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USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football all-transfer portal team: Top Wolverines stars revealed
Michigan football all-transfer portal team: Top Wolverines stars revealed In the not-so-distant past, it was something of a rare occasion that you'd see teams like Michigan football taking in many, if any, transfers. But with the transfer portal now essentially unrestricted, especially with NIL, if you're not bolstering your team with incoming transfers, you're not trying very hard to win games. Michigan football has gotten on board in recent years, not going as portal crazy as some other teams -- relying more on recruiting out of high school -- but the Wolverines have added some key pieces that have helped the team win. So we're doing a bit of a thought exercise: what would an all-transfer portal team look like for the maize and blue? Given that Michigan hasn't been as prolific in the portal as some other programs, there are some key positions that don't have more than one player. And some of our inclusions are current players on this 2025 team -- whether they've been on campus for a while or they're just joining. With that in mind, here is our all-transfer portal team for the Michigan Wolverines. Offense QB - Shea Patterson Former school: Ole Miss We're getting controversial right out of the gates. Patterson was a former five-star who didn't quite rise to the level that Michigan fans expected. He had a solid year in 2018, helping the Wolverines go from 8-5 the year before to 10-3. In 2019, he was injured on his first play from scrimmage, but by the year's end, he was firing on all cylinders, with three 300-plus yard games to close out the regular season. Alternate: Jake Rudock, Iowa RB - Justice Haynes Former school: Alabama Haynes has yet to play an actual game for the Wolverines, only the spring game, where he rushed six times for 51 yards. But he's expected to be a co-starter along with Jordan Marshall, and has very high expectations as he enters his junior year. Alternate: Ty Isaac, USC TE - AJ Barner Former school: Indiana Michigan actually does a stellar job recruiting tight ends out of high school so it's pretty rare that it goes out and gets one in the transfer portal. Yet, despite Colston Loveland emerging as a potential star at the end of 2022, it went out and got Barner to pair with him, and he ended up being stellar for the Wolverines as a pass-catching threat. Alternate: None LT - LaDarius Henderson Former school: Arizona State We could have gone with Myles Hinton here, but since he's played on both sides, we've chosen Henderson here. It took a few games to get going, but he ultimately settled in at left tackle, en route to Michigan's 2023 national championship. Alternate: Brady Norton, Cal Poly LG - Josh Priebe Former school: Northwestern Though expectations were very high that Priebe would come in and look the same as the previous few years' transfers along the offensive line, he didn't quite rise to that level. It took him most of the season to find his groove, but he ended up being OK once he got fully acclimated. Alternate: None C - Olu Oluwatimi Former school: Virginia The greatest of the O-line transfers for the Wolverines, Oluwatimi was a standout and engine for the best offensive line in the country. Not only did he become an alternate captain, but he won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's best center, and helped lead the OL to a second-straight Joe Moore Award. Alternate: Drake Nugent, Stanford RG - Lawrence Hattar Former school: Ferris State Little is known as of yet about Hattar, who arrives on campus this summer. But due to a lack of incoming transfers, we've slotted him in here. Alternate: None RT - Myles Hinton Former school: Stanford Hinton makes the list after all. He was hit-or-miss in 2023, his first year in Ann Arbor, despite getting the nod to start right away. But he improved greatly, actually, after moving to left tackle in 2024, which allowed him to get drafted in 2025. Alternate: None WR - Donaven McCulley Former school: Indiana It actually speaks volumes that Michigan football doesn't have a productive wide receiver transfer who's already played in games at the top here (because there really aren't any), thus we're going with the expected No. 1 wideout coming into 2025. McCulley had a solid 2023 in Bloomington, had one catch in the spring game for the Wolverines this year, for 25 yards, and should be formidable in the new-look Chip Lindsey offense. Alternate: C.J. Charleston, Youngstown State WR - Anthony Simpson Former school: UMass Even less is known about Simpson, who was productive for UMass in 2023. He comes to Ann Arbor as the receiver on the roster with the most yards (at the FBS level) and figures to be a factor in 2025. Alternate: Amorion Walker, Ole Miss (via Michigan) WR - Daylen Baldwin Former school: Jackson State There were high hopes for Baldwin when he came in 2021, but his big highlights were a pair of touchdown catches in garbage time against Western Michigan and Wisconsin (both from then-freshman J.J. McCarthy). He never quite settled in beyond that and left some potential on the table. Alternate: None Defense EDGE - Mike Danna Former school: Central Michigan Danna was one of the bright spots for Michigan football in 2019 and he showed out as a reserve edge rusher. We strongly considered fellow one-year rental Eyabi Okie-Anoma, but ultimately went with Danna, who played so well he ended up being a draft pick by the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs. Alternate: Eyabi Okie-Anoma, Alabama DT - Cam Goode Former school: UCF Goode took a full year before he started to come on strong, but in 2023, even as an alternate, it was hard to take him off the field once he got into the rotation. He was a solid player, despite going undrafted in 2024. Alternate: Damon Payne, Alabama DT - Tré Williams Former school: Clemson Like we did a bit on offense, there's a bit of projection here with Williams, who has yet to play a down (outside of the spring game) for the Wolverines. But expectations are high for the transfer who very well could be a starter for the maize and blue this year. Alternate: Jordan Whittley, Oregon State EDGE - Josaiah Stewart Former school: Coastal Carolina One of the feel-good stories, Stewart was a very good player as a freshman with the Chanticleers, but would the undersized edge rusher see his game translate to the Big Ten? The answer ended up being a resounding yes, with big plays made in the 2023 Rose Bowl, in addition to what he did in his senior year. Alternate: None LB - Ernest Hausmann Former school: Nebraska A current player, Hausmann was solid as a reserve in 2023 before stepping into a starting role in 2024. Now expected to be a team captain in his senior year, he's one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten. Alternate: Troy Bowles, Georgia LB - Jaishawn Barham Former school: Maryland Another current player (Michigan didn't start getting transfer linebackers until quite recently), Barham has all of the talent in the world and certainly could find himself being called on day one of the 2026 NFL draft if all goes right. With freaky athleticism, he checks all the boxes, but he also took almost the entire 2024 season before he started playing within the confines of the defense. Alternate: Edward Warinner, MSU CB - Josh Wallace Former school: UMass Wallace was a late addition to the 2023 team, coming aboard in the summer. But he got the nod as a starter in Week 1 and though there was a bit of a learning curve, he eventually became a solid defensive back who was pivotal in the Wolverines national championship run. Alternate: Ricky Johnson, UNLV NB - Tevis Metcalf Former school: Arkansas Nickelback is a premium position for the Wolverines, which means they recruit the position well without much of a loss of talent. We're slotting second-year defensive back Tevis Metcalf in here due to his production in the spring game, though we haven't seen him play the position in real games yet. Alternate: None S - Wesley Walker Former school: Tennessee Walker started all season for the Vols but didn't quite replicate his performance in Knoxville while in Ann Arbor. However, he was OK as a reserve but had a big moment in the ReliaQuest Bowl, picking off Alabama QB Jalen Milroe to really help Michigan put its knee on the Crimson Tide's throat early in the game. Alternate: Jaden Mangham, MSU S - TJ Metcalf Former school: Arkansas Strongly expected to be a standout for the Wolverines this year, it's unclear if the 2025 transfer will be a starter at safety, a key reserve, or play nickel. Still, there has been a lot of talk about how good the former Razorback might be in Ann Arbor. Alternate: None CB - Aamir Hall Former school: Albany Like his transfer predecessor, Josh Wallace, it took some time for Hall to come around. Perhaps a bit longer than it did Wallace. But once he did, he was solid, making huge plays in the Ohio State game and the ReliaQuest Bowl. Michigan certainly wishes it had another year with Hall in the defensive backfield. Alternate: None Special teams K - Dominic Zvada Former school: Arkansas State It didn't seem likely that anyone would come in and make Michigan football fans forget about Jake Moody, the Wolverines' most prolific kicker, yet Zvada appears to have done just that. A standout in 2024, he should be a likely candidate to win the Lou Groza Award in 2025. Alternate: None P - Hudson Hollenbeck Former school: Mississippi State We're going with Hollenbeck here, not only because there haven't been a lot of incoming transfer punters, but also because he's played in games (the ReliaQuest Bowl) whereas incoming transfer, Luke Bauer, has yet to earnestly put on a winged helmet. Alternate: Luke Bauer, Missouri
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Michigan Footabll EDGE Recruit Shares Big News
Michigan Footabll EDGE Recruit Shares Big News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Michigan football's pass rush and front line have become a strength of the program in recent years with two key cogs, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, recently having been selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. Advertisement The success of Graham and Grant came shortly after Michigan native Aidan Hutchinson put his stamp on the program before becoming the second overall pick of the hometown Detroit Lions at his defensive end position. On Sunday, a potential future star revealed big news on X as he was given a distinction honoring his play on the field during his high school days. Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito (L) during the 2024 Spring Game. © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK "Extremely blessed!!!" defensive end Tariq Boney, a member of Michigan's Class of 2026, said on X as he revealed that he was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game. He retweeted a post from recruiting analyst EJ Holland that announced the news along with a photo of him holding up his new All-Star regalia. The St. John's High School recruit from Washington, D.C. is a four-star prospect who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 230 pounds. Advertisement He held offers from Penn State, Georgia, Texas A&M, West Virginia and Auburn among other schools before giving his pledge to the Wolverines. Boney is a cornerstone piece for a Wolverines Class of 2026 that is still rounding into form with less than ten recruits in the fold. As coach Sherrone Moore and his staff continue to scour the country for potential new players, Boney's commit stands as one of his staff's most important to date, heading toward summer and fall when things stand to get incredibly interesting in Ann Arbor. Related: 4-Star Receiver Sets Commitment Date Immediately After Michigan Football Visit This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
4-Star Receiver Sets Commitment Date Immediately After Michigan Football Visit
4-Star Receiver Sets Commitment Date Immediately After Michigan Football Visit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Michigan Wolverines have been busy on the recruiting path with prospects flying to Ann Arbor in search of more first-hand knowledge about the team's trajectory under head coach Sherrone Moore. Advertisement One such prospect is Zion Robinson, whose picture surfaced on social media Sunday amid a visit to Ann Arbor to scope out the Wolverines. Robinson, a four-star wide receiver prospect from Texas, is a track star with high upside potential who could add a whole new dimension to Michigan's receiving corps should he decide to sign on the dotted line with coach Moore's team. He immediately announced a timetable for his signing date after visiting on Sunday, upping the ante in what should be a photo finish for his commitment. Michigan WR coach Ron Bellamy during a Sept. 2024 game. © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK Texas WR Zion Robinson tested the waters of X on Sunday as he asked Michigan fans for 2,000 plus likes, a request they fulfilled. He retweeted photos of his official visit during which he rocked Wolverines gear alongside receivers coach Ron Bellamy. "I will be announcing my commitment end of July. I am not committed anywhere yet!" Robinson added on X late Sunday as he continued to interact with social media users. "Catch passes from Bryce (Underwood)," one fan said with a hand shaking emoji. Advertisement "There is no place like Nebraska!! We'd love for you to come visit!" another said. The Mansfield, Texas native is a four-star Class of 2026 recruit according to and has offers from football powers Texas A&M, Michigan, Miami, Oklahoma and Texas. His abilities in track and field give him a chance to be a difference maker from year one onward, along with his prowess under a football rule set. Related: JJ McCarthy Turns Heads With Devastatingly Effective Stat Line at Vikings OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ron Bellamy on Chip Lindsey's balanced, explosive Michigan offense for 2025
Ron Bellamy on Chip Lindsey's balanced, explosive Michigan offense for 2025 DETROIT -- To some degree, the Michigan football offense will be a bit different in 2025. Head coach Sherrone Moore dismissed offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell, who had the nation's fourth-worst passing attack, and brought in former North Carolina and Auburn OC Chip Lindsey to revamp that side of the ball. With freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood and running back Justice Haynes, the Alabama transfer, there are still questions, but the Wolverines are more talented and now have a more experienced playcaller who should help the offense become much more formidable -- potentially in short order. But what will the offense look like? Some say it will look radically different, but one coach for the maize and blue insists that it will still look like Michigan football -- at least to some degree. 'You'll have more explosives' Semaj Morgan indicated that this offense suits him better, but what does that mean? We've heard there's a lot more 11 personnel (meaning three wide receivers on the field), but will the Wolverines go full air raid? Don't count on that. But wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy noted that there is an increased emphasis on getting the ball downfield in the passing game. "You'll have more explosives," Bellamy said. "He's balanced. I think everyone has his mindset. You go watch the film last year and see that Chip ran the ball with Omarion Hampton. Obviously, having Drake Maye a year before, but you follow Chip's career -- he's a balanced guy, but he's going to take some shots down the field. We're super excited about that. "It's a little different brand of football, but we're Michigan. We're still going to run the football. We're going to throw the football. We're going to be balanced. We're going to play complementary ball." Being more explosive doesn't mean that it's a wholesale change. After all, in 2021, Michigan was No. 2 in the country with 17 offensive plays that went for 50 yards or longer and led with plays that went 60-plus yards. The players have bought in Speaking less about Lindsey and the offense and more about the culture in Ann Arbor, after the Wolverines got back to campus following the ReliaQuest Bowl, the players got back to work. Through winter conditioning, they understood that the 2024 season wasn't up to the Michigan standard, and thus did as much as they possibly could to get back to what worked from 2021-23. Now that spring ball is done, Bellamy is excited about what the team has done, but notes there's still a long time before fall. "The kids, as soon as the season ended, as soon as the bowl game ended, they took some time off, got right back to work, and Coach Tress and his guys, and Tress' staff did a phenomenal job with the boys," Bellamy said. "We had a really good spring. I like where we're at. Obviously, we've got to attack the summer phase of what we're doing." Summer conditioning will take place in June and July while fall camp is slated for the month of August.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Watch Ron Bellamy discuss Michigan football's revamped offense in new video
Watch Ron Bellamy discuss Michigan football's revamped offense in new video DETROIT -- The Wolverines are hoping that the offensive changes they made this offseason will be enough, combined with a dominant defense, to get Michigan football back into the College Football Playoff. From bringing in former No. 1 overall 2025 recruit in former five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, to getting a couple of transfer receivers in Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson, to getting running back Justice Haynes to transfer from Alabama, the new-look maize and blue should be better offensively than last year. On Sunday at the SoundMind SoundBody football showcase camp, Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy met with the media to discuss the state of the offense. WolverinesWire was on-hand for the final seven (of 11) minutes of his impromptu availability, where he delved into multiple topics. From Underwood's leadership as a true freshman to recruiting the state of Michigan, Bellamy covered a number of topics. Ron Bellamy meets with the media Key quotes On how Bryce Underwood compares to other former Michigan QBs "I don't know. He's unique. He's unique You know, big kid, strong arm, accurate, super cerebral, super smart kid. "I don't know. We've had a lot of great quarterbacks at Michigan. I don't think it's fair to Bryce to say who's comparable to him now because he hasn't taken a snap yet, you know, but obviously there's a lot of great things that he's done thus far, in the short term. You can see it. You can definitely see it. But like I say, I'm most impressed with his leadership and the way he comes out there ready to go every day. For a young kid, that's pretty impressive. I "He doesn't get rattled. He's always working. And you love that as a coach because the quarterback usually leads the team and guys follow. You can see that following now with some of the guys, not just guys in his class, but some of the older guys too, that Bryce has done a good job with." On Semaj Morgan in Chip Lindsey's offense and his work to become more explosive "Yeah, you guys have seen Semaj. He's an explosive athlete. Older, understanding the game, and slowing down for him. And he's just doing a lot of great things. Semaj had a really good spring and just keep chasing that greatness. "He had a really good spring. He had a really good spring, and I'm excited to kind of see where summer goes for him. And then obviously, camp, we'll go to camp in August. But yeah, Semaj, he's stronger, more explosive. I'm excited for him." Michigan will partake in summer conditioning in June and July with fall camp set to take place in August.
