Leon Hall is Michigan's all-time leader in pass breakups.

With Michigan’s 2009 season wrapped up, and the decade coming to a close, I thought I would steal an idea from Dr. Saturday and have my readers vote on a Team of the Decade. So, I’ve come up with a list of nominees for every position, and I’ll be posting two position groups every day for the next week, leaving it up to you to vote for who should make the team. At the end of the month, I’ll tally up the votes and reveal the team of the decade. Next up are the cornerbacks:

Michigan has had a long-standing tradition of having at least one outstanding cornerback on the roster, and the 2000s have been no different. There’s not many nominees at the position, but it’s tough to question the quality of the guys listed below.

Marlin Jackson (2001-2004): Yup, I’m being lazy again. A little help, Bentley?

A native of Sharon, Pa., Marlin Jackson earned first-team All-America honors from College Football News as a sophomore. Jackson has accumulated 98 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, six interceptions and one fumble recovery in 24 career games at U-M. His 25 career pass break-ups places him fifth on Michigan’s all-time list. He was named to the Associated Press All-America second team and the Sporting News third team during his sophomore campaign. An All-Big Ten selection in 2002, Jackson set single game (six) and single season (18) pass break-up records and ranked sixth on the team with 51 tackles. Jackson earned Freshman All-America first team honors from the Sporting News after collecting 47 tackles, seven pass break-ups and three interceptions in 2001.

After switching to the safety position for his junior season, Jackson returned to the cornerback spot in 2004 and turned in another all-American performance. He earned first-team honors on the American Football Writers Association squad. A co-captain for the Wolverines, Jackson earned All-Big Ten first team honors from the coaches and media in 2004. Teams threw away from Jackson almost 87 percent of the time during the regular season. He  contributed 38 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one interception and four pass breakups this year. Jackson is the team’s active career leader in tackles (186) and pass breakups (34), with his PBU total ranking second all-time on Michigan’s career list.

Jackson’s records for pass breakups in a single-game (six, against Washington in 2002) and season (18, 2002, now tied with Leon Hall’s 2006 season) still stand, and his career total (34) now ranks third all-time at Michigan behind Leon Hall and Todd Howard.

Leon Hall (2003-2006): Hall made an immediate impact upon reaching Ann Arbor, playing in all 13 games as a freshman and finishing the season with 26 tackles and three interceptions, earning first-team freshman All-America honors. As a sophomore, with Jackson sliding over to safety, Hall started nine games at corner, tallying 48 tackles, two interceptions, and breaking up ten passes. Hall took over the No. 1 cornerback spot as a junior, earning All-Big Ten second-team honors with 61 tackles and four interceptions. His finest year came as a senior, when Hall tied Jackson’s school record for pass breakups (18), recorded 45 tackles and three interceptions, was a unanimous choice for first-team All-Big Ten, and was named an AFCA first-team All-American. Hall holds the school record for pass breakups (43), and is tied for fourth with 12 career interceptions.

Donovan Warren (2007-2009): Donovan Warren came to Michigan as a five-star recruit, and was heralded as the next great Michigan corner after Ty Law, Charles Woodson, Jackson, and Hall. Although a combination of injuries, poor overall defenses, and unfair hype led to him not living up to the very lofty expectations, Warren still had a very solid career at Michigan. Warren started 11 games as a true freshman, recording 52 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception, and was named Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year by the Sporting News. As a sophomore, Warren battled through injuries, but still managed to record 52 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception as he took over No. 1 corner duties. In his junior (and final) season, Warren put it all together, recording 66 tackles, seven pass breakups, and four interceptions, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and second-team all-conference from the coaches before announcing his intention to enter the NFL Draft. Warren’s 17 career pass breakups leaves him 17th on Michigan’s all-time list.

Career Stats:

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