Michigan fans are resting in the lull between the end of the regular season and the ReliaQuest Bowl matchup with Alabama. In the meantime, let’s look at who’s in, who’s out, and who we’d like to see with a Michigan Football portal check-in.
Michigan Football Portal Check-In
Outbound: Key Contributors
Perhaps the Wolverines’ most surprising portal departure is also their most critical – wide receiver Tyler Morris. In the same breath, it’s an understandable move for Morris. Kirk Campbell’s miserable passing offense didn’t give Morris much to work with, and he’s likely looking for a place to spotlight his talents with the ball in his hands.
There’s also still hope that Sherrone Moore can reel Morris back into the fold. With offensive coordinator Chip Lindsay on board, all Michigan’s missing is a quarterback to bridge the Davis Warren era to the Bryce Underwood era (more on that later). If the team can solidify an offensive structure quickly, they can sell Morris on a more balanced and effective passing game and try to keep him in Ann Arbor.
Athletic marvel and occasional quarterback Alex Orji is also currently ticketed for greener pastures. His passing will have to improve significantly to catch on elsewhere but don’t rule out a team taking a chance on either featuring him consistently (and effectively) as a runner or turning him into an H-back/Tight End.
Outbound: Crucial Depth
Offensive linemen Raheem Anderson, Tristan Bounds, Andrew Gentry, and Dom Giudice are all heading out. Anderson and Bounds saw minimal playing time despite solid potential. On this year’s spotty line, it’s telling that neither could break through. Gentry and Giudice both started at points this year, and of the two Gentry looked like there was a ceiling to explore before injury took its toll. For what it’s worth, current projections have Giudice staying in-conference and joining Nebraska.
The specialist room takes a hit as Michigan loses starting punter Tommy Doman and backup kicker Adam Samaha. Doman will head to Florida to see if he can rediscover some consistency with the Gators. Buried behind 2024 Big Ten Kicker of the Year and All-American Dominic Zvada, Samaha will join the Great Bill Belichick Experiment at UNC.
On offense, Michigan will also say farewell to quarterback Jayden Denegal and running backs Tavierre Dunlap and Cole Cabana. Cabana had exciting potential as a backfield Swiss Army Knife, but couldn’t stay healthy enough to climb the depth chart He will join P.J. Fleck in Minnesota to fight for the Little Brown Jug on enemy lines. Linebackers Micah Pollard and Christian Boivin also exit. Both played a decent amount last year but were similarly buried behind Ernest Hausmann, Jaishawn Barham, and Jimmy Rolder. Lastly, cornerback Myles Pollard plans to get a fresh start after being ineffective in limited snaps for the Wolverines.
Inbound: Key Contributors
The Wolverines don’t yet have one-for-one replacements for what they’ve lost so far, but they’re making important strides to address key roster needs. The current headliners are former Indiana wide receiver Donaven McCulley and former Alabama defensive tackle Damon Payne.
McCulley, originally recruited as a quarterback, was far and away the Hoosiers’ most productive receiver in 2023. After a brief dalliance in the portal thereafter, he returned to Bloomington to partake in the Curt Cignetti experience. Unfortunately for McCulley, Cignetti also brought with him several transfers who quickly supplanted the former star. Michigan will look to reinvigorate his career and feature him as an athletic, big-bodied jump-ball threat. If Michigan can convince the latter to return, he’d look great across from Morris.
Payne was a highly ranked recruit out of Belleville High School, one of Southeast Michigan’s premier programs. During his prep years, Belleville effectively shut out the Wolverines from recruiting Belleville players. After a solid but unspectacular career in Tuscaloosa, he’s returning to the Mitten to join the hometown squad.
The decision was a mini-saga of sorts. Payne was committed to Michigan, but he wasn’t. Then he was. It was a weird day. At the end of it, defensive line coach Lou Esposito locked down an important run-stuffer and space-eater in the middle to pair with presumed starter Rayshaun Benny.
Inbound: Crucial Depth
Michigan has also wrangled a pair of Razorback brothers in the secondary plus a star FCS offensive lineman.
TJ Metcalf and Tevis Metcalf are cousins with current Seahawks star D.K. Metcalf, a promising fun fact for their football pedigree. TJ started at safety for Arkansas this past year and should immediately contribute to the Wolverines’ rotation. Tevis, the younger and smaller of the two, comes in to compete at cornerback. He’s a more developmental prospect, someone for secondary coach LaMar Morgan to coach up and unwrap in a couple of years. There’s plenty of depth ahead of Tevis, including Zeke Berry, Jo’Ziah Stewart, and Jyaire Hill (unless Hill’s late-season disciplinary issues see him depart). Plus, Morgan might not be done shopping in the portal for reinforcements.
On the other side of the ball, Brady Norton is an interesting prospect. As Cal Poly’s starting left tackle, he demonstrated superb pass-blocking (90.6 grade according to Pro Football Focus) against admittedly lighter FCS competition. At that level, his size – 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds – wasn’t as big an issue as it will be in the Big Ten. He’ll likely move to the interior of the line. After a year or two in the weight room, he should be able to adjust to improved competition. 2024 aside, Moore and Grant Newsome’s track record on the offensive line speaks for itself, and Norton should benefit from their tutelage.
Remaining Portal Needs
First and foremost: a quarterback. As noted, Michigan needs a proven signal caller to take the reins. Underwood is undoubtedly the future, but Michigan needs a serviceable floor, not to mention a veteran who can both show Underwood the ropes and provide competition in practice. If Underwood needs a year to adjust to college before coming fully online in 2026, Michigan needs a bridge solution. Their current target appears to be former Baylor/Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn, a Detroit native.
If Moore cannot bring Morris back, they’ll need additional reinforcements to join McCulley in the receiver room. Running back need isn’t huge, but the team is still courting former Alabama back Justice Haynes, who would bolster an already strong part of the offense. The tight ends are also already in a good spot. They still need effective bodies to compete on the offensive line. Northwestern’s Josh Thompson and Rice’s Ethan Onianwa are the most intriguing current pursuits there.
On defense, Kentucky tackle Keeshawn Silver would be a huge pull to help mitigate the Graham/Grant drop-off. There’s not much need at linebacker, although with Jaishawn Barham’s announced move to Edge, Michigan may poke around. As mentioned, they’ll likely look for another corner, with Arizona’s Emmanuel Karnley looking like their top option.
Lastly, the Wolverines may need a portal solution at punter with Doman’s departure. That is unless they feel secure in backup Hudson Hollenbeck.
Stay tuned!
The post Michigan Football Portal Check-In appeared first on Last Word on College Football.