Michigan

2024 Michigan football roster: Jersey, position, weight changes, transfers, freshmen

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2024

2024 Michigan football roster: Jersey, position, weight changes, transfers, freshmen

With practice underway in Ann Arbor, Michigan football has unveiled its official roster for the 2024 season.

You can see the roster in its entirety here, but there have been some notable changes from spring up and down the board. We take a look at jersey swaps, position changes, weight fluctuations, the new transfers and recently enrolled freshmen.

Jersey changes

• WR Semaj Morgan — from 82 to 0

• EDGE Enow Etta — from 96 to No. 17

• TE Brady Prieskorn — from 22 to No. 86

• LB Joel Metzger — from 54 to No. 56

• TE Hogan Hansen — from 81 to No. 80

• LB Cole Sullivan — from 18 to No. 23

Morgan ditching the No. 82 for 0 is the biggest change here, and something he revealed over the summer. Edge rusher Enow Etta moving from No 96 to 17 is also notable.

Position changes

• Cameron Brandt — DL to EDGE

Just one change to report from spring. Brandt, a sophomore defensive lineman, apparently made the move outside — evident by his weight loss noted below. He played in 14 games for the Wolverines last season, including six along the defensive line, and could provide some help on the edge this fall.

More: Six Michigan position battles to watch as preseason camp gets underway

Weight gains (10+ lbs.)

Weight gains are always a topic of conversation every offseason. Some come naturally, while others come at the request of Michigan’s strength and conditioning staff. Many players use it to their advantage on the field, helping them withstand the regular contact and rigors of a long season.

While many players saw smaller gains, we picked out those who added 10 pounds or more:

• OL Nathan Efobi — from 285 to 307 pounds (+22)

• DL Brooks Bahr — from 298 to 319 pounds (+21)

• OL Evan Link — from 307 to 328 pounds (+21)

• DL Trey Pierce — from 300 to 315 pounds (+15)

• EDGE Enow Etta — from 295 to 308 pounds (+13)

• TE Brandon Mann — from 231 to 244 pounds (+13)

• LB Micah Pollard — 221 to 234 pounds (+13)

• WR Kendrick Bell — 180 to 191 pounds (+11)

• EDGE Chibi Anwunah — from 268 to 278 pounds (+10)

• OL Blake Frazier — from 275 to 285 pounds (+10)

• TE Jalen Hoffman — from 225 to 235 pounds (+10)

• EDGE Dominic Nichols — from 251 to 261 (+10)

• K Adam Samaha — from 185 to 195 pounds (+10)

• LB Cole Sullivan — 215 to 225 pounds (+10)

• LS Greg Tarr — from 205 to 215 pounds (+10)

You may not recognize many of those names, and that’s OK. Some of them are players still working their way up the depth chart while others might be in their first or second year in the program. Weight gain can be common among freshmen entering their first season.

Weight loss (10+ lbs.)

• DL Alessandro Lorenzetti — from 301 to 285 pounds (-16)

• TE Deakon Tonielli — from 251 to 238 pounds (-13)

• DL Cameron Brandt — from 277 to 265 pounds (-12)

• DB Jacob Oden — 206 to 196 pounds (-10)

• OL Jeffrey Persi — from 320 to 310 pounds (-10)

• LS William Wagner — from 255 to 245 pounds (-10)

Jeff Persi might be the most notable name there, and his 10-pound weight loss makes sense in his bid for the starting right-tackle role. Longsnapper Will Wagner also lost 10 pounds.

More coverage: Honeymoon year? Sherrone Moore wants to win now at Michigan

Recent transfers

Michigan added seven players from the transfer portal between the end of spring practice and start of camp, all of whom we’ve written about and documented. All of them have enrolled in school and reported for camp. Here are official positions (no surprises there), jersey numbers and official height-weight listings for each:

• WR Amorion Walker (Ole Miss), No. 1, 6-3, 182 pounds

• DB Jaden Mangham (Michigan State), No. 3, 6-2, 185 pounds

• WR C.J. Charleston (Youngstown State), No. 5, 6-0, 190 pounds

• DB Aamir Hall (Albany), No. 12, 6-1, 201 pounds

• DB Wesley Walker (Tennessee), No. 13, 6-1, 200 pounds

• DB Ricky Johnson (UNLV), No. 22, 6-1, 180 pounds

• K Dominic Zvada (Arkansas State), No. 96, 6-3, 180 pounds

Summer freshmen class

And finally, the remaining members of Michigan’s 2024 freshmen recruiting class. While 10 enrolled early and joined the program for spring practice (one, Jeremiah Beasley, has since transferred out), another 18 waited until summer.

Here are their official position designators, jersey numbers and height-weight listing:

• WR Channing Goodwin (Charlotte, N.C.), No. 14, 6-1, 185 pounds

• DB Jo’Ziah Edmond (Indianapolis, Ind.), No. 16, 6-1, 180 pounds

• RB Jordan Marshall (West Chester, Ohio), No. 23, 5-11, 210 pounds

• LB Cole Sullivan (Pittsburgh, Pa.), No. 23, 6-3, 225 pounds

• DB Mason Curtis (Nashville, Tenn.), No. 25, 6-5, 200 pounds

• RB Micah Ka’apana (Waianae, Hawaii), No. 25, 5-11, 190 pounds

• DB Jeremiah Lowe (Lexington, Ky.), No. 32, 5-11, 177 pounds

• LB Zach Ludwig (South Park, Pa.), No. 43, 6-2, 217 pounds

• OL Luke Hamilton (Avon, Ohio), No. 50, 6-5, 315 pounds

• DL Deyvid Palepale (Anchorage, Alaska), No. 54, 6-2, 335 pounds

• OL Andrew Sprague (Kansas City, Mo.), No. 54, 6-8, 305 pounds

• OL Ben Roebuck (Youngstown, Ohio), No. 73, 6-7, 305 pounds

• DL Manuel Beigel (Frankfurt, Germany), No. 76, 6-5, 300 pounds

• EDGE Devon Baxter (Clinton, Md.), No. 82, 6-6, 240 pounds

• WR I’Marion Stewart (Chicago, Ill.), No. 82, 5-11, 180 pounds

• DL Ted Hammond (Cincinnati, Ohio), No. 85, 6-5, 282 pounds

• EDGE Lugard Edokpayi (Bowie, Md.), No. 88, 6-7, 232 pounds

• DL Owen Wafle (Middletown, N.J.), No. 99, 6-2, 298 pounds

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Michigan

‘This Point Guard University:’ Jeremy Fears heaps praise on Michigan State after win

Published

10 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

‘This Point Guard University:’ Jeremy Fears heaps praise on Michigan State after win

MSU is PGU, at least if Jeremy Fears Jr. is to be believed.

Following a 16-assist performance in a win over Louisville in the second round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament, Fears had high praise for the Michigan State program in a court-side interview with CBS’ Tracy Wolfson.

“This Point Guard University,” Fears said with MSU’s Tom Izzo on his shoulder. “Coach (Tom Izzo) had great point guards before me and I’m just trying to keep it going, but overall it’s my teammates. You know teammates they making the shots, they doing the hard part I’m just getting them the ball.”

It’s true Michigan State has quite the point guard pedigree. While Magic Johnson is the quintessential college and professional point guard, Fears is developing a resume in his own right. His 16 assists were the most for a Spartan in a March Madness game in program history, and he became the first Big Ten player since Magic himself to have back-to-back double-digit assist games in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State will now gear up to play the winner of UConn and UCLA in the Sweet 16, with a bit of a break beforehand. Time will tell if the spirits of Denzel Valentine and Drew Neitzel will continue to guide him and the Spartans.

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Who is Jeremy Fears Jr.? What to know about Michigan State point guard

Published

22 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Who is Jeremy Fears Jr.? What to know about Michigan State point guard

There haven’t been many playmakers in college basketball better than Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. this season.

The Spartans’ 6-foot-2 point guard is second in the country in assists per game, only behind Purdue’s Braden Smith. Fears also entered the Men’s NCAA Tournament as one of the top guards in the 68-team field, and a reason why the Spartans are seen as a team that could make a deep run to the Final Four.

But his playmaking isn’t the only part of his game that has helped him earn a spot on the finalist list for the Wooden Award or be in the mix for the top player in the Big Ten. He’s also been able to impact games for the Spartans with his ability to score in all three levels.

Fears finished with seven points in Michigan State’s opening-round win over North Dakota State on Thursday, his seventh game this season in which he finished with single-digit points. He’ll look to improve that stat line on Saturday when the Spartans take on 6-seed Louisville in the second round of the East Region at 2:45 p.m. ET in Buffalo, New York.

Here’s what to know about Fears:

Jeremy Fears Jr stats

Here’s a breakdown of Fears’ stats this season at Michigan State:

2025-26: 15.7 points per game, 9.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals with a 44.5% field goal shooting percentage

Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of Fears’ stats in the Big Ten tournament:

Game 1 vs. UCLA (Quarterfinals): 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting with 13 assists, a rebound and a steal

Here’s a breakdown of Fears’ stats in March Madness:

Game 1 vs. North Dakota State (First Round): Seven points on 2-of-6 shooting with 11 assists and two rebounds

How old is Jeremy Fears Jr?

Jeremy Fears Jr. is 20 years old. He’ll turn 21 on April 19, 2026.

Is Jeremy Fears Jr a dirty player?

It really depends on who you ask and how you analyze Fears’ game.

Some notable examples of this include him kicking Minnesota’s Langston Reynolds in the groin, for which he received a technical foul for in a 76-73 loss, and being called out by Michigan coach Dusty May for “dangerous” plays in the first meeting between the two Big Ten rivals.

“I go out every game and I play hard. I don’t intentionally try to hurt anyone,” Fears said after Michigan State’s game at Minnesota back in February, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. “I go out and play every game like it’s my last, because at one point it was my last. So I don’t take a game for granted. I don’t take a moment for granted. So I’m going to go out there and play as hard as I can every possession, every game.

“Like at one point, I had basketball taken away from me, so something I love to do, I couldn’t do it for a whole year. So most people wouldn’t understand that. And that’s on them, I guess. At the end of the day, it doesn’t change who I am or what I do. I’m just go out there and play 150(%) no matter what.”

Are Jeremy Fears Jr and Jeremiah Fears related?

Yes, the Michigan State point guard is the brother of now New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, who was a one-and-done at Oklahoma. Jeremiah Fears was drafted by the Pelicans with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

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Battle of the bigs could be at center of Michigan-Saint Louis clash

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Battle of the bigs could be at center of Michigan-Saint Louis clash

Billikens coach Josh Schertz called the Wolverines the best team in the country.

Buffalo, N.Y. — It’s no secret that stretch bigs have given Michigan problems this season.

And it’s no secret that Saint Louis runs a five-out offense with one of the premier shooting big men in the country in Robbie Avila, who sports goggles and has an endless supply of color nicknames.

When push comes to shove in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament second-round matchup at KeyBank Center, the battle between the centers could be at the center of determining who secures a spot in the Sweet 16.

“We’ve learned that against pick-and-pop bigs, if you allow a direct pass, they’re going to shoot about 25% to 30% better. If they make one or two, you need to be prepared to go to your contingency plans quicker than usual,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “We’ve played this defensive philosophy for several years, so we know what can beat it on a given night. We know what the holes in the defense are. But it’s just like everything else, there’s a give and take.

“We’ve got to be OK giving up what we’re going to give up. And if we feel like that’s not going to put us in a position to win, we’ve got to be adaptable enough to pivot and change it on the fly. But that’s kind of where each game is a little bit different. You take all this information and try to predict what’s going to happen, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

The 6-foot-10 Avila — who has monikers like “Cream Abdul-Jabbar,” “Larry Nerd” and “Milk Chamberlain” — has been a long-range threat throughout his college career, from his time at Indiana State to his two seasons at Saint Louis.

But he’s as dangerous as ever as a trailer and pick-and-pop option, knocking down a career-best 63 3-pointers at a career-high 41.7% clip. That, according to May, has added “a whole other element” to his game and certainly has Michigan’s attention.

It also creates defensive predicament for the Wolverines, with big man Aday Mara, the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year and top shot blocker, possibly being pulled away from the rim at times against a Saint Louis team that was cutting and getting to the rim at will in its 102-77 obliteration of Georgia in the first round.

“I think I can guard outside, too,” Mara said. “It’s going to be a tough matchup, because how talented he is, he can do everything. I just got to be ready for everything.

“I like the way he plays, because he reminds me a little bit of me. I think we have similar style of game. I like to see another big being able to create and pass the ball. It’s fun to watch him.”

Maybe not as fun to defend him, though. Forward Morez Johnson Jr. has experience with that, crossing paths with Avila as the two grew up in the same area in Illinois.

“I’ve been knowing Robbie forever. Robbie can pretty much do everything,” Johnson said. “But I think we’ve played a lot of good frontcourt players.”

Stretch bigs gave Michigan’s defense fits in both games against Wisconsin. In the first meeting, the Wolverines played the percentages and didn’t guard 6-10 forward Aleksas Bieliauskas out on the 3-point line. They ended up paying a price.

Bieliauskas, who entered that matchup shooting 29.6% from deep (8-for-27) and with one 3-pointer in the previous five games, burned Michigan with a season-high five 3-pointers. Combined with 6-11 forward Nolan Winter, a 30.2% 3-point shooter on the season at that point, the two made nine of Wisconsin’s 15 3-pointers in an upset and handed Michigan its only Big Ten loss during the regular season.

In the rematch between the teams in the Big Ten tournament semifinals, Wisconsin’s bigs once again were a thorn in Michigan’s side. Bieliauskas hit three 3-pointers, but this time it was 6-10 Austin Rapp who went nuclear. Rapp tied his career high with six 3s, all coming in the final 9:26 and many of those coming on drive and kicks.

There were several lessons to take from those experiences. May, for starters, said Michigan needs to do a better job of challenging passes, being prepared to rotate or switch depending on the game plan, and disrupting the opponent’s timing and rhythm.

Forward Yaxel Lendeborg cited giving Mara more help when he’s in off-ball defense and fanning out when he’s on ball to force the ball handler away from the middle of the court.

Forward Will Tschetter, Johnson and Mara all pointed to the importance of guarding the ball and not giving Saint Louis — a team that ranks in the top 10 in both 2-point shooting and 3-point shooting, with five players shooting at least 40% from 3-point range — any advantages on dribble drives.

“After you overhelp, there’s going to be players wide open for 3,” Mara said. “I think if we do a better one-on-one defense, that is not going to happen. I’m not going to need to maybe help the rim, so they’re not going to find those wide-open shooters. By doing that and being quicker when they get the ball to be there with one hand up, those things are very important.”

It all has the makings for an intriguing chess match between Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz and May, who are close friends that talk weekly and often share ideas.

Schertz called the Wolverines the best team in the country, with their elite talent, their ability to hurt teams in different ways on offense and their knack to make things hard for opponents defensively.

Michigan has a unique team with its frontcourt size across the board. Saint Louis is unique because its offense revolves around Avila rather than a traditional point guard.

The key question is who is going to guard Avila?

“Is it Mara, is it Johnson, is it Yax? Where do they put Mara?” Schertz said. “The thing with Robbie is he can find mismatches and he does a good job of triggering a layering offense. His ability to provide spacing, he’s obviously an incredible shooter and passer. He’ll be a focal point for us, regardless. He always is.

“I think (Avila’s) ability to provide horizontal spacing, take bigs away from the basket, opens up driving and cutting lanes, and we’ll need all of that. … We’ll need the best version of him and everybody else against Michigan.”

The same could be said for the Wolverines, who will need to be on top of their game defensively and find an answer to a problem they’ve struggled with at times.

“(Avila) is like the hub. Everything runs through him,” guard Nimari Burnett said. “At the same time, they all play well off each other. He’s a big part of what they do, and we look forward to the challenge.”