6 key Michigan football players announce return for 2023 season

Wolverines bring back several starters from back-to-back Big Ten title teams

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – In the past week, six key Michigan football players have announced they will return for the 2023 season.

The Wolverines are coming off one of the best seasons in program history, winning 13 games for the first time, blowing out Ohio State, and earning a second-straight Big Ten championship.

With uncertainty once again surrounding Jim Harbaugh’s future plans, many of the team’s draft-eligible players have difficult decisions to make. Nobody would blame them for ending their college careers on a high note and moving on to the NFL.

But between Name, Image, and Likeness dollars and a draft class that’s still bloated by players who gained an extra year of eligibility in 2020, there’s a lot more going into these choices than just, “Do I feel ready to be a pro?”

A few Michigan players have declared for the draft already. Defensive linemen Mike Morris and Mazi Smith are moving on, as are defensive backs D.J. Turner and Gemon Green and tight end Luke Schoonmaker.

But the last week has also given the Wolverines some positive news.

It began last Monday (Jan. 9), when All-American running back Blake Corum announced his return on the Rich Eisen Show.

The importance of Corum’s return can’t be overstated. He was a threat to win the Heisman Trophy before suffering an injury against Illinois and finished the year with 1,463 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

But Corum wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without Michigan’s elite offensive line, and that line got two big boosts for 2023 when guards Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter announced their returns.

Zinter was a consensus All-Big Ten First Team honoree, and Keegan was a First Team selection by the coaches and a Second Team selection by the media.

Not only do Zinter and Keegan give Michigan one of the strongest starting lines in the nation, they also give the position critical depth with the likes of Trente Jones, Karsen Barnhart, Drake Nugent, Myles Hinton, and LaDarius Henderson battling for spots.

Wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, another offensive starter, is also staying in Ann Arbor for another year. While his pro opportunities might not have been as plentiful as those of Corum, Zinter, and Keegan, this is still an offseason victory for J.J. McCarthy and the passing game.

Johnson will be Michigan’s top returning receiver in terms of yardage, after catching 32 balls for 499 yards as a senior. He also led the team with six receiving touchdowns.

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