You lose some, but you can also win some. Such is the case for Michigan football.
On Monday, fans were lamenting the loss of two tight ends — with team captain Erick All being the headliner — to the NCAA transfer portal. Yet, the Wolverines weren’t going to sit by idly and not reel in any players themselves.
Last year, the big fish for the Wolverines was an offensive center, Rimington Trophy finalist Olu Oluwatimi, who’s a candidate to win the award this year. The maize and blue are adding, once again, on the offensive line, with former Arizona State offensive tackle LaDarius Henderson pledging to Michigan football just one day after entering the transfer portal.
After much prayer and thought, I will be spending the last chapter of my college journey at The University of Michigan!
GO BLUE! 〽️🔵@CoachJim4UM @Coach_SMoore @MattdblU @grant_newsome pic.twitter.com/NbSjQJFgGd
— LaDarius Henderson ⁷⁷ (@ladarius77) December 6, 2022
A member of the 2019 recruiting class, Henderson was rated a three-star at No. 741 nationally. Hailing from Waxahachie (Tex.), Henderson was a multi-year starter, but missed six games this past season due to injury.
Henderson, who started 29 games over the last three years, was one of ASU’s team captains this season but missed the last six games after sustaining a broken bone in his hand against Washington in October. He accepted an invite the East-West Shrine game, which seemed to indicate he was ready to move on and prepare for the NFL draft. But Henderson also said he wanted to keep his options open and would not rule out coming back to college. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
In his six games with the Sun Devils this season, he posted a 65.8 offensive grade per PFF. With Ryan Hayes likely moving on to the NFL draft, Henderson could be a potential option, along with Jeffrey Persi, to contend for the starting left tackle position in 2023.
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