2025 Mock NFL Draft

 

Colston Loveland

Most years I like to take a stab at a mock NFL draft. Everybody else is doing it, so why not me? This draft should be particularly interesting for Michigan fans, because the program could set a school record with four (4!!!) first round picks in the form of Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, and Colston Loveland (in no particular order other than alphabetical).

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward - QB - Miami
Why? He seems to be the consensus choice here, and Tennessee has all but announced the pick already.

2. Cleveland Browns: Travis Hunter - CB/WR - Colorado
Why? Cleveland needs a lot of help, but there are no quarterbacks worth taking here. Hunter fills a couple holes. Personally, I think he should be a cornerback and moonlight at wide receiver, because it's easier to find good receivers than it is to find elite corners. It's also tough to mostly be a wide receiver and then be ready for whatever a defense throws at you if you're only a part-time cornerback. If you have special packages on offense, the offense gets to dictate how and when that package is used, instead of the other way around.

3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter - DE - Penn State
Why? I actually don't love this pick here because I don't see it as a huge need for the Giants, but they get a chance to pick a player who some people think is the best player in the draft (or second best behind Hunter). In some ways, it could be a good "value" pick even though it's still a top-three choice.

Hit the jump for more.

2026 Recruiting Update: April 22, 2025

 

Princeton transfer running back John Volker (image via Rivals)

COMMITMENTS

Michigan picked up commitments from a few transfer portal targets this past week:

• Missouri punter Luke Bauer (LINK)
• UMass running back C.J. Hester (LINK)
• Princeton running back John Volker (LINK)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Jeffar Jean-Noel (3-star, #149 WR, #948 overall) decommitted from West Virginia.

Hit the jump for more.

John Volker, Wolverine

 

John Volker (image via Rivals)

Princeton transfer running back John Volker committed to Michigan on Monday morning. Volker visited Michigan toward the end of last week.

Volker is listed at 6'0", 215 lbs. and was a captain for the Tigers. As a redshirt junior in 2024, he ran for 514 yards and 6 touchdowns. Altogether, he played in 29 games at Princeton with 245 carries for 1,183 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 273 yards and 2 touchdowns. (Oddly, both career touchdowns came as a freshman, when he had his lowest receiving output with 4 catches for 96 yards.)

Hit the jump for more.

C.J. Hester, Wolverine

 

C.J. Hester (image via On3)

UMass transfer running back C.J. Hester committed to Michigan on Saturday. He had visited for the spring game.

Hester is listed at 5'11" and 195 lbs. As a freshman at Western Michigan in 2023, he ran 29 times for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns in seven games. He then transferred to UMass in 2024, ranking as the team's second leading rusher with 119 carries for 529 yards and 4 scores across eleven games. Coming out of Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming in 2023, he was a 247 Composite 3-star, the #113 running back, and #1702 overall.

I think Hester's size is exaggerated; he's probably closer to 5'9" than 5'11". And I don't think he's 195 pounds, or at least he wasn't during the 2024 season. But he does run tough. His numbers aren't great, but he was playing for UMass, one of the worst FBS teams. There are several highlights of him running through tackles and fighting for extra yardage, and that's a step up in a way from the type of tackle-breaking ability Donovan Edwards showed over the past few seasons. That's not to say that Hester is a better overall running back, but at least Hester has the ability to fight through tackles. Hester also has a little bit of wiggle and a little bit of quickness, but he's not going to be a breakaway threat like Edwards.

Overall, Hester is a notch below Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes, and that's probably the best Michigan can hope for from someone committing from the portal at this point in the cycle. Michigan has Marshall and Haynes and then a bunch of unproven players, including redshirt freshman Micah Ka'apana and a couple freshmen.

Hester would be the only player other than Jibreel Black, who finished his college career in 2013, to play for Michigan out of Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming.

Luke Bauer, Wolverine

 

Luke Bauer (image via ESPN)

Michigan landed a punter in the transfer portal in the form of former Missouri punter Luke Bauer.

Bauer is a 6'5", 207 lb. former walk-on who joined the Missouri program in 2020, the COVID year exemption making it irrelevant for his eligibility. He then sat on the bench in 2021 and 2022 before becoming the starting punter in 2023 and 2024. He punted 49 times for 2,047 yards (41.8 yards/attempt) in 2024 and punted 22 times for 927 yards (42.1 yards/attempt) in 2023. In addition, he completed a pass on a fake punt against Kentucky in 2023, resulting in a 39-yard touchdown.

Michigan needed to replace former starting punter Tommy Doman, who transferred to Florida this off-season. The move to Bauer seems to be a downgrade, but we'll see; he may not even win the starting job, since Mississippi State transfer Hudson Hollenbeck looked solid in the bowl game against Alabama, punting 6 times and averaging 46.2 yards/attempt. Doman averaged 42.6 yards/attempt last year, down from 44.3 in 2023.

Michigan now has options at punter, at least. The potential roster limits might make it difficult to carry several potential punting options, but word coming out of bowl practices and spring ball was that tight end Marlin Klein was the backup punter to Hollenbeck. Obviously, relying on your starting tight end to be a backup punter is fraught with issues, including fatigue, injury, etc.

Bauer would be the first player to play for Michigan from St. Louis (MO) DeSmet since 1980.

2025 Spring Game Visitors

 

Newbury Park (CA) Newbury Park QB Brady Smigiel (image via SI/Rene Morales)

2026

Khary Adams - CB - Towson (MD) Loyola Blakefield: Adams is a 6'2", 175-pounder with officials planned for Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, and South Carolina. He's a 4-star, the #10 cornerback, and #76 overall.

J.J. Finch - DT - Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central: Finch is a 6'3", 260 lb. prospect who's the son of former Michigan commit Jerimy Finch, a safety who played for Florida and Indiana. The younger Finch is a 3-star, the #43 defensive lineman, and #435 overall. Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee are slated to get official visits, and Michigan is trying to join that list.

Brody Jennings - CB - Jacksonville (FL) Mandarin: Jennings is committed to Michigan. He's a 4-star, the #23 cornerback, and #269 overall.

Hit the jump for more.

Ja'Den McBurrows, Ex-Wolverine

 

Ja'Den McBurrows

Fifth year senior defensive back Ja'Den McBurrows has decided to enter the transfer portal for his final season.

McBurrows is listed at 5'11" and 194 lbs. on Michigan's roster. He played four games as a freshman in 2021 and then missed 2022 with an ACL injury. He played in fifteen games in 2023 and 2024, totaling nineteen appearances throughout his career. McBurrows was also involved in the infamous tunnel brawl with Michigan State when he tried to help fellow defensive back Gemon Green.

At various times in his career, McBurrows has been thought to be a key contributor, especially at the nickel position. However, injuries and the performances of other players have prevented him from being a major factor. Last year the nickel spot was won by Zeke Berry initially, and then safety Makari Paige won the role during the second half of the year when Berry moved to outside corner. That was probably McBurrows's best chance to play significant moments, but his season ended due to injury after the first four games.

McBurrows has one season of eligibility remaining (though with his injury history, he could eventually apply for a sixth year and would probably get it). Overall, he made 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, and 1 interception in his career at Michigan, and that one pick came against the dastardly MSU Spartans in 2023, a year after they attacked him in the tunnel.