Michigan football produced dozens of NFL Draft picks and great players during Jim Harbaugh’s nine years leading the program, but which five guys made the biggest impact during their time in Ann Arbor?

It’s a somewhat subjective question, but there’s no doubt that all of the players listed below played a huge role in bringing championship football back to Schembechler Hall.

There are so many different guys who could fill this spot in the Top 5, but Rod Moore represents so much of what Michigan has become over the past three seasons. Moore, an overlooked three-star prospect out of the Buckeye State, never received a scholarship from Ohio State, and after committing to Michigan, he vowed he would never lose to his home-state program. So far, Moore’s declaration has been prophetic. Moore played an impactful role in the rivalry game as early as his freshman true freshman season of 2021, and he’s been one of the unquestionable leaders of this program since he was handed a full-time starting role the following year. While he’s made plenty of highlights during his first three years in Ann Arbor, the most memorable and impactful was the game-winning interception against the Buckeyes in last year’s game.

Other players I considered for the Top 5 were tight end Jack-buttdefensive back/linebacker Jabrill pepperslinebacker Devin Bushsafety Daxton Hill and a wide array of offensive and defensive linemen who have worn the winged helmet over the past nearly decade.

I guess you could describe it Mike Sainristil as the heartbeat of Michigan’s football program over the past three seasons, and not many would argue otherwise. Like Moore, Sainristil was a three-star prospect coming out of high school, but his impact in Ann Arbor was immense, far surpassing his meager status as a college prospect. Sainristil has been a huge driving force behind the selflessness of Michigan’s players. After playing wide receiver his first three seasons with the Wolverines, Mikey moved to defensive back in 2022 and has become Michigan’s premier playmaker in the secondary. While he may not be as physically gifted as guys like Peppers or Will JohnsonSainristil always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, and his seven interceptions and two forced fumbles in his career bear that out.

You can certainly make an argument for Blake Corum to be higher on this list. In fact, I had him at No. 2 before I traded him at the last minute. Corum’s numbers speak for themselves. His 58 career rushing touchdowns are the most in Michigan football history, and his 27 rushing touchdowns during last year’s march to a national championship are the most by a Wolverine in a single season. Corum’s 3,737 career rushing yards also puts him in the Top 10 in program history. With all that understood, Corum’s impact extends far beyond what he did between the lines of scrimmage. He was one of the program’s undisputed leaders over the past three years, and his talent on the field was matched by an unrelenting toughness and a team-first mentality. Corum is arguably the best individual player of the Harbaugh era, and there’s an argument to be made for him to be at the top of this list as well. The only reason I have him at #3 is because we’ve seen other Michigan running backs, most notably Hassan Haskins And Donovan Edwardsalso have a major impact on his position.

Quarterback is the most important position on the football field, and Michigan doesn’t win a national championship without it JJ McCarthy under center. Many will say that his numbers are modest compared to the insane stats that quarterbacks produce in the modern era, but that has everything to do with the amount of passes McCarthy had to throw. During his career, McCarthy completed 68 percent of his pass attempts, including 72 percent in his final season. In addition to his efficiency, McCarthy was also undoubtedly the most talented quarterback at Harbaugh, and his arm talent was unmatched in program history. McCarthy’s ability to keep plays alive with his legs added an extra dimension to his game that gave opposing defenses nightmares. As incredible as his impact on the field was, McCarthy’s leadership and demeanor are truly what set him apart from other talented signal callers. He sat behind Cade McNamara for a season without complaint. For all his talents as a pitcher, he accepted his role in a Michigan offense that relied on running the ball. But when his number was called, when the Wolverines needed him to make a big throw at a crucial moment, McCarthy always delivered. Like Corum, you could easily argue that JJ deserves the top spot on this list. That said…

The face of Michigan’s turnaround, and the man who helped the Wolverines get over the hump, was Aidan HutchinsonAfter suffering a season-ending injury during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, a disastrous one for the Wolverines, Hutchinson could have opted out, declared for the NFL Draft, and continued his professional career. Instead, he came back and led a culture shift that changed the course of Michigan football history. There were certainly other players who took on larger leadership roles ahead of the 2021 season, but Hutch was the face of the movement. He helped lead the Wolverines to their first win over Ohio State in 10 years with three sacks in the 2021 version of “The Game.” Michigan would go on to win its first Big Ten championship since 2004. That year, his final season, Hutchinson set a single-season Michigan record with 14 sacks. While arguments can be made for other guys as the most impactful player of the Jim Harbaugh era, Hutchinson was undeniably the one who started it all.

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