Michigan football all-outgoing transfer portal team: Players who starred elsewhere

USA Today

5 days ago

Michigan football all-outgoing transfer portal team: Players who starred elsewhere
This is what is called being a glutton for punishment, at least if you're a Michigan football fan.
With the transfer portal having changed the complexion of college football, teams have completely reloaded at times, such as Indiana did last year -- going from zero to hero. But the Wolverines have been somewhat slow to adopt the transfer portal to bolster their own roster -- though they have, being awfully selective to enhance what they've accumulated through recruiting out of high school.
We came up with an all-transfer portal team for the maize and blue as it pertains to incoming portal additions. But, continuing the thought exercise, what would it look like with players who left Ann Arbor for seemingly greener pastures? With that in mind, here is our outgoing all-transfer portal team for the Michigan Wolverines.
Offense
QB - Joe Milton
New school: Tennessee
There were quite a few options on the board here, but we went with Milton, who had all the promise in the world at the outset of the 2020 season, only to lose his job by the end of the year to Cade McNamara. He transferred to Tennessee, where he started right away but lost his job again, this time to Hendon Hooker. Finally, he got his shot and thrived, and ended up with the New England Patriots, where he really started to come on. He was traded this offseason to the Dallas Cowboys.
Alternate: Brandon Peters, Illinois
RB - Zach Charbonnet
New school: UCLA
A starter as a true freshman, Charbonnet was electric as the Michigan football running back. However, after a light load due to a crowded room in 2020, a homesick Charbonnet went back to Southern California where he became a star for the Bruins. He was ultimately drafted by the Seattle Seahawks.
Alternate: Derrick Green, TCU
TE - Erick All
New school: Iowa
A back injury took the star tight end out of the season in 2022, and there appeared to be some mutual animosity between Jim Harbaugh and All as a result. He transferred to Iowa but again sustained a season-ending injury. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Alternate: Louis Hansen, UConn
TE - Matthew Hibner
New school: SMU
Hibner was a four-star from Virginia who never panned out in Ann Arbor, but still participated lightly and waited his turn to transfer. It paid off when he went to SMU, going from the No. 2 tight end option to No. 1 by the year's end.
Alternate: Ian Bunting, Cal
LT - James Hudson
New school: Cincinnati
Originally a defensive tackle from Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic, Hudson switched over to left tackle, but didn't crack the starting rotation. He transferred to Cincinnati, citing mental health issues, and there was something of an offseason brouhaha between him, Jim Harbaugh, and then-Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns but is now with the New York Giants.
Alternate: None
LG - Raheem Anderson
New school: Western Michigan
Anderson never quite rose to expectations, despite being thought of as the second-string guard and center for much of his career. The Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech product transferred to WMU this offseason.
Alternate: Amir Herring, Kansas
C - Zach Carpenter
New school: Indiana
Thought to be Michigan's center of the future, Carpenter shocked when he transferred to Indiana. He started 20 games at center and five at guard for the Hoosiers before transferring to Miami, where he started every game last season on the nation's best offense.
Alternate: Dominick Giudice, Missouri
RG - Chuck Filiaga
New school: Minnesota
Filiaga was a former four-star from Aledo (Tx.) who was buried on the depth chart in Ann Arbor. Despite high expectations, it didn't work out with the Wolverines, but he got fresh life after transferring to the Gophers.
Alternate: None
RT - Andrew Gentry
New school: BYU
Gentry was expected to be the starter at right tackle for the Wolverines last year, but the former four-star ended up losing the job to sophomore Evan Link. He ended up getting some playing time while Link was injured but suffered a season-ending injury late in the season. He transferred to BYU this offseason.
Alternate: Nolan Ulizio, Pitt
WR - Tarik Black
New school: Texas
Black was a former four-star recruit from Cheshire Academy in Connecticut who burst onto the scene in his very first game against Florida. However, two games later, he suffered a season-ending injury and never quite returned to form, injuring himself again the following year. He ultimately transferred to Texas, where he finished out strong but ended up being an undrafted free agent and has since been an NFL journeyman, having spent time with five teams thus far.
Alternate: Xavier Worthy, Texas (technically not a transfer, but he was signed to Michigan)
WR - Giles Jackson
New school: Washington
Jackson spent two years in Ann Arbor and was the key returner on special teams, but never reached the level expected at wide receiver. He transferred to Washington before the 2021 season and finally reached expectations this past season, where he amassed nearly 900 yards receiving for the Huskies. He went undrafted but signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Alternate: Andrel Anthony, Oklahoma
WR - AJ Henning
New school: Northwestern
One of the most explosive players on the team in 2021, Henning had big play after big play. However, in 2022, after the Wolverines boasted that he was something of a Deebo Samuel clone, Michigan didn't utilize him outside of a handful of jet sweeps. He transferred to Northwestern and showcased his abilities before becoming undrafted.
Alternate: Oliver Martin, Iowa
Defense
EDGE - Eyabi Okie-Anoma
New school: Charlotte
A second-team incoming transfer, Okie-Anoma also departed the program after one year, following Biff Poggi to Charlotte. Never quite reaching his recruiting status of five-stars, he was something of a journeyman across college football, having played for five schools in his career.
Alternate: Luiji Vilain, Wake Forest
DT - Aubrey Solomon
New school: Tennessee
Another former five-star, Solomon was one of the big gets for the Wolverines in the 2017 recruiting class. He was on campus for two years before he made the shocking decision to transfer. He had a solid 2019 season with the Vols but never quite reached his five-star status in college.
Alternate: Julius Welschof, Charlotte
DT - Michael Dwumfour
New school: Rutgers
A former starter for the Wolverines, after suffering an injury at the tail-end of the 2019 season, Dwumfour used his grad year to return home to his native New Jersey. He went undrafted and has played for six NFL teams in eight different stints.
Alternate: George Rooks, Boston College
EDGE - Taylor Upshaw
New school: Colorado
Upshaw was a reserve for multiple years before finally earning a starting spot in 2022 -- which he ended up losing to the aforementioned Okie-Anoma. He transferred to Colorado in the offseason but ended up with Arizona after spring ball, where he shined.
Alternate: Aaron Lewis, Rutgers
LB - Nikhai Hill-Green
New school: Charlotte
A former starter for the Wolverines as a freshman, Hill-Green missed the entire 2022 season with an injury and ended up transferring to Charlotte, following Biff Poggi, his former high school coach. After a year there, he transferred to Colorado and is now at Alabama.
Alternate: Anthony Solomon, Arizona
LB - Drew Singleton
New school: Rutgers
Singleton never quite took hold while in Ann Arbor, but after transferring to his home state school, Rutgers, he became a multi-year starter. He petitioned the NCAA for another year, but was denied.
Alternate: Semaj Bridgeman, MSU
LB - Ben VanSumeren
New school: Michigan State
A rare rivalry transfer, VanSumeren went from linebacker to running back to fullback, back to linebacker. When the defense changed under Mike Macdonald, VanSumeren went barely West to play for MSU, where he was a multi-year starter. He went undrafted but has been on the active roster with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Alternate: William Mohan, Tennessee
CB - Benjamin St-Juste
New school: Minnesota
A camp find by Jim Harbaugh and staff, St-Juste was waiting his turn, but ended up being plagued by injuries. Michigan then deemed him as medically retired in the spring of 2019, but St-Juste transferred to Minnesota, where he became a starting cornerback, and ended up being a starring player in Minneapolis. He was chosen in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft by Washington, where he played his entire career. Ironically, he signed this offseason with Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Alternate: DJ Waller, Kentucky
S - Keon Sabb
New school: Alabama
A late flip in the 2022 recruiting cycle from Clemson, Sabb wasn't just a key reserve; he moonlighted as a starter when Rod Moore was injured at the start of the 2023 season. He looked to be the star safety of the future for the Wolverines, but ended up making the surprise transfer to Alabama just before spring ball in 2024, but spent much of the year injured.
Alternate: J'Marick Woods, Duke
S - RJ Moten
New school: Florida
A former starter for Michigan, Moten was another who made the surprising choice to transfer from the crowded safety room last offseason. He had a solid year playing for the Gators.
Alternate: Jaylen Kelly-Powell, Akron
CB - Cam Calhoun
Former school: Utah
Calhoun never caught on in his one year in Ann Arbor, but the Ohio native made the legendary choice to commit just after the Ohio State game in 2022, while on a visit to Columbus. He transferred to Utah after the 2023 season where he played in 11 games. He transferred again this offseason, this time to Alabama.
Alternate: Myles Sims, Georgia Tech
Special teams
K - Cole Hussung
New school: North Carolina
Michigan doesn't have a lot of kickers who have transferred out and had any luck, so we're going with Hussung, who never saw time in Ann Arbor but ended up at James Turner's former school, Louisville.
Alternate: Adam Samaha, North Carolina
P - Tommy Doman Jr.
New school: Florida
Doman was a local product from Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's and came aboard as both the punter as well as handling kickoffs. When he was on, he was on, but he was very inconsistent during his time in Ann Arbor. He transferred to Florida during the offseason.
Alternate: Will Hart, San Jose State