ESPN’s “greatest by jersey number” debate puts Tom Harmon atop Michigan’s No. 98, while other Wolverine legends get edged out

ESPN has turned a familiar Michigan football question into an argument: which former Wolverine best represents each jersey number in college football history. In a recent Yahoo Sports recap of ESPN’s feature, Michigan is shown as deeply represented across the selections, but with one number outcome that stands alone. The only Michigan player highlighted as the top pick for his own jersey number is Tom Harmon, identified as “Old 98” in the discussion tied to the No. 98 slot.

The list format matters because it compresses decades of Michigan history into a single, subjective vote for each number. In the Yahoo Sports account of ESPN’s choices, the debate is not about whether Michigan produced great players, but about which individuals should become synonymous with the number itself. That framing is why the reactions are quick, especially for numbers where multiple Michigan legends arguably share a common claim to the spotlight.

One of the biggest points of contention in the recap centers on Michigan’s No. 2. The Yahoo Sports write-up says ESPN selected Deion Sanders as the greatest player to wear that number, rather than Charles Woodson. The argument in the recap underscores the kind of legacy comparison ESPN’s methodology invites: both Woodson and Sanders are described as two-time consensus All-Americans, but Woodson’s resume is portrayed as uniquely decorated in college, including a Heisman Trophy, a Thorpe Award, and a national championship. ESPN’s decision, as presented in the recap, is framed as controversial because Woodson’s Michigan identity is so strongly tied to the number.

Another Michigan number addressed in the recap is No. 21, where Desmond Howard was not the top choice. Instead, ESPN’s selection cited in the Yahoo Sports account is Barry Sanders, emphasizing how his name dominates the NCAA record book long after his playing days. The takeaway from the recap is that, even if Michigan fans might want Howard as the standard-bearer for his number, the historical weight of Barry Sanders’ production can make the “best ever at the number” lens feel less symmetrical.

The Yahoo Sports account also notes that a number of older players connected to Michigan were not the final choice but still appeared in ESPN’s honorable mention tier. Among the example comparisons highlighted, the discussion points to Glenn Davis being selected over Michigan’s Rob Lytle for one number, Khalil Mack over Harry Newman for another, and Michael Irvin ahead of Bennie Oosterbaan for yet another. The point is less about those specific matchups and more about the inherent problem in ranking across eras, schemes, and the availability of awards.

For Michigan, the selection of Harmon for No. 98 is the clearest storyline, because it aligns the number with one of the program’s most enduring nicknames. “Old 98” is not simply a jersey number reference, it is part of how Michigan football history remembers its own icons. By contrast, the recap’s other examples show how ESPN’s picks can split loyalties when two players from the same school, or two eras from the same football tradition, both carry credible claims to the same number.

Looking ahead, this kind of jersey-number debate is likely to keep circulating because it tempts fans to compare resumés in a way that standard rankings do not. For Michigan supporters, the immediate watch item is whether future “best-by-number” lists and similar retrospectives continue to treat Tom Harmon’s No. 98 as the definitive Michigan match, while leaving the rest of the Wolverine-number map open to arguments about Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, and the rest of the program’s best-known wearers.