need for a 6’4″, 200-pounder on special teams when Michigan already has such a strong overall roster. We’re probably looking at a redshirt for Curtis this fall.

Prediction: Redshirt

Jaden Mangham, Wolverine

Former Michigan State safety Jaden Mangham announced his commitment to Michigan.

As a transfer portal player, Mangham is a 3-star, the #70 safety, and #718 overall. It’s somewhat mind-boggling to me that an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten safety can be the 70th best player at his position and #718 overall, but I guess that tells you the ridiculous number of transfers that have taken place this off-season.

Anyway, Mangham was a 4-star, the #13 athlete, and #311 overall coming out of Franklin (MI) Groves in the class of 2022. He spent two years in East Lansing, making 12 starts and totaling 73 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 4 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery. Michigan had recruited him out of high school, but the interest was tepid in both directions; that was the same class where Michigan landed Zeke Berry, Keon Sabb, and Will Johnson, so even with some so-so guys mixed in – like Damani Dent, Kody Jones, and Myles Pollard – it was still an outstanding defensive back recruiting haul for the Wolverines.

Mangham is one of four transfer portal defensive backs to pick Michigan in this 2024 cycle, all within the last week; he joins Louisville safety Wesley Walker, Albany cornerback Aamir Hall, and UNLV cornerback Ricky Johnson. With Michigan having lost Sabb to Alabama and Rod Moore to injury, the need at safety was significant. Now there’s some great competition to be had between Quinten Johnson, Walker, and Mangham for the safety spot not held by Makari Paige, and Berry might even factor in, though it seems like he’ll be playing the nickel corner spot.

Mangham has two years of eligibility remaining and the plan is for him to finish his undergraduate education prior to fall camp, making him a grad transfer who won’t have to worry about losing credits in the school switch. Once Paige moves on after 2024, Mangham could be a clear-cut starter going into 2025.

The last Michigan-to-Michigan State transfer was just a few years ago when linebacker Ben Van Sumeren became a Spartan, and a somewhat recent case saw Michigan State linebacker Edward Warinner join the Wolverines as a walk-on for one season in 2020 while his dad Ed Warinner was Michigan’s offensive line coach. Warinner the Younger played special teams in just three games during the COVID season.