Looking back on the 2024 Michigan football season will be interesting in the future. Coming away with a major upset win over Ohio State and a win over Michigan State makes the 7-5 outcome sting a little less. It’s clear Michigan was working to overcome some offensive hurdles and struggled to use some of its best players in impactful ways. Also, breaking in a new defensive coordinator wasn’t as easy as many anticipated.

Guys like Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Colston Loveland and Kalel Mullings received major praise for their contributions this season, and rightly so. But today, we want to discuss the guys who don’t receive as much attention or recognition.

Here are the unsung heroes of 2024.

Marlin Klein, TE

Colston Loveland was fantastic this season, finishing with 56 catches, 582 total yards and five touchdowns. Klein didn’t finish the year with super impressive stats, a mere 101 yards on 12 catches, but he did step up when called on. He’ll be a player the Wolverines can look to next season and will help build out this offense under Chip Lindsey.

Peyton O’Leary, WR

Other wideouts made some good plays and scored touchdowns, but the player who seemed to give it his all every time he stepped on the field was O’Leary. He had a clutch catch against Ohio State, keeping the ball off the ground with his fingertips, and had some nice blocks throughout the season. Still, he only ended the year with nine catches, 95 yards and one touchdown.

Ernest Hausmann, LB

So much of Wink Martindale’s system seemed to depend on solid play from the linebackers, especially early on. While guys along the defensive line are rightfully getting a ton of credit, the play by Hausmann isn’t getting enough attention. He finished the year with 82 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception.

Rayshaun Benny, DL

Benny was trending up at the end of the 2023 season before getting hurt in the Rose Bowl. This year, he missed a few games but still performed well with 28 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

It’ll be tough to fill the shoes left by Mason Graham and likely Kenneth Grant, but if Benny can definitely help keep the defensive line in a good spot next season. Just look at his effort on Ohio State’s final play.

LaMar Morgan, Defensive Backs coach

For all the struggles talked about in Michigan’s secondary, LaMar Morgan is not getting enough credit for the way the defense performed down the stretch and without some of its best players. The preseason injury to Rod Moore was already a tough loss, but then Will Johnson, Jyaire Hill, Ja’Den McBurrows, and others all missed games because of injuries. It’s fair to say the secondary struggled at times, but the unit finished the season with 11 interceptions, including one from freshman Mason Curtis. The Wolverines turnover-prone offense put this defense in some tough positions, and LaMar Morgan did a lot to adjust and help his team get better as the season continued.

What do you think? Let us know your unsung heroes in the comments below!