2025 Season Countdown: #56-60
60. OT Connor Jones (RS Jr.): Jones is listed at 6’6″, 320 lbs. in his fourth year in the program. Whereas there was some buzz around him earlier in his career, he seems to have fallen behind several other players at this point. He’s not mentioned in the running to play much, but he is a backup option who could eat up some snaps during mop-up duty. He has played in just three games up to this point in his career. Last year’s rank:#66.
59. WR Andrew Marsh (Fr.): Marsh (4-star, #16 WR, #117 overall) is a wild card for the 2025 season. He could do anything from lead the team in receiving to redshirt without playing much. At 6’0″ and 175 lbs., he doesn’t have overwhelming size and he’s not necessarily a blazer, either. But the buzz has been strong about him looking like the best receiver on the field at various times. I tend to think it will be at least 2026 before we see him fully unleashed, but the potential is there for him to outplay the #59 ranking this season.
58. CB Caleb Anderson (6th): Anderson spent his first five seasons at Louisiana, where he was at one time coached by defensive backs coach Lamar Morgan. He made thirteen starts during his five years there, including four last year when he made 18 tackles. Injuries have been a bit of an issue, and that continued in the spring after he transferred in. I don’t know what to expect from Anderson, but there is a track record of defensive backs transferring in to Michigan and not playing much, including Wayne Lyons (Stanford) and Casey Hughes (Utah). And while there are success stories, too (Josh Wallace from UMass, Aamir Hall from Albany), I lean more toward the talented defensive backs beating out the experience of Anderson. But it’s nice to have a 6’3″, 200-pounder with five years of experience under his belt.
57. QB Jake Garcia (RS Sr.): Garcia committed to Michigan this spring after bouncing around from Miami to Missouri to East Carolina. A highly touted high school quarterback, he has not played up to his ranking (4-star, #8 QB, #48 overall in 2021) and has managed just 60.6% completions, 2,376 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions while playing in fifteen total games over four years. At 6’4″ and 203 lbs., he’s a good athlete with a decent arm. I don’t expect him to beat out Bryce Underwood or Mikey Keene (unless Keene’s spring injury lingers), but he is a step up athletically from Davis Warren. In other words, Michigan should be better at quarterback in 2025 than they were in 2024 even if they get down to their third QB.
56. RB John Volker (RS Sr.): Volker is a 6’0″, 210 lb. back who spent the past four seasons at Princeton. Probably best used as a short yardage back in his upcoming year at Michigan, he ran for 514 yards and 7 touchdowns on 89 carries last season. He does have 75- and 51-yard runs over the past couple seasons in the Ivy League, so there’s potential for some bigger plays, but that speed will likely be negated at the Big Ten level. I think the players vying for the third running back job are all fairly equal overall, but I see Volker as the best option ahead of C.J. Hester, Micah Ka’apana, Donovan Johnson, and Jasper Parker.
