It takes a lot of things to win a national championship. In the case of Michigan football, it took some good fortune and good evaluations on the recruiting trail.
The Wolverines had multiple players who were ranked outside the top 200 as recruits in the past decade that ended up as first-round picks. Three of them were part of the 2022 class, one of the most important recruiting classes in Michigan football history.
Jim Harbaugh had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough. He was also great at developing talent for the NFL. J.J. McCarthy ended up being selected in the first round, becoming the first quarterback at Michigan to do that since Harbaugh.
Michigan football became a factory for NFL talent. It also won three consecutive Big Ten championships under Harbaugh, and won the national title in 2023.
One of the things that helped Michigan the most were some the pleasant surprises on the recruiting trail, as in players who played above their weight class. Here's a look at seven who did just that in the past decade for the Wolverines.
Mason Graham (No. 247 overall, 4-star)
Graham was a three-star prospect when he committed out of California. Oregon and USC tried to flip him, but he signed with Michigan football and wound up being quite possibly the greatest defensive tackle in Michigan history.
His tackle on the second down against Alabama, in overtime, on the goal-to-go sequence, in the Rose Bowl was one of the most important plays in Michigan history. He was also vital in the 2024 upset of Ohio State, one of the greatest in the series.
Graham earned All-American honors, became a top-10 pick in the NFL draft, and finished his career with 60 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. He was also 3-0 against Ohio State with two wins in Columbus.
Kenneth Grant (No. 444 overall, 4-star)
Graham and Grant were ranked outside the top 200 in the 247 Sports composite rankings in their recruiting class, but by the end of their junior seasons, they were each drafted in the first round.
Harbaugh called him "god's gift" to football. Michigan would not have won the national championship without Grant, who had an offer from Ohio State. The Indiana product chose Michigan, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Grant had 69 tackles, 11. tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He was also 3-0 against OSU.
Colston Loveland (No. 302 overall, 4-star)
Out of Idaho, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end was ranked No. 302 overall in the 2022 class. Like Grant and Graham, he was a first-round pick. He went 10th to the Bears after catching 117 passes for 1,466 in three seasons in Ann Arbor.
Loveland caught a touchdown pass in "The Game" in 2022 that gave Michigan the lead, and then hauled in another big-time touchdown in the 2022 Big Ten title game against Purdue.
Loveland has already made an impact for the Chicago Bears and could be one of the NFL's best tight ends for a long time to come.
Mike Sainristil (No. 589 overall, 3-star)
One of the most legendary players of Michigan football's national championship run was Mike Sainristil, the former three-star recruit out of Massachusetts.
Sainristil started his Michigan career as a wide receiver. He caught a pass against Ohio State in the win in 2021, as well as a touchdown catch in the win over Notre Dame in 2019.
After moving to cornerback, Mikey intercepted seven passes in those two seasons, with two interceptions returned for a touchdown. That was on top of 13 pass breakups and 62 career tackles.
Sainristil will always be remembered for his national-title sealing interception. He was drafted 50th overall.
Kris Jenkins (No. 502 overall, 3-star)
Another 3-star prospect that Michigan football turned into a second-round pick, Jenkins was huge for Michigan's defense during its three consecutive Big Ten championships. His impact, like a lot of defensive lineman, was larger than the stats show.
Jenkins came to Michigan as an EDGE, but grew into a defensive tackle. He's played 29 games in his first two seasons with the Bengals and finished with 113 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks during his career in Ann Arbor that featured three wins over the Buckeyes, three Big Ten titles, and a national championship,
Hassan Haskins, (No. 975, 3-star)
One of the heroes of the 2021 Michigan football win over Ohio State, Haskins was a late offer during his senior season. The 6-foot-1 running back was ranked No. 975 overall at the time.
The eventual fourth-round pick rushed for 1,327 yards as a senior, leading the Big Ten in carries. He also scored a conference-high 20 touchdowns, with five coming against Ohio State in the 42-27 win.
Tennessee picked him in the fourth round. He also played for the Jim Harbaugh with the Chargers last season.
Kwity Paye (No. 481, 3-star)
Kwity Page is one of Michigan's great success stories, at least of the Harbaugh era. The top-ranked player in Rhode Island, Harbaugh saw something in Paye, who had 23.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in four seasons with Michigan, before eventually becoming a first-round pick.
Paye has been even better in the NFL with 30 sacks during his first five seasons with the Colts. Like everyone on his list, he drastically outplayed his recruiting ranking.
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