Who will be the No. 1 pick in Michigan’s 2025 spring game draft? Breaking down the contenders, the top overall pick will come from the defense, but which player rises above the rest?
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Who should be the No. 1 pick in the Michigan Spring Draft?
The Michigan spring game is this Saturday — a public scrimmage of maize vs. blue to help quell the appetite of a September Saturday. A game that means everything in the moment and largely nothing in retrospect. However, the game took on an increased fan interest once former head coach Jim Harbaugh added a twist to it. And the tradition has been carried on by current head coach Sherrone Moore.
On Friday, the coaching staff will be divided into two teams, with Moore serving as the unofficial commissioner (judge/jury/executioner). Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will lead one team and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey will lead the other, with the remaining assistants divided evenly between them. Each staff will then begin to build a roster for Saturday via a draft.
As with any sports draft, the debate over the No. 1 pick carries an immense amount of weight. Look no further than the 2025 NFL Draft on the horizon. It is a direct indicator of at least one player this staff loves and values above the rest of the roster. At least as it pertains to a scrimmage.
But who could it be? Defensive tackle Mason Graham was the top pick in last year’s spring game, and Kenneth Grant was the top selection in 2023. There are currently 108 players on Michigan’s spring roster with Alessandro Lorenzetti, Amorion Walker and Jason Hewlett hitting the transfer portal. So who will be the top pick for 2025?
Let’s take a look at the roster:
Semaj Morgan, Tré Williams, Jaishawn Barham, Jadyn Davis, Shamari Earls, Jaden Mangham, Fredrick Moore, T.J. Guy, Andrew Marsh, C.J. Charleston, Jacob Oden, Brandyn Hillman, Ben Hall, T.J. Metcalf, Derrick Moore, Rod Moore, Zeke Berry, Mikey Keene, Kendrick Bell, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Caleb Anderson, Donaven McCulley, Channing Goodwin, Jordan Young, Ernest Hausmann, Jo’Ziah Edmond, Davis Warren, Enow Etta, Marlin Klein, Ja’Den McBurrows, Bryce Underwood, Jyaire Hill, Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall, Cole Sullivan, Bryson Kuzdzal, Tevis Metcalf, Mason Curtis, Micah Ka’apana, Donovan Johnson, Tyler McLaurin, Chase Taylor, Jimmy Rolder, Nico Andrighetto, Jeremiah Lowe, Dominic Nichols, Jaydon Hood, Stuart Blake, Drew Hickmott, Joshua Nichols, Tomas O’Meara, Julius Holly, Bryce Wilcox, Max Reyes, Joe Taylor, Troy Bowles, Shomari Stone, Jalen Hoffman, Zach Ludwig, Deakon Tonielli, Max Bredeson, Damon Payne, Eli Owens, Greg Tarr, Luke Hamilton, Greg Crippen, Kechaun Bennett, Jake Guarnera, Deyvid Palepale, Andrew Sprague, Rayshaun Benny, Nathan Efobi, Travis Moten, Giovanni El-Hadi, John Weidenbach, Brooks Bahr, James Kavouklis, Andrew Babalola, Dan Taraboi, Dan Rosenberg, Brady Norton, Evan Link, Ben Roebuck, Avery Gach, Kaden Strayhorn, Manuel Beigel, Connor Jones, Blake Frazier, Hogan Hansen, Peyton O’Leary, Devon Baxter, I’Marion Stewart, Zack Marshall, Logan Forbes, Ted Hammond, Brady Prieskorn, Jamar Browder, Lugard Edokpayi, Kaleb Schlecht, Hudson Hollenbeck, Aymeric Koumba, Evan Boutorwick, Cameron Brandt, Ikechukwu Iwunnah, Trey Pierce, Dominic Zvada, Chibi Anwunah, Bobby Kanka
Freshmen Tier: Let’s narrow this down. First cuts, no freshmen will be selected first overall. Not even Bryce Underwood, and not because he isn’t talented enough or doesn’t play a position of high value, but because that would become a massive story (announced or leaked) out of the spring, and Moore is not having that.
This eliminates Underwood, Shamari Earls, Andrew Marsh, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Jordan Young, Donovan Johnson, Chase Taylor, Julius Holly, Eli Owens, Travis Moten, Andrew Babalola, Avery Gach, Kaden Strayhorn, Jamar Browder and Bobby Kanka.
Less than 100 players remain…
Specialists Tier: Let’s eliminate all specialists from contention: kickers, punters and long snappers. As cool as it would be to see kicker Dominic Zvada go as the top pick, no roster construction will start with a specialist. Farewell to Big Z, Stuart Blake, John Weidenbach, Greg Tarr, Dan Rosenberg, Evan Boutorwick, James Kavouklis and Hudson Hollenbeck.
Less than 90 remain…
Injury Tier: Unfortunately, injuries are a part of football and there are a few guys who are banged up and will not be available. Let’s remove Rod Moore, Mikey Keene and Davis Warren. I’m not sure of sophomore tight end Brady Prieskorn’s status, but given his injury occurred against Ohio State, there’s no need to risk it in this one.
Four more are gone…
Knoxville Tier: Alright, we are taking baby steps. Let’s really pair this list down. This next round of cuts is more subjective and is for players who would be shocking top overall picks. Some would be more mildly shocking (Jimmy Rolder, Marlin Klein, Enow Etta) while others would be Johnny Knoxville just won Best Actor at the Oscars level of shocking (Nico Andrighetto, Bryson Kuzdzal, Kaleb Schlecht).
This eliminates Bryson Kuzdzal, Nico Andrighetto, Chibi Anwuah, Kaleb Schlecht, Logan Forbes, Dan Taraboi, Drew Hickmott, Tomas O’Meara, Bryce Wilcox, Max Reyes, Shomari Stone, Jalen Hoffman, Zach Ludwig, Deakon Tonielli, Joshua Nichols, Joe Taylor, Tyler McLaurin, Luke Hamilton, Brooks Bahr, Deyvid Palepale, Ben Roebuck, Manuel Beigel, Connor Jones, Zack Marshall, Ted Hammond, Peyton O’Leary, Devon Baxter, I’Marion Stewart, Lugard Edokpayi, Aymeric Koumba, Kechaun Bennett, Jake Guarnera, Jeremiah Lowe, Jacob Oden, C.J. Charleston, Enow Etta, Marlin Klein, Ja’Den McBurrows, Tevis Metcalf, Channing Goodwin, Kendrick Bell, Micah Ka’apana, Jo’Ziah Edmond, Nathan Efobi, Ikechukwu Iwunnah, Jaydon Hood, Troy Bowles, Cole Sullivan, Blake Frazier, Jimmy Rolder, Hogan Hansen and Jaden Mangham.
Now, we’re cooking. Down to 31 players…
Top Two Tier: Now we are starting to get a view of who the top players are. Let’s cut each position group down to the top two. Quarterbacks and tight ends are already set, so no cuts there. At running back, Ben Hall is gone, and at wide receiver, this leaves Semaj Morgan and Donoven McCulley. Morgan edges out Moore based on his 2023 season, and McCulley gets the nod because coaches have not stopped raving about him since arriving in Ann Arbor.
On the offensive line, this leaves Greg Crippen — essentially the only center on the roster — and Evan Link, the presumptive starter at left tackle and most experienced Big Ten tackle on the roster. Farewell to Andrew Sprague, Giovanni El-Hadi and Brady Norton (his versatility makes this a sneaky tough cut).
On defense, the linebackers are set. But along the front, this eliminates Cameron Brandt and Dominic Nichols at edge, and Tré Williams and Damon Payne at defensive tackle. Trey Pierce gets the nod over the two transfers due to his tenure at Michigan.
Man, the secondary is tough. Let’s keep Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry and eliminate Brandyn Hillman, T.J. Metcalf, Caleb Anderson and Mason Curtis.
NCAA Tier: Down to the Sweet 16! Let’s go NCAA Tournament style and cut this tier down by half. Despite a new offense being implemented, Michigan will still be run-first, so neither Donoven McCulley nor Semaj Morgan will go first. In order to avoid being a narrative coming out of camp, Jadyn Davis is also not going first. Max Bredeson is a one-of-one player, but he and the two main backs (Jordan Marshall, Justice Haynes) he will be blocking for do not carry the same amount of positional value this high in the draft.
Two painful cuts that I don’t feel great about, but Hill and Pierce are the last two eliminated here. Both play in deep rooms and do not bring as much versatility as their two counterparts moving into the Elite Eight.
Can We See It Tier: Looking at the final eight, five look like legitimate, realistic top picks, However, despite most roster-building strategies beginning in the trenches, Link and Crippen will not be the top pick in the spring game. And despite his remarkable midseason turnaround last year and the hype building this offseason, Berry will not be the top selection.
It all comes down to five front-seven defensive players!
Jaishawn Barham, T.J. Guy, Derrick Moore, Ernest Hausmann, Rayshaun Benny
Splitting Hairs Tier: Barham and Moore possess higher athletic ceilings than their counterparts, but were both out-produced by them as well. Does potential outweigh proven production here? As one of the oldest draft debates rages on, one player is peerless at this point in the process.
The coaches can debate over which edge or which linebacker is better, but the only other remaining player requires no debate. A foundational player that helps anchor the defense at a position this staff values. And a position that has been selected first overall in the previous two spring drafts.
Ladies and gentlemen, the top pick in the 2025 Michigan spring draft will be…defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny!
Who do you think should be the first pick? Let us know down in the comments below!