Ranking the top 5 Michigan cornerbacks from the Jim Harbaugh era

Jim Harbaugh coached a successful tenure with Michigan from 2015-2023 before heading back to the NFL. While Harbaugh is now with the Los Angeles Chargers, Wolverine fans will always remember what Harbaugh did for Michigan and what he did to bring the Wolverines back to a perennial power.

Going back to 2015, another position that always had studs was at corner. Michigan has had so many great corners under Jim Harbaugh that it was quite difficult only ranking five, but that’s the task I was set out to do.

Career stats: 133 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, one sack, six interceptions, one touchdown, 39 pass deflections, and one forced fumble

Jourdan Lewis isn’t only the best cornerback under Jim Harbaugh, but he’s one of the best to play the position in Ann Arbor. His stats and accolades all speak for itself. Lewis was a two-time All-American, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, and he was the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2016.

Lewis was a true Michigan man after he chose to come back his senior season when he could’ve left for the NFL Draft after a great junior season. He was able to do things others couldn’t — like his interception to beat Wisconsin.

Career stats: 108 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, three sacks, seven interceptions, two touchdowns, 13 pass deflections, and two forced fumbles

Mike Sainristil was a five-year Michigan man, but he only played corner for two seasons. He started his career at wide receiver before Jim Harbaugh moved him over to nickel. If you just tuned into Michigan football in 2022, you would’ve believed Sainristil was a lifelong corner.

In his two years as a corner, Sainristil was a two-time All-Big Ten selection, an All-American in 2023, and finished his career tied for the single-season (2023) and career lead in interceptions returned for a touchdown (2).

Career stats: 54 tackles, three TFLs, seven interceptions, one touchdown, and seven pass deflections

Will Johnson is bound to move up this list by next year if his junior season is anything like his first two. In his two seasons at Michigan, Johnson has started 16 games, shared Defensive Freshman of the Year, was an All-Big Ten selection, and was an All-American last year.

Johnson shut down both Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze in 2023 when Michigan faced Ohio State and Washington in the national title. Entering his junior season, Johnson is being viewed as a possible top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Career stats: 57 tackles, seven TFLs, six interceptions, two touchdowns, 23 pass deflections, and one fumble recovery

Hill was definitely one of the good ones and it’s hard ranking him this low, but that’s where we’re at. Hill stayed four years at Michigan and collected some valuables. He was an All-American in 2018, a three-time All-Big Ten selection, and he finished his career at Michigan tied for sixth in all-time pass breakups.

Hill could’ve left after his junior year with teammate David Long, but he chose to stay one more season in hopes of doing something big at Michigan. The Wolverines couldn’t muster that, but Hill still had one heck of a career.

Career stats: 38 tackles, two TFLs, 0.5 sacks, three interceptions, and 14 pass deflections

David Long left after his junior season, and he was viewed as the top Michigan corner during his junior campaign. During his time at Michigan, Long was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. He played in 30 games while starting in 26 of those.

Long was a part of that great cornerback duo with Lavert Hill. The Wolverines have had quite a few of those great duos, and Long-Hill is one of the better ones.

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