In honor of the College Football Playoff, Sports Illustrated is naming the all-time team for three of the sport’s historic programs. Before Michigan clashes with TCU in Saturday’s semifinal, let’s look back at its best players at every position. The greatest Wolverines ever include battle-tested tough guys, athletes of historic versatility and the only defensive player to ever win the Heisman trophy.
Offense:
QB Denard Robinson (2009 to ’12)
RB Tom Harmon (1938 to’40)
RB Willie Heston (1901 to ’04)
WR Anthony Carter (1979 to ’82)
WR Desmond Howard (1989 to ’91)
E Bennie Oosterbaan (1925 to ’27)
OL Taylor Lewan (2010 to ’13)
OL Dan Dierdorf (1968 to ’70)
OL Jumbo Elliott (1984 to ’87)
OL Steve Hutchinson (1997 to 2000)
OL Jake Long (2004 to ’07)
Defense:
DL Curtis Greer (1976 to ’79)
DL Chris Hutchinson (1989 to ’92)
DL Mark Messner (1985 to ’88)
DL LaMarr Woodley (2003 to ’06)
LB Erick Anderson (1988 to ’91)
LB Devin Bush (2016 to ’18)
LB Ron Simpkins (1976 to ’79)
DB Dave Brown (1972 to ’74)
DB Jabrill Peppers (2014 to ’16)
DB Tripp Welborne (1987 to ’90)
DB Charles Woodson (1995 to ’97
Special Teams:
K Remy Hamilton (1994 to ’96)
P Monte Robbins (1984 to ’87)
KR-PR Steve Breaston (2003 to ’06)
Coach:
Bo Schembechler (1969 to ’89)
Roster Highlights:
Coach: Bo Schembechler
In his 21 seasons at the helm, Michigan won or shared 13 Big Ten championships, and his teams went 194-48-5.
Quarterback: Denard Robinson
The electric dual threat known as Shoelace threw for 49 touchdowns and ran for 42 more. Robinson holds NCAA records for rushing yards by a QB in a season (1,702) and in a career (4,495).
Running Back: Willie Heston
Standing only 5’8“, the two-time All-American had 72 career touchdowns. Heston ran for 170 yards in the inaugural Rose Bowl, a game record that stood for 57 years.
Wide Receiver: Anthony Carter
Despite playing in a run-first offense, Carter had 37 career touchdowns and 161 receptions for an average of 19.1 yards, and was a three-time All-American.
Wide Receiver: Desmond Howard
In 1991, Howard captured 86.7% of the first-place Heisman votes after he scored 22 touchdowns, including one on a punt return that he punctuated with the Heisman pose in Ohio State’s end zone.
Offensive Line: Dan Dierdorf
An All-American his senior season, the right tackle (72) dominated for the Wolverines as he would in the NFL, making both the college and the pro football halls of fame.
Offensive Line: Taylor Lewan
The two-time All-American was a stalwart at left tackle from his early days in the Big House, starting 48 games over his four seasons.
Linebacker: Devin Bush
Few covered ground with the swift ferocity of Bush, a 2018 consensus All-American who finished his career with 194 tackles, 19 1⁄2 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.
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Linebacker: Erick Anderson
He led Michigan in tackles for four seasons, and his teams won at least a share of the Big Ten title each of the three years he and Hutchinson played together.
Defensive Line: Chris Hutchinson
Hutchinson—father of Aidan, who also wore 97 for Michigan this year— was at his best as a senior, when he had 11 sacks and was named Big Ten Lineman of the Year.
Defensive Line: LaMarr Woodley
In 2006, Woodley had 12 sacks, led the country’s top run defense and became the only Wolverine to win both the
Defensive Back: Charles Woodson
The only primarily defensive player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Woodson had 18 career interceptions as a cornerback while also contributing as a WR, averaging 17.6 yards on 21 catches.
Defensive Back: Jabrill Peppers
A rare talent who lined up as a safety and a linebacker and also returned kicks, he won the Paul Hornung Award in 2016 for his versatility and finished fifth in Heisman voting.
