Here’s what each member of Michigan’s last top-ten class is up to today.
It might be hard to believe given how successful Michigan has been on the field in recent years, but 2019 marks the last time that Michigan finished with a top-ten class according to the 247Sports Composite .
Michigan’s 2019 recruiting class came on the heels of a relatively successful 10-3 2018 football season, so it makes sense that Jim Harbaugh and company were able to land some big names. Although it took a while, this class would yield several stars that have made a big impact over the last three years.
Today, we’ll look at what each member of the 2019 recruiting class has been up to in recent years and where they are today. Players are listed in the order in which they were ranked in the 247Sports Composite.
S Daxton Hill
Hill was the big fish of the 2019 recruiting class and played three seasons on Michigan’s defense. After being one of the best players on the 2021 defense, Hill was drafted in the first round by the Bengals , where he served as a starter this past season.
DT Christopher Hinton
Hinton served as a member of the Michigan defense for three seasons and surprised some folks by declaring early for the 2022 NFL Draft. Hinton went undrafted and has since bounced around practice squads for the Giants , Dolphins , Falcons , and Chargers .
RB Zach Charbonnet
Charbonnet played two seasons at Michigan but transferred to UCLA following the 2020 season as Michigan’s backfield got more crowded. After two solid seasons as the lead back for the Bruins, Charbonnet was drafted in the second round by the Seahawks and ran for 462 yards as a rookie in 2023.
DT Mazi Smith
Mazi Smith played four seasons at Michigan, capping his career with a stellar senior season in 2022. He was drafted in the first round by the Cowboys in 2023 but was largely unproductive as a rookie this past season.
OT Trente Jones
Trente Jones returned to Michigan and served as the sixth offensive lineman in the rotation for the national champions. He started the final three games of the season after Zak Zinter was injured and was recently signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent.
OL Nolan Rumler
Rumler played sparingly at Michigan and ended up transferring to Kent State ahead of the 2022 season. He saw action in five games in his first season with the Golden Flashes in 2022 and just two games in 2023. He’s still at Kent State with one year of eligibility left.
WR Cornelius Johnson
After recording 2,038 total yards and 14 touchdowns in his Michigan career, Cornelius Johnson declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. He was recently selected in the seventh round by the Chargers and will keep playing for head coach Jim Harbaugh.
OL Trevor Keegan
This past season, Trevor Keegan served as a team captain for the first time and a starter for the third straight season. Following a highly successful run in Ann Arbor, Keegan was selected in the fifth round by the Eagles in the 2024 NFL Draft.
CB Jalen Perry
After coming to Michigan as a four-star recruit out of Georgia, Jalen Perry never really found meaningful playing time and mostly served as a depth piece on defense and special teams. He was with the Wolverines as recent as 2022, but wasn’t on the roster in 2023.
LB Anthony Solomon
Solomon was a member of the Michigan defense through the 2021 season, but played sparingly and opted to transfer in January of 2022 and ending up with Arizona.
OT Karsen Barnhart
Barnhart served as a starter across the Michigan offensive line for nine games in 2022 and 15 games in 2023. He went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but signed with the Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers following the draft in April.
QB Cade McNamara
Despite being the quarterback to turn things around at Michigan in 2021, McNamara opted to transfer to Iowa following the 2022 season to compete for a starting job. He is looking to play his sixth college season in 2024 after missing much of the 2023 season with a knee injury.
WR Giles Jackson
Jackson played two seasons for Michigan as a receiver and kick returner before transferring to Washington before the 2021 season. As a Husky, Jackson has 521 receiving yards across three seasons and will return for his sixth collegiate season in 2024.
S Quinten Johnson
Johnson has mostly contributed on special teams as a Wolverine but got much more playing time in the safety rotation in 2023. He returns to Michigan in 2024 and figures to play a big role, especially in the wake of Rod Moore’s injury.
LB David Ojabo
As a junior in 2021, Ojabo recorded 11 sacks before declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft. He was drafted in the second round by the Ravens , but injuries have thus far been a big hindrance to him seeing the field.
TE Erick All
Like Cade McNamara, Erick All transferred to Iowa ahead of the 2023 season after playing only two games in 2022 for Michigan. He had 299 receiving yards for the Hawkeyes in 2023 and was recently drafted in the fourth round by the Bengals in the 2024 NFL Draft.
DE Mike Morris
Morris only served as a full-time starter for one season at Michigan (2022), but broke out in a big way with 7.5 sacks. His performance was good enough to get him drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Seahawks, where he appeared in one game as a rookie.
CB DJ Turner
Turner played for four seasons at Michigan, capped with a big senior year in 2022. His solid performance on the field and at the NFL Combine helped make him a second-round pick of the Bengals in 2023, where he started 12 games as a rookie and appeared in 17.
LB Charles Thomas
Charles Thomas was a member of the Michigan football program for his freshman season in 2019, but only saw action in two games. He entered the transfer portal in 2020 as the linebacker room got more crowded and never found a new home.
IOL Zach Carpenter
Carpenter showed some promise at center for Michigan during the 2020 season, but announced he’d be transferring to Indiana ahead of the 2021 season. He started 24 games over the last three years and recently transferred to Miami (FL) for the 2024 season.
OT Jack Stewart
Stewart was part of the Michigan football program for three seasons but announced his decision to transfer to Connecticut ahead of the 2022 season. He’s still with the Huskies and has one season of eligibility remaining.
WR/CB Mike Sainristil
One of the better development stories in recent Michigan memory. Mike Sainristil went from being a decent receiver to a lock-down nickel corner and became a Michigan legend with his play over the last two seasons. He was recently selected by the Commanders in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
DE Gabe Newburg
Newburg played sparingly in his time in Ann Arbor. He saw some action in 2020, but his career was largely hampered by injuries. Unfortunately, Newburg medically retired from football ahead of the 2022 season.
WR George Johnson
Johnson was with the Wolverines through the 2021 season before transferring to UMass, where he played in 2022 and 2023. This offseason, he announced that he’d be transferring again and is now with Florida Atlantic.
WR Quintel Kent
Quintel Kent’s tenure with Michigan was short-lived, as he was forced to sit out the entire 2019 season due to “unfortunate medical findings.” He remained at Michigan as a student but left the football program.
LB Joey Velazquez
Joey Velazquez had been a member of the Michigan football and baseball programs through the 2023 football season. However, he recently announced his decision to head back home to Columbus where he will now be playing for Ohio State .