They didn’t enter college with much fanfare, but this recruiting class produced some real stars.
Coming off a disappointing 8-5 season in 2017, Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan football program assembled a recruiting class that didn’t yield much excitement. After putting together top-10 classes in 2016 and 2017 according to the 247Sports composite , Michigan’s 2018 class was a big step down at No. 22 nationally.
With recruiting, though, we know a class can’t be judged until it puts together a body of work on the field, and Michigan’s 2018 class certainly impressed. Despite some rough early years, this group led the charge for Michigan’s recent run of success.
Today, we’ll be taking a look back at this class and where they are now. You may not have heard some of these names for quite some time, but others are still making waves and have turned into major stars on the field.
K Jake Moody
Moody was on campus for five years and served as Michigan’s primary placekicker in 2021 and 2022. While in college, he was arguably the best kicker in the country, winning the Lou Groza Award in 2021 and finishing as a finalist in 2022. He was drafted in the third-round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 and went 21-of-25 on field goals his rookie year in 2023.
DE Aidan Hutchinson
As the highest ranked player in this class for Michigan, Hutchinson has also had the most success. He was great his first three years on campus, but became the best defensive player in the nation his senior year. He was selected second overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions and has recorded 21 sacks in his first two seasons.
LB Cameron McGrone
McGrone played for three seasons at Michigan, with his most productive coming in 2019 (66 tackles, 9.0 for a loss and four sacks). He was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth-round in 2021 but was waived and picked up by Indianapolis in 2022, where he remains today.
TE Mustapha Muhammad
Muhammad was the highest ranked offensive player in the class for Michigan. He stayed for two seasons and only played in two games. He entered the transfer portal and returned home to Texas at Kilgore Junior College. As of right now, he is no longer playing football.
CB Myles Sims
Sims redshirted as a freshman before transferring to Georgia Tech , where he stayed from 2019-23. While seeing the field regularly his first three years there, Sims was a full-time starter in 2022 and 2023.
QB Joe Milton
Milton transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season and served as the full-time starter for the Vols during the 2023 season. He was selected in the sixth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Patriots.
OT Jalen Mayfield
After playing three seasons at Michigan, Mayfield declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and was selected in the third-round by the Falcons . He started 16 games as a rookie before missing the 2022 season with an injury. He was then released and picked up by the Giants .
OT Ryan Hayes
After two years as a starter for Michigan, Hayes was selected in the seventh-round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Dolphins . He was waived before the start of his rookie year and was picked up by the Colts. He was waived again and picked back up by the Dolphins .
CB Gemon Green
After playing five seasons at Michigan, two as a starter, Green was picked up by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He was on the practice squad last year and was recently signed by the Green Bay Packers in April.
RB Christian Turner
Turner was with Michigan from 2018-20 but played sparingly before transferring to Wake Forest , where he ran for 1,022 total yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021 and 2022. He spent 2023 at Indiana, where he ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns.
DE Taylor Upshaw
Upshaw was with Michigan from 2018-22, but never had a ton of production. He transferred twice ahead of the 2023 season, first to Colorado and then to Arizona , where he led the Wildcats in sacks in 2023 with 8.5 en route to All-Pac-12 honorable mentions.
S Sammy Faustin
Faustin played at Michigan from 2018-21 but primarily played special teams. He entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season and went to UMass to play for former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown for one season.
LB Ben Van Sumeren
Van Sumeren played at Michigan from 2018-20 as both a fullback and linebacker before transferring to Michigan State . He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2023, where he was on both the practice squad and active roster.
DE Julius Welschof
Welschof was at Michigan roster from 2018-22 before transferring to Charlotte for the 2023 season. He had his season cut short by injury after just four games, but was recently signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent.
CB Vince Gray
Gray played four seasons at Michigan, including two as a starter in 2020 and 2021. Following his senior year, he was picked up by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. He has since been on practice squads for the Saints and Rams , and is currently with the Cleveland Browns .
TE Luke Schoonmaker
After five seasons at Michigan, Schoonmaker was taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the second-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. As a rookie in 2023, Schoonmaker had seven receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.
RB Hassan Haskins
After a monster senior season in 2021, Haskins was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He played sparingly in 2022 and was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list before the start of the 2023 season after being charged with aggravated assault.
CB German Green
Green returned for a sixth season at Michigan in 2023, where he contributed mostly on special teams but also as a depth piece in the secondary. He declared for the 2024 NFL Draft following the season and has yet to be signed.
WR Ronnie Bell
As the lowest-ranked recruit in the class for the Wolverines, Bell became one of the most productive Michigan receivers in recent memory with 145 career receptions for 2,269 yards. Bell was drafted in the seventh-round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the 49ers and scored two touchdowns on five receptions as a rookie.