Michigan football made a big splash in the transfer portal this offseason, even if it wasn’t particularly sexy.
The Wolverines brought in several potential starters along the offensive line: Ernest Hausmann, LaDarius Henderson, Drake Nugent and Myles Hinton. They also brought in a co-starter at tight end, AJ Barner; a backup quarterback, Jack Tuttle; edge rusher Josaiah Stewart; and a couple of kickers, James Turner from Louisville and Hudson Hollenbeck from Mississippi State.
But the Wolverines didn’t light it up on the recruiting trail, per se, though there are some potential standouts — wide receiver Karmello English, running back Benjamin Hall and defensive tackle Trey Pierce come to mind.
ESPN ranked college football teams entering 2023 with the most impactful talent infusion, and likely due to the recruiting class, Michigan football came in ranked No. 15.
15. Michigan Wolverines
Top impact newcomers: OL LaDarius Henderson (Arizona State transfer), EDGE Josaiah Stewart (Coastal Carolina transfer), OL Drake Nugent (Stanford transfer), K James Turner (Louisville transfer)
2023 recruiting class ranking finish: 17th
Michigan has become more active in the portal over the years, and while this incoming group of transfers is small, the Wolverines added several key players, some of whom held leadership roles at their previous schools. After winning the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line unit in back-to-back seasons, the Wolverines lost two starters but brought in three high-level options. Nugent, a former Stanford captain with 24 starts, should step in as a starter, while Henderson has made 30 starts in his career.
Even if his numbers dip a bit while jumping from Coastal Carolina to the Big Ten, Stewart should provide some pass-rushing presence, having notched 16 sacks with the Chanticleers. To replace drafted kicker Jake Moody, the Wolverines added one of the top specialists in the portal in Turner.
Long-term overview: Emerging talent on the horizon. Expect LB Ernest Hausmann to be in the mix after tallying 54 tackles as a true freshman for Nebraska last season. Stewart heads into his junior season, but several returning sophomores should see their roles grow, including DB Zeke Berry, LB Jimmy Rolder and EDGE Derrick Moore.
In the Big Ten, the maize and blue were ranked the highest. Wisconsin was ranked No. 18, Maryland No. 19, Ohio State No. 21 and Indiana No. 25. Of course, Michigan can’t compete with Colorado, which saw Deion Sanders replace more than half of his team after coming over from Jackson State. The Wolverines were more targeted in their assessments.
As usual, games are played on the field, not paper, and it looks like Michigan filled most of its deficiencies. We’ll see if it fills its last one on Wednesday.
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