Michigan
5 Michigan players ranked among ESPN’s top 100 in college football
Michigan lost a program-record 13 players to the NFL draft this year, but the cupboards are far from bare in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines have several key contributors returning as they begin their national title defense – contributors who are considered top talent in all of college football. ESPN released its rankings of the top 100 players for the 2024 season, and five Wolverines cracked the list: junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant (No. 75), senior running back Donovan Edwards (No. 72), junior tight end Colston Loveland (No. 26), junior cornerback Will Johnson (No. 4) and junior defensive tackle Mason Graham (No. 2).
Michigan’s five players was second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State, although the Buckeyes didn’t have anyone in the top 10. No other Big Ten players made the top 10, which was headlined by Tennessee defensive end James Pierce Jr. at No. 1. The rankings were determined by a panel of ESPN experts.
Johnson, Graham and Loveland’s rankings are no surprise given their high ceilings after stellar sophomore seasons. All three are widely projected first-round picks in 2025.
Graham’s stat line in 2023 might not have been eye-popping – 35 tackles and three sacks – but he was a gap-plugging fixture in the middle of the defense.
“The 320-pound Graham is back to anchor the inside of a revamped but still talented Michigan defense that lost several players to the NFL draft,” ESPN wrote. “Graham, a second-team All-American last year, had 7.5 tackles for loss on a Michigan defense that led the nation in defensive EPA.”
He and Grant have the potential to be the most imposing defensive tackle duo in the country this season. The 6-foot-3, 339-pounder is No. 3 on Bruce Feldman’s annual “freaks” list for clocking a sub-5.0 in the 40-yard dash, maxing out at 18.75 mph on the GPS and pressing an 115-pound dumbbell 34 times on his right and 27 times on his left.
“In his second season at Michigan, Grant quickly became not just one of the defensive stalwarts of a stout defense but one of the most physically imposing players in the country,” ESPN wrote. “Grant tallied 16 solo tackles and 3.5 sacks, including a key one in the national championship game. Going into his third season, the sky seems to be the limit for a player ready to once again showcase his talent and unique physicality.”
Johnson was a five-star recruit out of Grosse Pointe South High and his lived up to the billing.
“A consensus All-Big Ten performer, Johnson had four interceptions last year, including a pick on the first play of the second half in Michigan’s national title victory over Washington,” ESPN wrote. “Opposing QBs had a QBR of just 4.3 (scale of 0-to-100) targeting Johnson last year, easily the lowest score for Big Ten DBs.”
Loveland was a first-team all-Big Ten selection last season and should have an even larger role in 2024. With the team losing its top two receivers in Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, the former four-star recruit from Idaho could be Michigan’s top target in the passing game this season.
“Now that Brock Bowers is playing in the NFL, Loveland takes his rightful place as the premier tight end in college football, especially with his skills as both a receiver and blocker,” ESPN wrote. “The 6-5, 245-pound junior is incredibly athletic and finished third on Michigan’s national championship team last season with 45 catches, averaging 14.4 yards per catch.
Edwards had a lackluster junior season in a supplementary role behind Blake Corum, but he has home run potential in the open field – both as a receiver and runner.
“After three years of playing behind standout backs Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, Edwards gets his chance to be Michigan’s lead back,” ESPN wrote. “The timing couldn’t be better as he’s on the cover of the College Football 25 video game. Edwards showcased his speed late in 2022 when he had 520 rushing yards on only 70 carries in Michigan’s final three games.”
Michigan opens the season Aug. 31 against Fresno State. View ESPN’s full top 100 here.
Michigan
This is Michigan’s favorite pie, according to grocery shopping data
Guy Fieri creates the Apple Pie Hot Dog
Guy Fieri created a an Apple Pie Hot Dog marrying Chevy’s iconic “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet” slogan.
USA TODAY NETWORK
There’s nothing like warm apple pie.
Holiday Calendar sought to determine the most popular pie by each state, and found that Michiganders, like 14 other states, love apple pie the most.
The website analyzed the grocery shopping data of 12 million Americans and surveyed 4,500 people in 15 states to fill in the gaps in their favorite pie flavors.
Michigan apple harvest guide: When to get your favorite kind
The top vote-getter however, was pecan pie, with 15 states loving it the most, including our fair neighbors to the south (Ohio). Pecan pie didn’t even crack our Top 5.
Michigan’s favorite pies
Michigan
Michigan 3-year-old left in car while father shops dies
VICKSBURG, Mich. – A 3-year-old boy died in Western Michigan after being left in a vehicle while his father shopped in a store.
It happened Tuesday, Aug. 13, in Vicksburg, a suburb of Kalamazoo.
The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office said the boy was found in an SUV in the parking lot of a supermarket his father stopped in after work. Authorities believe the death could have been heat-related as the temperature in Vicksburg reached the mid-80s Tuesday.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the inside of a vehicle can rise 20 degrees in 10 minutes and rise 30 degrees in 20 minutes.
It’s illegal in Michigan for someone who is caring for a child 6 years old or younger to leave the child unattended in a vehicle for a period of time or under circumstances that pose “unreasonable risk of harm or injury.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2024 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Michigan
Rite Aid confirms its closing all stores in Michigan
(CBS DETROIT) — Rite Aid confirmed that it is closing all of its Michigan stores are closing after filing for bankruptcy.
The company filed bankruptcy in 2023 after struggling over recent years amid opioid lawsuits. In 2022, the company settled for up to $30 million after its pharmacies were accused of contributing to an oversupply of prescription opioids.
Rite Aid said it has been plagued by high rent costs for underperforming stores, noting that the company closed more than 200 struggling locations in recent years.
In response, the company announced store closures over the last year. The latest closure will impact more than 170 stores in Michigan.
A notice of additional closures was filed in June in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of New Jersey. The filing included 27 more stores in Michigan and Ohio, five of which are in Metro Detroit.
Rite Aid previously announced 19 other stores closing in the state last year and 12 additional stores.
-
News1 week ago
The ‘Blue Walz’: How a low-key Midwestern governor shot to the top to be Harris’ VP pick | CNN Politics
-
News1 week ago
Kamala Harris holding rally in Pennsylvania to introduce running mate after securing Democratic nomination
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Minmini Movie Review: A soothing and understated film with characters to root for
-
Culture1 week ago
If that was it for Simone Biles' Olympic career, let's all appreciate what we just saw
-
World1 week ago
Venezuela launches probe against opposition leaders Gonzalez, Machado
-
World1 week ago
The day after in Dhaka
-
World1 week ago
Ex-Catalan leader Puigdemont headed back to Spain despite fear of arrest
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
‘Confession’ Review: A Live-Action Manga Adaptation Crams Maximum Menace Into One Cabin