michigan won the national championship Monday night with a 34-13 decision. Washington. Here we take a look at how the five past winners stack up among the Wolverines vs. starters in terms of starter rankings.
Michigan State (2023 National Champion)
5 stars (1): Will Johnson
4 stars (11): JJ McCarthy, Blake Collum, Colston Loveland, Cornelius Johnson, Carsen Barnhart, Trente Jones, Trevor Keegan, Makari Page, Brayden McGregor, Mason Graham, Junior Colson.
3 stars (9): AJ Varner, Roman Wilson, Drake Nugent, LaDarius Henderson, Mike Sainristil, Rod Moore, Jalen Harrell, Kris Jenkins Jr., Michael Barrett.
2 stars (1): Josh Wallace
overview: Whether it's to the University of Michigan's credit or just missing out on the rankings, the Wolverines have had no five-star offensive players in their national championship-winning starters or multiple five-star players in at least the past six years. They were the only team without one.
cornerback Will Johnson He was the only five-star among Michigan's starters, but the three-star was overlooked. mike sainlistil It attracted attention with its convincing victory over Washington.4-star quarterback on offense JJ McCarthyrun back blake colum Many other people were also very important.
Current question: Should I coach? jim harbaugh Will he repeat next season or will he head back to the NFL?
*****
Georgia (2022 National Champion)
five stars (Five): Broderick Jones, Tate Rutledge, Amarius Mims, Darnell Washington, Kelly Ringo
4 stars (12): Marcus Romy, Cedric Van Plan, Brock Bowers, Kenny McIntosh, Nazir Stackhouse, Jalen Carter, Smail Mondon, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Robert Beal, Kamari Lassiter, Christopher Smith, Malachi.・Starks
3 stars (4): Ladd McConkie, Xavier Truss, Trammell Walsall, Javon Bullard
2 stars (1): stetson bennett
overview: The Bulldogs are down one five-star player from the 2023 championship team that won back-to-back national titles, but could add another first-rounder. broderick jones He was the 14th pick in April's NFL Draft, but now… Amarius Mims He is expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Georgia also had two fewer four-star starters in 2022 than it did in 2021, but again. jalen carter He wasn't a finalist, but he should have been selected as the ninth overall pick. malachi starks It was impressive and Brock Bowers It's elite.
*****
Georgia (2021 National Champion)
5 stars (6): Jamarie Sayre, Darnell Washington, Zamir White, Nolan Smith, Kelly Ringo, Derion Kendrick
4 stars (14): Adonai Mitchell, Jermaine Burton, Cedric Van Plan, Warren Erickson, Warren McClendon, Brock Bowers, Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Nakobe Dean, Kee Walker, William Poole III, Christopher Smith, Louis Cine
3 stars (1): Justin Shafer
2 stars (1): stetson bennett
overview: Georgia State got big contributions from a number of five-star players on this championship team that defeated Alabama 33-18; nolan smith He ended up being a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
4 stars Travon Walker He finished 34th in the U.S., just outside the five-star slot, but he was the first overall pick, so while he wasn't exactly an outlier, he should have been ranked higher. 4 stars Brock Bowers This is one of the best tight ends in recent memory and a virtual lock as a first round pick.
jordan davis The other was a four-star player who rose to prominence in Athens and eventually became a first-round pick. stetson bennett He was a two-star who bounced around early in his college career and then starred in Athens, something you wouldn't have predicted when he was in high school.
*****
Alabama (2020 National Champion)
5 stars (6): Alex Leatherwood, Evan Neal, Najee Harris, Dylan Moses, Will Anderson, Patrick Surtain
4 stars (12): DeVonta Smith, Slade Bolden, Emile Ekjor, Jon Metchie, Mac Jones, Christian Barmore, Brian Branch, Christian Harris, Kris Allen, Jordan Battle, DeMarco Hellums, Josh Jobe
3 stars (4): Deonte Brown, Chris Owens, Miller Forristall, DJ Dale
overview: The five-star players on this Alabama team were good in college, and all but a few were good. dylan moses They were considered hits from a ranking standpoint because they were first-round NFL draft picks.
Among the four stars on the Crimson Tide roster, there were two glaring mistakes. mac joneswho has struggled in the NFL recently, was the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft, so he should have earned five-star status. devonta smith In Tuscaloosa, he had 235 catches for 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns, won the Heisman Trophy, and played like an undeniable five-star. However, in high school, he was small and that was a concern.
*****
LSU (2019 National Champion)
5 stars (5): Terrace Marshall Jr., Tyler Shelvin, Jacob Phillips, Derek Stingley Jr., Jacoby Stevens
4 stars (11): Jamar Chase, Saadiq Charles, Austin Deculus, Thaddeus Moss, Glenn Logan, Rashard Lawrence, Damone Clark, Patrick Queen, K'Lavon Chaisson, Christian Fulton, Grant Delpit
3 stars (4): Adrian McGee, Damian Lewis, Joe Burrow, Clyde Edwards-Helaire
2 stars (2): Justin Jefferson, Lloyd Cushenberry
overview: A 42-25 decision against Clemson cemented the argument that this LSU team is the best in years, as the offense was unstoppable even under Ohio State's quarterback transfer. Joe Burrow3 stars, 4 stars jammer chasereceived a five-star review, but received one rating below. Terrace Marshall others.1st place overall derek stingley jr.led an equally loaded Tigers defense.
The misses were there too. justin jefferson A two-star prospect, he almost attended Nicholls State University due to academic issues, but later enrolled at LSU. Burrow was a three-star, but he didn't win the starting job with the Buckeyes until starring in Baton Rouge.
*****
Clemson (2018 National Champion)
5 stars (5): Tee Higgins, Trevor Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Tre Lamar, AJ Terrell
4 stars (8): Mitch Hiatt, John Simpson, Garrett Williams, Amari Rogers, Clelin Ferrell, Albert Huggins, Austin Bryant, Trayvon Mullen
3 stars (8): Justin Falcinelli, Gage Cervenka, Tremaine Ankam, Travis Etienne, Kendall Joseph, Isaiah Simmons, Kevon Wallace, Tanner Muse
2 stars (1): Hunter Renfroe
overview: Clemson defeated Alabama 44-16 in the championship game. trevor lawrence He threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Etienne I went to score two points.
There were also some big hits along the way, as Lawrence was the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 class and Higgins, Wilkins and others became stars on that team.with Etienne Isiah Simmons As much as they were stars at Clemson and are now in the NFL, they're definitely missed as three-stars. Who could have predicted the success of the two-star rated Renfroe?