Will the Michigan Wolverines football program be able to ascend to the heights they had during the 2022-23 season?
The Wolverines ended their 2022-23 campaign with an overall record of 13-1 and a 9-0 record against conference opponents. They earned statement wins over Penn State and rival Ohio State before defeating the Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten Championship game, punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff before falling to TCU in a 51-45 loss in the semifinal.
“There's a lot of things that we could have done better,” Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy said, via the Associated Press. “But we'll be back, and I promise that.”
5-star quarterback Jadyn Davis announced his commitment to the Michigan Wolverines football program in late March.
“I'm a guy that's going to walk in and help build this class at the school I pick and build it to the No. 1 recruiting class in the country,” he said.
Who can the Michigan football program bring in to boost a team featuring McCarthy and former Indiana signal caller Jack Tuttle and help the Wolverines reach McCarthy's sky-high promise?
Montana Lemonious-Craig, Colorado
Who will be able to make up for the production of wide receiver Ronnie Bell, who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft in January?
A former 3-star recruit out of Inglewood, Calif., Lemonious-Craig initially chose the Buffaloes over offers from Auburn, Boise State, Utah State, Arizona and BYU, among others, according to 247Sports. He joined a 2020 Colorado recruiting class ranked 36th in the nation and featured four 4-star enrollees, including running back Ashaad Clayton out of New Orleans, La.
The 6-foot-2-inch receiver entered the portal on Monday after earning 359 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns during the 2022 season, good enough for second on the team behind freshman receiver Jordyn Tyson. He caught 119 receiving yards and one touchdown during a 20-13 overtime win over the California Golden Bears in October.
Should he join the Michigan football program, Lemonious-Craig will have the opportunity to take a spot on a Wolverines offense that averaged 219.9 passing yards per game, good enough for seventh place in the Big Ten.
Jordan Hudson, TCU
A former 4-star recruit out of Garland, Texas, Hudson chose the Horned Frogs over offers from SMU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and USC, among others, according to 247Sports. He ended the 2022-23 season with 174 receiving yards and three touchdowns, highlighted by a 76-yard and one-touchdown performance in a 59-17 win over the Tarleton Texans in September.
Hudson grabbed 34 receiving yards on two receptions in TCU's win over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl, adding to the 225 receiving yards gained by the Horned Frogs' offense.
Several schools have already shown interest in the 6-foot-1-inch wide receiver, including Michigan State, Tennessee, Auburn and West Virginia, according to On3.
Hudson would have the opportunity to join a wide receiver room that features sophomore Tyler Morris, senior Roman Wilson and senior Cornelius Johnson. 3-star wide receivers Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore are enrolled in the program, while 4-star receiver Karmello English signed his letter of intent.
Jaden Davis, Oklahoma
Michigan will have to find a way to make up for the production of the team's leader in pass deflections in cornerback DJ Turner, who declared for the NFL Draft in January.
Davis entered the transfer portal earlier this month after a 2022 season that saw him garner 35 tackles and two pass deflections for the Oklahoma Sooners.
“Thank you Sooner Nation for everything,” Davis wrote in an April tweet, via All Sooners. “I'll be entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.”
The former 4-star recruit out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., would be a solid addition to a Michigan defense that allowed 16.1 points and 194.2 passing yards per game, good enough for fourth and sixth place in the Big Ten, according to the conference's website. Sophomores Will Johnson and Amorion Walker will return to the roster in the 2023-24 season, while 4-star corners Jyaire Hill and Cameron Calhoun enrolled in the program in December.
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