When you think of the most storied college football programs of all-time, the Michigan football team comes to mind. Even if you hate the Wolverines, it's hard to deny the fact that they have one of the richest histories in the sport. Michigan has more wins than any other team in college football history, they have 12 national championships, 45 Big Ten titles, and they have also produced three Heisman winners. Some of the best players of all-time have come through Michigan.
With a rich history like the one the Michigan football program has, there are bound to be some legends that have come through from time to time. The Wolverines certainly have no shortage of college football legends.
There have been a ton of greats that have come through Ann Arbor over the years, so it's hard to narrow down the best 10 Michigan football players of all-time. There have also been some players that didn't fully blossom into their full potential until they got to the NFL. For example, the greatest football player of all time, Tom Brady, who was a sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan.
We are ranking the 10 best Wolverines of all time based on how they performed when they played at Michigan. Enjoy.
1. Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson is the greatest Michigan football player of all time. He could do it all for the Wolverines, and he helped lead the program to its 11th national championship back in 1997. Some of the most famous Michigan highlights of all time feature Woodson. His iconic interception with one hand against Michigan State. His legendary punt return touchdown against Ohio State. He is a legend, and one of three Wolverines to win the Heisman.
2. Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard is right behind Woodson and he also has some of the most iconic plays in Michigan history. His most famous would be a punt return touchdown against Ohio State, and when he got into the end zone, he struck the Heisman pose. He went on to win the award. Howard also had a sensational touchdown catch against Notre Dame that is incredibly famous as well.
3. Tom Harmon
Tom Harmon is our final Heisman winner on the list. Harmon did it all for the Wolverines as he took snaps in all three phases of the game, and he excelled in all of them as well. There aren't players like Harmon anymore as he would score touchdowns, intercept passes, punt and kick field goals all in the same game.
4. Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards is one of the best wide receivers to ever suit up for Michigan. His name is all over the record books for the Wolverines as he is the leader for numerous receiving categories, and his records go beyond just the Michigan program as well. Edwards is a Michigan legend.
5. Bennie Oosterbaan
There probably aren't any Michigan football fans alive today that remember Bennie Oosterbaan dominating in the 1925 season, but he is a Michigan legend because of it. Oosterbaan went on to have a legendary coaching career with the Wolverines as well, and the indoor practice field house on the University of Michigan campus is named after him: Oosterbaan Field House.
6. Anthony Carter
Anthony Carter is another wide receiver that can't be left off the list. He was close to winning the Heisman trophy as he came in the top-five for voting, but he did not win the award. Still, Carter is one of the best to ever suit up for the Wolverines. He was an outstanding receiver, but he was also terrific on special teams as he returned kicks and punts for the Michigan football team. He is a Michigan legend.
7. Steve Hutchinson
Another member of the 1997 national championship team here, and the only offensive lineman that we have on the top-10 list. Hutchinson is the best offensive lineman that has ever come through Ann Arbor, and that is saying a lot for how many talented players have been at that position for Michigan.
8. Aidan Hutchinson
Another Hutchinson here as Aidan Hutchinson comes in at number eight on the list. Hutchinson was a major part of the recent resurgence of the Michigan football program as he played a huge role in getting the team over the hump in 2021. It had been 10 years since the program had beaten rival Ohio State, and Michigan hadn't won the Big Ten since 2004. Hutchinson had a dominant 2021 season and helped lead the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and a trip to the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines didn't win it all in 2021, but they did two years later. The impact that Aidan Hutchinson had on this program was massive. He is now with his hometown Detroit Lions in the NFL, and he has quickly become one of the best defensive players in the NFL.
9. Blake Corum
A player from the 2023 national championship team has to be part of this list, and we have to give it to running back Blake Corum. Like Hutchinson, the impact that Corum has had on this program has been astounding. He was part of that 2021 team that Hutchinson played on, and that team set the standard for the program going forward, and they changed the culture. Corum was a big reason why the culture continued to be so good going forward, and his decision to return to the team in 2023 was massive. He helped lead the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997.
10. Jim Harbaugh
The head coach of that national championship team in 2023 was Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh obviously had a huge impact on the program as a coach, but he was a standout player for the Wolverines well before he took over as the head coach. Harbaugh is one of the best Michigan quarterbacks of all time, and he came close to winning the Heisman trophy and he finished top-three in voting in 1986. Harbaugh went on to the NFL after his Michigan career, and then he coached at both the college and pro level. He is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
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