Makari Paige

Class:
Senior
Position:
DB
Height:
6-4
Weight:
208
Hometown:
West Bloomfield, Mich.
High School:
West Bloomfield

CAREER HIGHS

• Tackles: 8 - vs. Purdue (Nov. 4, 2023)
• Solos: 4, 2x - last vs. Texas (Sept. 7, 2024)
• Asst: 5 - vs. Purdue (Nov. 4, 2023)
• TFLs: 1.0 - vs. TCU (Dec. 31, 2022)
• Sacks: 1.0 - vs. TCU (Dec. 31, 2022)
• Int: 1, 3x - last at Ohio State (Nov. 30, 2024)
• FR: none
• PBUs: 1, 7x - last at Ohio State (Nov. 30, 2024)

At Michigan
• Voted a captain by his teammates (2024)
• Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, coaches, 2023; honorable mention, media, 2022)
• Five-time letter winner (2020-21-22-23-24)
• Appeared in 53 games at safety and on special teams with 32 starts in the secondary, including four at nickel

Graduate Student (2024)
• Started 12 games at safety; led all defensive backs with 45 tackles including one for loss with six pass breakups including two interceptions and one blocked kick to earn his fifth varsity letter
• On three occasions, shared Defensive Player of the Game honors for his performance against Fresno State, Arkansas State, at Ohio State
• Started at safety against Fresno State (Aug. 31) and led the secondary with five tackles
• Led the team with six tackles against Texas (Sept. 7) and broke up one pass
• Recorded his first interception of the year in a start against Arkansas State (Sept. 14); broke up another pass and made two tackles
• Assisted on three tackles against USC (Sept. 21)
• Credited with four tackles against Minnesota (Sept. 28)
• Delivered five tackles at Washington (Oct. 5)
• Blocked a field goal attempt and made six tackles at Illinois (Oct. 19)
• Made two solo stops against Michgan State (Oct. 26)
• Started at the nickle spot against Oregon (Nov. 2) and broke up a pass to go with four tackles
• From the nickle spot, made four tackles including one for loss at Indiana (Nov. 9)
• Made a solo stop playing from the nickel spot against Northwestern (Nov. 23)
• Helped seal the game with a key interception, broke up another pass, and delivered three tackles at Ohio State (Nov. 30)

Senior (2023)
• Appeared in 14 games at defensive back with 13 starts at safety; made 41 tackles with two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and one quarterback hurry to earn his fourth varsity letter
• All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, coaches)
• Shared Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Purdue
• Started at the safety spot against ECU (Sept. 2)
• Assisted on three tackles as a safety in a start against Bowling Green (Sept. 16)
• Notched two solo tackles and started against Rutgers (Sept. 23)
• Started on the road at Nebraska (Sept. 30) and contributed two tackles
• Broke up a pass and assisted on one stop at Minnesota (Oct. 7)
• Delivered four tackles starting at safety against Indiana (Oct. 14)
• At Michigan State (Oct. 21), made two tackles from his starting safety spot
• Led the team with eight tackles against Purdue (Nov. 4)
• Led the team with six tackles and recovered a key fumble at Penn State (Nov. 11)
• At Maryland (Nov. 18), contributed two tackles from his starting safety spot and played some nickel
• Assisted on one tackle against Ohio State (Nov. 25)
• Broke up a pass and made one tackle against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 2)
• Delivered six tackles from his safety spot against Alabama in the Rose Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Jan. 1)
• Started at nickel and also played safety against Washington in the CFP National Championship Game (Jan. 8), totaling three tackles

Junior (2022)
• Appeared in 12 games at safety and on special teams with five starts in the defensive backfield; made 41 tackles with one sack, one interception among three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry to earn his third varsity letter
• All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, media)
• Made three tackles from the safety spot and played on special teams against Colorado State (Sept. 3)
• Broke up a pass and made one solo tackle against Hawaii (Sept. 10)
• Made on tackle playing as a safety, and also contributed on special teams against UConn (Sept. 17)
• Broke up a pass and made four tackles from the safety position against Maryland (Sept. 24)
• Made his first career start at Iowa (Oct. 1) and assisted on two tackles
• Started again at Indiana (Oct. 8) and delivered three tackles
• Made two tackles and hurried the quarterback in a start against Penn State (Oct. 15)
• Contributed six tackles starting at safety against Michigan State (Oct. 29)
• Assisted on one stop playing against Illinois (Nov. 19)
• Made an interception and delivered four tackles at Ohio State (Nov. 26)
• Notched seven tackles from his starting position against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 3)
• Credited with his first career sack among seven tackles against TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)

Sophomore (2021)
• Appeared in nine games at safety and on special teams; made two tackles to earn his second varsity letter
• Played at safety and on special teams against Western Michigan (Sept. 4)
• Contributed on special teams playing against Washington (Sept. 11), at Michigan State (Oct. 30), at Penn State (Nov. 13)
• Made one solo tackle playing safety and contributing on special teams against Northern Illinois (Sept. 18)
• Played snaps in the secondary against Northwestern (Oct. 23), Indiana (Nov. 6), at Wisconsin (Oct. 2)
• Made one solo tackle playing safety and on special teams at Maryland (Nov. 20)
• Played as a safety against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game (Dec. 4)

Freshman (2020)
• Appeared in all six games at safety and on special teams; made six tackles to earn his first varsity letter
• Made his collegiate debut at Minnesota (Oct. 24) and contributed three tackles while playing safety and special teams
• Played safety and special teams against Michigan State (Oct. 31) and made one assisted stop
• Credited with one solo tackle playing safety at Indiana (Nov. 7)
• Played safety and special teams against Wisconsin (Nov. 14) with one assisted tackle
• Played snaps at safety and contributed on special teams at Rutgers (Nov. 21)
• Played in the secondary and on special teams against Penn State (Nov. 28)

Prep
• Attended West Bloomfield High School (2020) coached by Ron Bellamy
• Part of a team that went 10-2 and appeared in the state quarterfinals
• Helped the Lakers reach the state finals in 2017 and the regional final in 2018
• Two-time team captain

Key Statistics
• Made 94 tackles, five tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions with seven pass breakups as a senior; also recovered an onside kick
• Posted 105 tackles, three TFLs, two interceptions, four PBUs, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as a junior in 2018

Honors and Rankings
• Four-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings; rated as the sixth-best prospect in Michigan, the No. 25 safety in the nation and the 242nd-overall recruit
• Holds a four-star ranking form 247Sports, ranks as the No. 5 player in Michigan, the No. 21 safety and the 214th-rated recruit in the country
• Rivals.com four-star prospect, the seventh-rated recruit in Michigan and the nation’s No. 21 safety
• ESPN300 member; No. 5 player in Michigan, the 12th-overall prospect at safety and the 235th overall recruit in the country
• PrepStar Top 350 All-American; the 23rd-ranked defensive back nationally, the sixth-best prospect in the state of Michigan and the 245th overall recruit in the country
• Earned all-state honors as a senior
• MLive Detroit first-team Dream Team selection in 2019
• Detroit News Dream Team member and All-North team selection as a senior

Personal
• Makari Jaimon Paige was born January 11, 2002
• Son of Glen and Lajuanna Paige
• Enrolled in the School of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in American Culture and minoring in Entrepreneurship