College Football

Jim Harbaugh predicts Michigan will have record number of players drafted in 2024

Published Jul. 31, 2023 7:05 p.m. ET

Jim Harbaugh is no stranger to making headlines.

Just last week, reports surfaced that Michigan’s head coach will likely be suspended for the first four games of the 2023 college football season as part of a negotiated punishment with the NCAA for making false statements to investigators.

That news came ahead of Big Ten media days, where Harbaugh delivered a quote that set social media ablaze, calling Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy a "once-in-a-generational type of quarterback."

Harbaugh is once again back in the media cycle this week, thanks to a quote he had when speaking to FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman.

When discussing whether this year’s Michigan team is talented enough to win a national championship, Harbaugh had the following to say:

"I think we’ll have 20 guys picked (in the next NFL Draft)," Harbaugh told Feldman. "I bet we break that (draft) record. (Georgia) had 15 that year."

Georgia does indeed hold the record for the most players drafted since the NFL Draft moved to seven rounds in 1994. Before that, the University of Texas held the record, as the Longhorns had 17 players selected back in 1984.

Harbaugh went on to mention several players who he believes could be drafted next year, which included Trevor Keegan, Drake Nugent, Zach Zinter, Trente Jones, Karsen Barnhart, Myles Hinton, LaDarius Henderson, Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, AJ Barner, and of course, McCarthy.

After back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff, both of which resulted in losses in the semifinal round, Harbaugh and the Wolverines will be looking to get over that hump and deliver Michigan its first national title since 1997.

The team enters the 2023 campaign with a "championship or bust" mentality, which Corum shared with FOX Sports’ Michael Cohen in the following story.

"I have high standards, so yeah, it’s win or bust," Corum said. "I think the guys know that, but we don’t have to say anything. We know what it is. Talk is cheap."

The Wolverines will open their season on Sept. 2 against East Carolina.

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