Player leadership was one of the pillars of Michigan’s national championship run in 2023. Which players will lead the way as captains this season?
One reason for Michigan’s recent run of success is the major culture shift that placed the onus on player leadership ahead of the 2021 season. We saw this come to fruition in 2023 with a national championship victory thanks in part to team captains like Blake Corum, Mike Sainristil, Kris Jenkins, and others being vocal leaders.
Player leadership might be more important now than ever, seeing as Michigan will be breaking in a host of new starters, not to mention a mostly new coaching staff. Today, we’ll be making our best guesses about which six players will be named as Michigan’s team captains for Sherrone Moore’s first season in 2024.
As a disclaimer, we’ll be picking three players from each side of the ball. Michigan’s captains have also been all seniors historically, so guys like Will Johnson, Mason Graham, and Colston Loveland won’t be named here, but could be dark-horse candidates.
Without further ado, here are our predictions.
RB Donovan Edwards
I think it was set in stone that Donovan Edwards would be a team captain for the 2024 squad the second that he announced he’d be returning for his senior year. The West Bloomfield native has been the face of Michigan’s program for much of the offseason and was one of the team’s representatives at Big Ten Media Days.
“I’m doing my absolute best in the leadership position because we all have to step up as leaders. And I’ve been here for going on four years, so I know what the blueprint has been for us to be successful,” Edwards said of his role last month. “I feel like it’s my obligation, just me individually, to uphold everybody.”
This certainly sounds like a guy that knows his responsibility and is ready to take it on. Edwards will be relied on not only as a leader, but as a playmaker on the field and will serve as the workhorse back in Michigan’s offense this year.
H-Back Max Bredeson
I don’t think there’s a player that could better embody Michigan’s team-oriented and selfless nature than Max Bredeson. As the team’s H-back, he consistently does the dirty work play in and play out without much external praise. He was a key cog in Michigan’s offense a year ago and should be again, but might also take on an expanded leadership role.
Bredeson was also a representative for Michigan at Big Ten Media Days, speaking to how much the team already values his voice and presence. His older brother Ben was also an integral part of Michigan’s offensive line for four seasons while his other brother Jack played for Michigan’s baseball team, so maize and blue definitely run through his veins.
QB Davis Warren
While it’s no guarantee he gets the nod as Michigan’s starting quarterback, it wouldn’t be a shock if Davis Warren were named as a team captain. After all, Cade McNamara was named a captain in 2022 before eventually losing his starting job to a sophomore J.J. McCarthy.
Warren joined the Michigan program as a walk-on in 2021 after overcoming a battle with cancer, showing a glimpse of his determined nature. He’s also had a presence in the community, spending time with kids in C.S Mott Children’s Hospital .
Michigan’s senior quarterback is certainly an easy guy to root for, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if his grit and determination earn him a leadership position on the field and in the locker room.
S Rod Moore
Like Edwards, Moore opted to return to Ann Arbor despite having a chance to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft . He’d been a leader on Michigan’s defense for the last three seasons and has been integral to each of the last three victories over Ohio State , notably sealing the 2023 win with an interception.
After suffering a knee injury this spring, Moore has no choice but to be a vocal leader for the 2024 team, although there’s little doubt he would have been doing that anyway.
“I just gotta get everybody better, make the team the best I can in my own way,” Moore said last month. He’ll undoubtedly be working his tail off to get back on the field in 2024, but he’s plenty capable of making an impact, even if its from the sidelines.
S Makari Paige
Paige is a safety who will be making an impact on and off the field this season. As a fifth-year senior, he’s appeared in 31 games over the last four seasons for the Wolverines and is one of the team’s most experienced players. He also represented Michigan at Big Ten Media Days alongside Bredeson and Edwards.
Being one of the elder statesmen in the secondary, he’ll also be looked upon to be a quarterback on the defensive side of the ball. This will especially be important in the wake of Moore’s absence and a host of defensive back transfers coming to Michigan this offseason.
Edge Josaiah Stewart
This is a bit of a wild card pick. While Josaiah Stewart is a senior and one of the more experienced members of Michigan’s defensive front, this is only his second season with the program as he came over as a transfer in 2023.
After earning All-Big Ten honorable mentions in 2023, Stewart will be looked upon to take a step forward both on the field and in the locker room for this year’s team. He brings a wealth of experience to the table having played two seasons at Coastal Carolina before coming to Michigan and has the chance to be a big tone setter for the defensive front.
Other possibilities: QB Jack Tuttle, OT Myles Hinton, OC Greg Crippen, OG Giovanni El-Hadi, S Quinten Johnson, CB Ja’Den McBurrows