Michigan Football Roster Observations
With fall camp officially underway, Michigan's 2021 football roster is also now up to date complete with transfer additions, a full recruiting class and a few other things worth paying attention to.
No Zeroes
I sorted the roster numerically to start going through it and immediately noticed that there are no No. 0's on the team this year. Last year, wide receiver Giles Jackson, who is now at Washington, and cornerback Andre Seldon, wore the newly-allowed number. Now, Seldon is wearing No. 36 and Jackson is wearing purple and gold. Obviously the absence of 0 isn't a big deal, but it is a change from last year.
The Freshmen Are All Accounted For
Michigan signed 22 freshmen in the 2021 class and, while several of them have been on campus since January, a bunch just arrived this summer. Now they're all in Ann Arbor and ready to go with updated heights, weights and jersey numbers.
No. 1 - WR Andrel Anthony, 6-2, 185 pounds
No. 1 - CB Ja'Den McBurrows, 5-11, 197 pounds
No. 7 - RB Donovan Edwards, 6-0, 202 pounds
No. 9 - QB JJ McCarthy, 6-3, 197 pounds
No. 10 - WR Cristian Dixon, 6-2, 197 pounds
No. 19 - K/P Tommy Doman, 6-5, 190 pounds
No. 19 - S Rod Moore, 6-0, 173 pounds
No. 22 - RB Tavierre Dunlap, 6-0, 222 pounds
No. 25 - LB Junior Colson, 6-2, 225 pounds
No. 26 - DT Rayshaun Benny, 6-5, 292 pounds
No. 27 - LB Tyler McLaurin, 6-3, 237 pounds
No. 34 - LB Jaydon Hood, 6-1, 212 pounds
No. 42 - DE TJ Guy, 6-5, 251 pounds
No. 51 - OL Greg Crippen, 6-4, 290 pounds
No. 52 - DE Kechaun Bennett, 6-5, 241 pounds
No. 54 - DT George Rooks, 6-5, 270 pounds
No. 56 - DT Dominick Guidice, 6-5, 275 pounds
No. 58 - OL Giovanni El-Hadi, 6-5, 318 pounds
No. 62 - OL Raheem Anderson, 6-3, 302 pounds
No. 72 - OL Tristan Bounds, 6-8, 282 pounds
No. 81 - TE Louis Hansen, 6-6, 252 pounds
No. 92 - Ike Iwunnah, 6-3, 306 pounds
Sammy Faustin Not Listed On The Roster
Faustin is no longer on U-M's active roster. TheWolverine.com first reported that Faustin will miss this season due to medical reasons but will remain on athletic aid. The 6-2, 200-pound defensive back had only played in two games during his first three years at Michigan and registered just two tackles during that time.
Get To Know The Transfers
Michigan has three transfers on the roster heading into fall camp and all three may end up playing significant roles this season. Wide receiver Daylen Baldwin, quarterback Alan Bowman and defensive tackle Jordan Whittley are all accounted for and ready to compete for playing time as the season begins. Baldwin will wear No. 85 and is listed at 6-2, 219 pounds, while Bowman, who wore No. 10 at Texas Tech, will sport No. 15 and checks in at 6-4, 205 pounds. Whittley will be in the No. 93 jersey and is listed at 6-1, 348 pounds.
RELATED: Get To Know Alan Bowman
Tallest/Shortest/Heaviest/Lightest
At 348 pounds, Whittley is the heaviest player on the team. That's certainly a lot of mass, which bodes well for him as he looks to earn playing time at the nose tackle position in Mike Macdonald's 3-4 scheme. On the flip side, walk-on kicker/punter Rhett Anderson is lightest player on the roster at just 172 pounds. Freshman defensive back Rod Moore, along with sophomore DBs Andre Seldon and Darion Green-Warren are the lightest scholarship players at 173 pounds apiece.
Two players come in as the tallest Wolverines on the roster as both freshman offensive lineman Tristan Bounds and fifth-year senior tight end Carter Selzer check in at 6-8. Junior walk-on running back Leon Franklin along with sophomores Blake Corum and Seldon are a full foot shorter at 5-8 to claim shortest Wolverine honors.
A Permanent Position Change
Joel Honigford came to Michigan as an athletic, yet slightly undersized offensive lineman back in 2017. As a high school senior, Honigford checked in at 277 pounds. Last year, he was listed as an offensive lineman and checked in at 305 pounds. He did put on a temporary jersey and play some tight end last year in jumbo sets, but was still viewed as a member of Ed Warinner's unit. Now, he's listed as a full-time tight end and is down a whopping 48 pounds to 257. He's wearing No. 84 this season and will probably be used in jumbo packages or as a surprise target in short yardage or goal line situations.
An Iconic Number Returns To The Secondary
As we outlined earlier today, senior safety Brad Hawkins has switched from No. 20 to No. 2. Last year, defensive tackle Carlo Kemp sported No. 2 on defense, but it looks and feels much better on a defensive back. Maybe Charles Woodson's iconic No. 2 will help Hawkins reel in that first career interception this fall.
