One of the unfortunate, if somewhat understandable, trends in modern college football is that some players choose to sit out bowl games, or even the end of their regular season, once teams have fallen out of contention. the competition.

In most cases, this is because players are trying to protect their health and their NFL Draft status. In more recent cases, players are leaving their current team and declaring their intention to enter the transfer portal.

Michigan has several players expected to be first selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, including tight end Colston Loveland and defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. However, both juniors recently stated, in no uncertain terms, that they will finish the 2024 season on the field with the Wolverines.

“I mean, we’re going to play, as long as we’re healthy and we’re feeling good, we’re going to play,” Loveland said. “Michigan has done so much for us – all of our boys, our brothers, our family, our coaches, they’re all still coaches and players. So why don’t we play? We have goals to achieve as a team and individually as well. So as long as I’m healthy, yes, I play.

One player Michigan hopes to get back this season is junior cornerback Will Johnson, who is also projected to be a first-round pick alongside Loveland. Johnson has missed each of the last three games with a lower-body injury, but there is optimism about returning to action after the Wolverines’ second bye this weekend.

“I could see both sides, maybe if you had an injury or something,” Loveland told reporters Tuesday. “But I feel like, for me and a lot of guys here, if you’re healthy and you can go out and play, we love football. We’ve been blessed by God to be able to play this game .(Our) families sacrifice so much, so why wouldn’t we play?

Loveland’s comments echo the sentiment Grant expressed to reporters just over a week ago.

“No, I’m not sitting idle,” Grant said on November 6. “I definitely want to go out and film big things. I don’t really know my draft status right now. I guess in the first round you could tell. But I mean, I don’t really pay attention to that genre of things.

Although Michigan’s 5-5 record falls far short of the standards and expectations this football program is holding itself to this season, it is clear from Loveland and Grant’s responses that the team-first culture still resides in Ann Arbor.

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