Tag: Michigan Football

Michigan football gets huge boost with two defensive standouts planning 2025 return

MASSIVE! #GoBlue

Michigan football is starting to lose some of its standout players to the NFL draft, with Mason Graham, Colston Loveland, Will Johnson, and Myles Hinton all announcing they’ll seek their professional futures. But, as is the case every year, some who could go pro decide to come back.

And two edge rushers for the Wolverines look like they’ll be returning in 2025.

MLive’s Aaron McMann spoke to EDGEs Derrick Moore and TJ Guy at the Will Johnson toy drive at Somerset Collection in Troy on Saturday, and both players told him that they intend to return to Ann Arbor for another year.

 

Moore, a junior, was a starter for the entire season and had 19 tackles, four for loss, and two sacks in 2024. Guy was a backup who also got some time starting with injuries to Moore and Josaiah Stewart, and he managed 29 tackles, seven for loss, and 5.5 sacks.

With that duo returning, Michigan ostensibly has its starting duo for 2025 at EDGE, then will just need to work in depth with players such as Cameron Brandt, Lugard Edokpayi, and others likely figuring into the mix.

Michigan football in contention for Alabama RB Justice Haynes in transfer portal

Another rivalry showdown! #GoBlue

Football teams often have to deal with sudden change, but going from Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum to Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards to Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards to (question mark) means that there’s little known production at the running back position for Michigan football entering 2025.

Though Ben Hall and Jordan Marshall are anticipated to be among those who tote the rock this upcoming season, the Wolverines are seeking some outside help.

On Friday, Dec. 13, Alabama running back Justice Haynes, coming out of his second season, entered the transfer portal, to the horror of fans in Tuscaloosa. And, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, Michigan football and Ohio State are the two schools competing for his services.

Here is how Haynes ranked as a recruit coming out of Buford (Ga.) in 2023:

* Ovr Pos St
247Sports Composite 5 24 2 2
On3 Industry Ranking 4 33 2 2
247Sports 4 34 3 3
On3 4 39 3 2
ESPN 4 24 2 2
Rivals 4 33 1 2

And how he ranks in the transfer portal:

* Ovr Pos
247Sports 4 19 1
On3 4 14 2

In 2024, Haynes had 79 carries for 449 yards and seven touchdowns while also adding 17 receptions for 99 yards. He didn’t see much time in 2023, but did get four carries for 31 yards against Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Michigan football gets its first transfer portal commitment in 2024 late period

BOOM!! #GoBlue

This one took awhile.

Michigan football desperately needs wide receivers and it needs to get some experience in the room. The top receiver, Tyler Morris, entered the transfer portal earlier this month, and with Bryce Underwood incoming, he needs more than freshmen to throw to.

One target has long shown interest in the maize and blue, but it inexplicably took him some time to pull the trigger. Donaven McCulley was once a four-star quarterback recruit who started games at Indiana at that position before switching to wide receiver. He was productive last season but this year, his playing time fell off under new head coach Curt Cignetti and he entered the transfer portal early.

McCulley visited Ann Arbor the day after the win over Ohio State, but he also visited West Virginia and Oklahoma. However, on Friday evening, he committed to the Wolverines.


Here is how McCulley ranked as a recruit coming out of high school as a quarterback:

* Ovr Pos St
247Sports Composite 4 223 24 2
On3 Industry Ranking 4 181 19 2
247Sports 4 – 24 3
On3 4 118 14 2
ESPN 4 – 17 3
Rivals 4 100 4 2

And here are his transfer portal rankings:

* Ovr Pos
247Sports 3 141 24
On3 3 175 37

In 2023, McCulley led the Hoosiers in receiving with 48 catches for 644 yards and six touchdowns. He only had two catches for 21 yards in 2024.

Michigan football TE Colston Loveland makes NFL draft decision

As expected. #GoBlue

It was a good year but also a tough one for junior Michigan football tight end Colston Loveland.

Thought to be the best tight end in the country entering the 2024 season, with the Wolverines having an anemic passing game coming into the year, Loveland wasn’t just an option, he was the option. Mix that with Loveland having some injury issues both early and late in the year, that meant that he didn’t quite reach his full potential showing that he may have otherwise.

Loveland was absent in two of Michigan’s biggest games of the season, missing the entirety of both the USC game in Week 4 and the Ohio State game in Week 14. It turns out his final play — a touchdown just before halftime in the Week 13 game against Northwestern — was his final snap in a Michigan uniform, as Loveland declared for the NFL draft on Friday.

Loveland led Michigan with 56 pass receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns — more than double any other receiver in every category.

With Loveland gone, the Wolverines will likely turn to freshman Hogan Hansen, who showed some similar attributes as Loveland had in his first year with the program.

Loveland joins defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson in having departed for the NFL draft following their junior season. He will likely be a first-round NFL draft pick in 2025.

Michigan football P Tommy Doman selects transfer destination

Best of luck to him. #GoBlue

A local product who handled both kickoff duties and punting, it was an uneven season for Michigan football’s Tommy Doman.

The fourth-year punter was still solid on kickoff but outside of a handful of games, Doman struggled, often kicking short punts or shanking punts. However, against USC and Ohio State, Doman shined, with a defining 68-yard punt in the latter. Still, his consistency wasn’t quite what it was in 2023, the Michigan Wolverines national championship season.

Doman surprisingly entered the transfer portal with a year left and on Friday, he became the first outgoing Wolverine to select his transfer destination, with the announcement that he would be heading to Florida.

 

In 2024, Doman was 47th nationally in yardage per punt, at 42.61. That number was down after kicking an average of 44.26 in 2023 — and though that looks like a modest decline, his numbers were affected by a handful of inconsistent games among generally better showings.

Doman may be the first to commit, but several other Wolverines are in the portal. QBs Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal, RB Tavierre Dunlap, WR Tyler Morris, OL Raheem Anderson, Dom Giudice, and Andrew Gentry, and a handful of others round out the group of Michigan players looking for a new home.

Michigan football to lose quarterback to the transfer portal

Best of luck to him. #GoBlue

Michigan football is reshaping itself in an image that Sherrone Moore finds more amenable to winning in a new era, and some of the remnants of 2024 appear to be falling away.

Thought all offseason to be the Wolverines’ presumptive starter at quarterback, Alex Orji only got three games as the maize and blue starter, in the wins against USC and Minnesota as well as in the first quarter in the loss at Washington. However, Orji — a running quarterback who had some limitations as a passer — returned to his role as an occasional wildcat quarterback in the final games of the 2024 season.

Now, with five-star Bryce Underwood in the fold and Michigan seeking a veteran in the transfer portal, Orji appears to be on his way out as he’s entering the transfer portal.

 

Orji appeared in 10 games this season and was 23-for-44 for 148 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

USA TODAY Sports experts offer early predictions on Alabama-Michigan ReliaQuest Bowl

See who the experts think will win the ReliaQuest Bowl matchup between Alabama and Michigan.

The Alabama Crimson Tide will face the Michigan Wolverines in a matchup of two powerhouse college football programs playing in a non-powerhouse bowl game on New Year’s Eve.

Unlike a season ago when Alabama and Michigan met in “The Granddaddy of Them All” in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with national championship implications at stake, the Crimson Tide (9-3 overall) and Wolverines (7-5) will meet in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on New Year’s Eve.

Kalen DeBeor’s first season as Alabama’s coach included big rivalry wins over the Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers and of course, the Auburn Tigers in his first dance with the Iron Bowl rivalry. Losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma cost the Crimson Tide a shot at the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

Michigan also has a first-year head coach in Sherrone Moore, who took over for Jim Harbaugh and guided the Wolverines to a winning season and a huge upset over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus.

On Friday, USA TODAY Sports’ college football experts released their early predictions for every 2024-25 bowl game, including Alabama-Michigan. All six members of USA TODAY’s panel — Paul Myerberg, Dan Wolken, Eddie Timanus, Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith — picked the Crimson Tide to win.

Similarly, ESPN college football writer/analyst Adam Rittenberg also predicted an Alabama win (subscription required).

RELATED: Jalen Milroe, Jihaad Campbell will play in ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Michigan

Kickoff for Alabama vs. Michigan is set for 11 a.m. CT on Dec. 31. It will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the Crimson Tide and Wolverines. The series is split 3-3.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions. 

Michigan football official announces Chip Lindsey as offensive coordinator

Welcome, Coach! #GoBlue

On Tuesday, Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore said it would be a day or two before he made a decision on who the Wolverines’ new offensive coordinator would be. However, about 30 minutes later, news broke that former Auburn and North Carolina offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Lindsey had been offered the job and had accepted.

But it took some time for Michigan football to announce the move. However, now it is officially official.

Via an official press release, here is what the program, Moore, and Lindsey had to say about the hire. You can read the entire thing below.

Full release

University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore announced Friday (Dec. 13) the hiring of Chip Lindsey as the program’s Sanford Robertson Offensive Coordinator and Robert McCollum Family Quarterbacks Coach.

Lindsey brings 27 years of collegiate coaching experience to Ann Arbor including stints as a head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. He has led offenses that averaged at least 30 points per game in nine of his 12 seasons as a full-time coach at the collegiate level.

“Coach Lindsey is an innovative offensive mind who likes to run and pass the ball with great efficiency and balance,” said Moore. “After spending a considerable amount of time together, I knew that Chip was the right fit to coordinate our offense. We share the same philosophy regarding structure, scheme and player development, and I know his leadership of the offense will place our players in the best position to succeed. We are excited to have Chip, Cecily and their children join our University of Michigan and Michigan Football family.”

“I am excited to join Coach Moore’s staff at the University of Michigan,” said Lindsey. “We share the same vision for offensive football and Coach Moore has assembled an outstanding staff that is aligned in its objectives to help our players succeed. I look forward to leading and serving the young men in this program while helping them achieve their goals on and off the football field. My family and I are excited to join the Michigan family. Go Blue!”

Lindsey comes to Ann Arbor after serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Carolina the past two seasons (2023-24). He ran a balanced attack during the 2024 season that averaged 32.3 points and 423.4 yards of total offense per game. The Tar Heels led the ACC in rushing offense (189.5 ypg) while the passing game generated an average of 233.9 yards per contest. UNC had three players earn All-ACC honors led by RB Omarion Hampton, who received first-team honors. Hampton earned All-American honors in both 2023 and 2024.

He directed a high-powered offensive attack in Chapel Hill during the 2023 season. The Tar Heels averaged 491.2 yards per contest, which ranked seventh nationally, and scored 34.5 points per game to list 20th in the NCAA. Lindsey ran a balanced offense, passing for 292.2 yards per game (14th in the NCAA) and rushing for 192.1 yards per contest (19th in the NCAA). The Tar Heels were one of only two programs to pass for at least 299 yards per game and rush for at least 192 yards per game. UNC also ranked ninth nationally in third down conversions at 48.4% on the year. The offense was led by QB Drake Maye, the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and Hampton, a Doak Walker Award finalist and first-team All-American. Hampton was fifth nationally in rushing with 1,504 and scored 15 rushing TDs to rank 11th in the NCAA. Maye threw for 3,608 yards and 24 TDs and led the ACC in total yards, passing yards per completion, while finishing second in pass efficiency and passing TDs. With a combined 71 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine TDs, UNC’s tight end room was one of only two in the country to rank in the top five nationally in each category.

Prior to joining the staff at UNC, Lindsey was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at UCF in 2022. The Knights’ offense ranked 26th nationally in scoring (34.4 ppg), 11th in total offense (480.6 ypg) and eighth in rushing offense (236.1 ypg). UCF rushed for 200-plus yards in nine games during the 2022 season and its 33 rushing TDs led the AAC and tied for 10th nationally.

Lindsey spent three seasons as head coach at Troy (2019-21). The Trojan offense ranked 21st nationally in pass yards during his second season and PFF ranked the offensive line ranked third in the country in pass blocking efficiency, allowing just nine sacks, six quarterback hits and 45 hurries for 60 total pressures. During his initial season leading the Trojans, the offense topped the 500-yard mark in total offense in six games to tie the program’s Division I record. Troy also scored 35-plus points in eight contests, which was the second most in program history and fourth most in Sun Belt history. The Trojans finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2), 25th in scoring offense (33.8) and 18th in total offense (456.3).

Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Troy, Lindsey was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn during the 2017-18 seasons. This was his second stint with the Tigers after serving as an offensive analyst during the 2013 season when the program won the SEC Championship and appeared in the BCS National Championship Game. During the 2018 season, his second as OC, the Tigers defeated Pac-12 Champion Washington, a nationally-ranked Texas A&M squad and won the 2018 Music City Bowl with a commanding victory over Purdue.

Lindsey directed an Auburn offense in 2017 that became just the eighth in SEC and first in school history to rush and pass for 3,000 yards in a season. The Tigers ranked 26th nationally in total offense and set an Auburn record with 327 in SEC action. They won the SEC West Division title after knocking off top-ranked foes in Georgia and Alabama over a three-week stretch. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, an All-SEC selection, became the second player in school history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season while leading the conference and listing ninth in the NCAA in completion percentage. Running back Kerryon Johnson was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Ryan Davis set the Auburn receiving record with 84 receptions. He returned to Auburn after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State in 2016.

Lindsey earned his first opportunity coordinating an offense at Southern Miss during the 2014-15 seasons. The Golden Eagles broke five single-season school records in 2015 – completions (312), passing yards (4,263), total offense yards (6,758), TDs (67) and points (528) – on the way to a Conference USA West title and a berth in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Washington. During this time, Lindsey developed Conference USA 2015 Offensive Player of the Year and NFL quarterback Nick Mullens, who ranked second in the league in passing yards (4,145) and TD passes (36) and ranked in the top eight nationally.

That 2015 offense at Southern Miss ranked fifth in the nation in total TDs, seventh in total points, eighth in total passing yards and completions and 12th in points per game and passing yards per game. The national leader with 102 explosive plays, Southern Miss was just the second school in FBS history with a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers.

Before accepting his initial position at Auburn, Lindsey was the head coach at Spain Park High School (Alabama) in 2011 and 2012, leading the school to its first 6A regional championship.

Lindsey accepted the quarterbacks coaching position at Troy in 2010 after a distinguished career as a prep coach in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia from 1997 through 2009. At Troy, he coached Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Corey Robinson and helped guide the Trojans to their fifth consecutive conference championship. Robinson set a school record for completions (321) that season while his 3,726 passing yards rank as the second most in Troy history. Troy totaled the second most passing TDs (33) and completions (340) in a season in school history.

Lindsey played football at the University of North Alabama before transferring as a student to Alabama, where he received his bachelor’s degree in history and English in 1997. He earned a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Phoenix in 2005. A native of Madison, Alabama, Lindsey graduated from Bob Jones High School, where he was a three-sport letterman.

Lindsey and his wife, Cecily, have four children: Claire, Caroline, Cooper and Conner.

LOOK: Sherrone Moore arrives in Tampa to accept Michigan football ReliaQuest Bowl invite

Let the games begin! #GoBlue

On Jan. 1, Michigan football opened the season playing against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. And the Wolverines will close out 2024 the same way, taking the field against the Crimson Tide on Dec. 31 in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

On Thursday, both Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore and Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer arrived in Tampa to formally accept their teams’ bid for the December bowl game. As that happened, Moore (and DeBoer) took some questions, met up with the soon-to-be enemy, and posed with their teams’ helmets.

We got video footage from the ReliaQuest Bowl and spliced it to show Moore’s portions. You can watch that below.

The last time Moore and DeBoer faced off was actually on Jan. 8 in the national championship game when Moore was the offensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines and DeBoer was the head coach of Washington. Thus, both of them are leading these respective programs — Michigan and Alabama — in the postseason for the first time.

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe: ‘I will be playing’ vs. Michigan

One team will likely be much less shorthanded than the other.

If Michigan football was hoping to have a war of attrition in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama, the Crimson Tide are not acceding.

The Wolverines already have a few opt-outs, as defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson have both declared for the NFL draft. More will likely come in the lead-up to the bowl game, now three weeks away. Tight end Colston Loveland and defensive tackle Kenneth Grant being among those who have decisions to make.

But for the Alabama side, head coach Kalen DeBoer expects as close a full contingent to suit up, and now we at least know that the signal caller will be present.

According to Tuscaloosa News reporter Colin Gay, junior quarterback Jalen Milroe — who Michigan saw a year ago in the Rose Bowl — does intend to suit up and play in Tampa.

 

The game does promise to be something of a mismatch, regardless of the entrants. Alabama, 9-3, had its hopes on bypassing an 11-2 SMU team that only got its second loss in the ACC Championship against Clemson. Michigan, however, enters the game at 7-5, with its sole ranked win having come in The Game against playoff-bound Ohio State. But with Graham, Johnson, and likely more opt-outs coming, the hill to victory for the Wolverines has steepened.

Milroe explained at his media availability that his decision is due to him wanting to finish the mission with the players he started with.

 


Michigan and Alabama will kick off the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida at noon EST on Dec. 31.