Makari Jaimon Paige (born January 11, 2002) is an American football defensive back for the Michigan Wolverines. He has played for Michigan since 2020.
Early life
Paige was born in 2001 in West Bloomfield, Michigan, the son of Glen and Lajuanna Paige. He attended West Bloomfield High School where he played football under coach Ron Bellamy. During his junior and senior seasons in 2018 and 2019, he totaled 105 and 93 tackles, respectively, intercepted four passes, and had eleven pass breakups. Paige was one of the top rated safeties in the 2020 college football recruiting class with offers from numerous schools, including Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and Kentucky.
University of Michigan
Paige committed to the University of Michigan in July 2019 and enrolled early in January 2020. As a freshman during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he appeared in all six games for Michigan at safety and on special teams. He appeared in nine games at safety and special teams as a sophomore in 2021. He became a starter at safety in 2022, overtakingn RJ Moten, and appearing in 12 games including five games as a starter at safety.
Prior to the 2023 season, Paige was rated by Pro Football Focus (PFF) at No. 7 among the returning safeties in college football. PFF also rated him as the second-highest graded defender on the Michigan team.