The Michigan Wolverines and Iowa Hawkeyes will do battle in the 2023 Big Ten Championship game on Saturday in Indianapolis, IN. The clash will result in the confluence of many 2024 NFL Draft prospects. The Wolverines are stronger there, but there are still prospects to watch on both sides.
Big Ten Championship Prospect Preview
Michigan is the heavy favorite to win the Big Ten Championship game, and it’s easy to see why with the talent base they have at their disposal.
The Wolverines have more than one potential first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, several more potential first-round talents in the 2025 class, and a slew of future NFL players dotting the roster.
Meanwhile, Iowa’s roster is strong on the defensive side of the ball, but the Hawkeyes will be without their top 2024 NFL Draft prospect, CB Cooper DeJean.
Michigan Wolverines 2024 NFL Draft Prospects
J.J. McCarthy, QB
Statistically, J.J. McCarthy‘s 2023 campaign hasn’t been a major step up from what was an already solid 2022 season. Still, McCarthy has flashed important growth in a few key areas — namely pocket navigation, poise, vision, anticipation, and decision-making.
The biggest test for McCarthy, in the eyes of evaluators, remains ahead. Can he take charge in leading Michigan to a National Championship? It starts with the Big Ten title game, but McCarthy has the arm talent and playmaking ability to elevate his team.
Blake Corum, RB
There’s no other way to describe Blake Corum‘s career at Michigan than legendary. He has 3,468 yards and 53 touchdowns on 619 carries, accumulated over three-and-a-half seasons. He’s been a primary engine for the team’s success and is a legitimate prospect.
At 5’8″ and 213 pounds, Corum is a rocked-up runner with a low center of gravity. Although he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie, he has the explosive athleticism, tenacity, and vision between the tackles to be a quality rotational addition on day one.
Roman Wilson, WR
Roman Wilson doesn’t quite have the universal volume that the top receiver prospects have, but few can rival his touchdown percentage. With 11 scores on just 40 catches, he finds the end zone at an extremely high clip, and his mode of success is very translatable.
At 6’0″, 192 pounds, Wilson plays with a kind of wiry strength and steely resolve in congested situations, but he also has the searing speed and flexibility to separate at all levels. That testing athleticism will win over NFL teams this offseason.
Kris Jenkins, DT
The statistical breakout hasn’t come like many thought it would in 2023, but Kris Jenkins has still been a stalwart part of Michigan’s interior defensive line. The 6’3″, 305-pound lineman, who is the son of an NFL All-Pro of the same name, very clearly has the tools.
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Watchlist
Jenkins’ strength at the point of attack is what stands out most often on his tape. He can be an eraser for gaps in the running game, but he also flashes the necessary burst, twitch, flexibility, and upper-body torque to rush the passer and make QBs uncomfortable.
Rod Moore, S
The world learned who Rod Moore was when he caught the game-winning interception against Ohio State in The Game last week. But the truth is, Moore has been a solid player and a future NFL prospect since he stepped foot on Michigan’s campus in 2021.
Though Moore is a bit lighter than preferred, he’s an explosive and elastic defensive back who can pedal in space and manage zones, man up receivers in the slot, and play in support with his closing speed and physicality.
Other Michigan NFL Draft Prospects
- Will Johnson, CB (2025)
- Kenneth Grant, DT (2025)
- Mason Graham, DT (2025)
- Colston Loveland, TE (2025)
- Derrick Moore, EDGE (2025)
- Donovan Edwards, RB
- LaDarius Henderson, OT
- Mike Sainristil, CB
- Junior Colson, LB
- Josh Wallace, CB
- Cornelius Johnson, WR
- Drake Nugent, C
- Trevor Keegan, G
Iowa Hawkeyes 2024 NFL Draft Prospects
Cooper DeJean, CB
As mentioned earlier, DeJean will not be playing in the Big Ten Championship game. He recently suffered a season-ending leg injury in practice. Still, he’s a prospect we must list simply because of how highly rated he is in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
DeJean is far and away the Hawkeyes’ top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he’s one of the most versatile and instinctive playmakers on the circuit. His absence should be very noticeable against a loaded Michigan roster.
Yahya Black, DT
It’s not a guarantee that Yahya Black will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, with him being just a fourth-year junior. But if he does, his testing and measurables could feasibly earn him some early-round consideration late in the process.
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
At 6’5″, 315 pounds, Black has an elite combination of initial first-step explosiveness and power capacity — the latter of which is afforded to him by his overwhelming length and frame density. He has 2.5 sacks and four TFLs heading into the title game.
Sebastian Castro, DB
There are a number of underrated nickel DB prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, and two of them will be playing in the Big Ten Championship game. On Michigan’s sideline, Mike Sainristil is a future NFL slot defender, and Iowa’s Sebastian Castro holds the same distinction.
In a career-best season, the 5’11”, 205-pound Castro has amassed 52 tackles, eight TFLs, a sack, three picks, and seven pass deflections. At his size, he’s fluid and explosive enough to play in space, strong enough to play in support, and his route identification skills are sharp.
Jermari Harris, CB
DeJean is the Hawkeyes’ headliner in the secondary, but that position group won’t be completely sparse with him out due to injury. On the other side of the field, Jermari Harris has quietly been very good in 2023 after missing all of 2022 with an injury.
At 6’1″ and 190 pounds, Harris has intriguing length and athleticism, and his playmaking ability has returned to the forefront in 2023. He had four picks in 2021, and this year, he has a pick and eight pass deflections heading into Conference Championship weekend.
Logan Jones, C
As of this writing, Logan Jones is questionable for the Big 10 title game with an undisclosed injury. If he’s able to go, this will be a major test for Jones, who’s a fringe 2024 NFL Draft prospect as a redshirt junior at one of the more consistently scarce positions.
For Jones, consistency remains elusive, but the 6’3″, 290-pound blocker is undoubtedly a top-end physical talent. Per Feldman’s Freaks, he holds the Iowa program record for the heaviest squat at 700 pounds. Kris Jenkins and Co. will test his on-field strength.
Other Iowa NFL Draft Prospects
- Xavier Nwankpa, S (2025)
- Kaleb Johnson, RB (2025)
- Deontae Craig, EDGE
- Logan Lee, DT
- Nico Ragaini, WR
- Nick Jackson, LB
- Jay Higgins, LB
- Joe Evans, EDGE