COLUMN: Makari Paige's Michigan Man story now includes Captain

It's hard to even consider the 2020 season substantive, given the world we were living in, but those games happened, and what happened in them mattered for the players who played them.

Makari Paige's first collegiate game was a road game against Minnesota, with no fans in the stadium. Paige played 52 snaps in his first game. He missed a tackle and gave up two long receptions for first downs, but he was a freshman getting his feet wet in a season-opening win.

The season for Paige, the defense, and Michigan was about to take a bad turn.

Paige would play only 16 snaps in a loss to rivals Michigan State. Despite being favored by 24 points, the Wolverine secondary was picked apart by Rocky Lombardi. From Indiana on, Paige would play less snaps each week. He'd add two more tackles and two more missed tackles for the season. Paige had been thrown to the wolves in a very difficult situation.

Drastic changes came to Michigan 2021, Don Brown was out as defensive coordinator and in was a new NFL scheme with Ravens linebacker coach Mike Macdonald. Dax Hill, Brad Hawkins, RJ Moten, and a new freshman breakout star named Rod Moore would lead the safety room.

Paige played only 68 snaps that season, getting two tackles and allowing a 25 yard touchdown on the one pass play he was targeted. The West Bloomfield product was labeled a transfer candidate following that year, but his Michigan Man identity was being built.

A quiet player, who lets his work do the talking. Paige didn't let the rough start to his career push him out of Ann Arbor. He stayed and earned a starting job next to Rod Moore in 2022.

Paige played 485 snaps that year, getting 41 tackles with one sack, one interception and three pass breakups. At the end of the year, it was Moten who would transfer out.

2023 saw Moore and Paige return as starters and Paige's game went to another level. His stats were similar with 41 tackles, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery but Paige had become a sure tackler, missing only 3 on the season. Paige on gone from transfer candidate to All-B1G safety, quiet leader of the Michigan defense, National Champion, and potential NFL Draft pick.

Paige surprised some again when he chose to return to Ann Arbor for a fifth season also slated to start next to Rod Moore for a third straight season. Unfortantely, Moore tore his ACL in the spring, and now Paige's role was even bigger for the 2024 season.

Paige said he felt sick seeing Moore go down, but he understands he now must step up.

This week, Paige's Michigan Man story took another step as well, with both he and Moore named team captains for 2024.

“It’s a great honor, being a Michigan man," Paige told media on Thursday. "It’s one of the greatest honors you can get coming here, and it’s very important to look like that."

It's hard not to think about Jim Harbaugh's vision on adversity and how it builds the players at Michigan, and the team as a whole. Much like Michael Barrett before him, Paige was given early chances and struggled at times. Coaching changes, other players pushed them down the depth chart. And with a just to start over in the transfer portal, neither left. Instead they stayed, fought their way back up the depth chart, won starting jobs, and were named captains by their teammates.

Team 145 has the talent to challenge for a 4th straight Big Ten Championship, and make the College Football Playoff once again. What it is looking for is the leadership to get it there. In 2020, not many envisioned a scenario where Michigan would be defending National Champions. And I'm not sure anyone would have believed Makari Paige would be entering his third season as starter, a captain, and one of the leaders of Michigan Football.

But that's a Michigan Man story. Silencing doubters, betting on yourself, leading by example, staying. Because, those who stay will be champions. No matter what happens this season, Paige is forever a champion. He's forever a Michigan Man icon, the epitome of the mantra.

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