Michigan football star updates injury status ahead of Big Ten opener

Ahead of this weekend’s Big Ten opener against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Michigan football star safety Makari Paige gave an injury update. Over the first three weeks of the 2023 season, the Wolverines have been down (or limiting) a number of top players throughout the defensive backfield, including Rod Moore, Will Johnson, Makari Paige, and Amorion Walker. This weekend, it sounds like Paige is ready to make a full return, though it remains uncertain whether the others will be good to go.

Michigan football star Makari Paige updates injury status

Makari Paige — who was one of the top-graded defensive players in the Big Ten conference heading into the 2023 season — has been either out or questionable for every Michigan football game so far this year. With Big Ten games starting this weekend, when the undefeated Rutgers Scarlet Knights come to town, it appears that Paige is poised to make a full return. He says that the issue was a “small injury,” though did not dive deeper into that.

“I feel good now,” Makari Paige said, giving an injury update on Tuesday. “(I’m) Ready to go.”

Harbaugh returns for the Big Ten opener against Rutgers

Additionally, Makari Paige expressed his thoughts about the return of Jim Harbaugh, who has been suspended thus far in the year, and the team’s game-week preparation. Harbaugh — the Wolverines’ 9th-year head coach — will be coaching his first game at the Big House since last year’s win over Illinois, a game that sent Michigan football to Columbus for an 11-0 vs. 11-0 matchup with the Big Ten title on the line.

“Coach Harbaugh is a great leader,” Paige stated. “So when he was down, we didn’t really miss a step with how we prepared for games, and it’s the same thing this week. We’ve just been doing what we’ve been doing.”

On Saturday, for the fourth time this year, Michigan football will take the field in Ann Arbor. This time, the Wolverines are set to host the 3-0 Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 12:00 PM (EST).