The mass exodus out of Ann Arbor continues as another Wolverine who won a national championship under Jim Harbaugh has announced his intention of following his former head coach into the NFL. Following the likes of teammates like tight end Colston Loveland, cornerback Will Johnson, and defensive tackle Mason Graham, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant has foregone his remaining college eligibility in order to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Grant made the announcement from his X account. 
As a four-star recruit out of Merrillville HS, Grant was ranked the eighth-best prospect coming out of Indiana. As is typical of top recruits coming out of the Midwest, Grant’s recruitment involved offers from lots of Big 10 schools, while the decision ultimately came down to Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan. Taking official visits to all three schools, the final visit he took to Ann Arbor ultimately swayed his decision, prompting a commitment two weeks later at the start of his senior year.
Coming into Michigan as a part of the same signing class as Loveland, Johnson, and Graham, Grant was the only one of the four who failed to make much of an impact as a true freshman. While he appeared in all 14 games like his teammates, he contributed very little as a depth piece, totaling only eight tackles.
In his sophomore season, Grant joined forces with Graham to form a formidable duo in the middle of the defensive front. Graham led the way with 36 tackles (eight for loss), three sacks, and a forced fumble, while Grant kept pace with 29 tackles (five for loss), 3.5 sacks, and an interception en route to a national championship title largely led by the Wolverines’ top scoring and top total defense in the nation.
Though Michigan’s defense wasn’t tops this year, the team still finished admirably at 21st in scoring defense and 14th in total defense, thanks to a rushing defense that ranked fourth. Graham continued to dominate in the middle with 45 tackles (seven for loss) and 3.5 sacks, while Grant continued to match his peer with 32 tackles (seven for loss) and three sacks. In both years, Grant also showed an irritating penchant for interrupting passing lanes, collecting five passes defensed in each season, as well.
While the consensus around draft analysts indicates that Graham is the superior draft prospect who is trending towards the top of the first round as the top defensive tackle across the board, Grant doesn’t rank far behind. ESPN’s Matt Miller slots Grant in as the fourth-best defensive tackle and the 19th-best prospect overall, giving him a first-round grade, as well. Miller’s peers at ESPN all seem to agree, with Mel Kiper and Jordan Reid also ranking him as the fourth defensive tackle and Field Yates ranking him fifth. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s midseason draft rankings are right in step with ESPN, ranking Grant as the fifth-best defensive tackle in the draft and the 25th-best prospect overall.
While Grant may be a little disappointed by continuing to play second fiddle to his classmate, Graham, that disappointment will be short-lived when he likely hears his name called shortly after on the first night of the draft. He’ll hope to be among a host of other names all hailing from Ann Arbor as part of a strong Wolverines 2025 draft class.
Late 1st early 2nd, would be great fit in Minny if he’s still there when they’re on the clock
Great fit unless he turns out to be another Michigan underachiever like Taco Charlton.