Michigan football is searching the portal for a big-bodied ‘X’ receiver to work the outside next season. They have an offer out to former Indiana receiver Donaven McCulley and added to their target list today by extending an offer to Jahmal Banks from Wake Forest.
Banks stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs just over 200 pounds which makes him an ideal candidate for the outside role. Cornelius Johnson has been playing the ‘X’ spot for Michigan for the past few seasons but is a couple of inches shorter and never quite presents the vertical mismatch that Banks does. Johnson is departing for the NFL draft after this season and it appears Michigan wants to get a Nico Collins-type player on the roster to help with 50/50 balls.
Michigan Offered 🫶🏾 @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/b5TYqQeHRZ
— ma1 (@jahmalb21) December 15, 2023
Assuming Michigan can land Banks, the outside receiver spot would be in an interesting predicament. Banks would likely start as the most experienced player by far, but Darrius Clemons would be put essentially on the bench for yet another season. The former top recruit has a lot of potential but has struggled to realize it so far. Bringing in Banks or another one-year rental might signal the end of Clemons’s time as a Wolverine, making it a move that prioritizes short-term success over a long-term project.
Banks caught 59 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns last season. In his four-year career, he has 107 catches for 1,404 yards and 13 touchdowns. Banks is a very consistent target and hauled in either five catches or 40 yards in every game but one this year. He is a reliable chain mover whose long frame presents a massive target for QBs targeting any portion of the field. His size could be especially useful in goal-line situations by throwing back shoulder fades, a route that Michigan has not targeted in the past years.
Banks currently holds a portal grade of .9000 from 247Sports, making him the 61st highest-rated player in the portal and the 15th highest-rated receiver.