Michigan football transfer portal storylines: Another QB? How much turnover?

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Last season’s spring portal window didn’t have many fireworks, which was bad news for quarterback-hungry teams like Michigan.

This year’s spring window, which opened Wednesday, is already off to a faster start. The portal got its first big entrant when Tennessee and quarterback Nico Iamaleava parted ways a day before the Volunteers’ spring game. With the House v. NCAA settlement not yet finalized, teams are trying to predict their roster limits for next season and spending what they have left in the coffers before the revenue-sharing cap takes effect. That means there will be options for teams that want to upgrade at a position or two coming out of spring practice.

Will Michigan be one of those teams? Here are four storylines to follow during the spring portal window, which runs through April 25.

Does Michigan need another quarterback?

Michigan stood pat at quarterback last spring and paid a price for it when the in-house options struggled for much of the season. This spring brought a QB makeover with the departures of Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal and the arrival of No. 1 prospect Bryce Underwood and Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene. With Keene limited by an injury, Underwood and redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis have been Michigan’s primary quarterbacks in spring practice. While the Wolverines aren’t as QB-needy as they were a year ago, their depth this spring is a reminder that a program can never have too many good quarterbacks.

The spring game will be an important showcase for Davis, a borderline top-100 prospect in the Class of 2024 who didn’t attempt a pass last season. Davis had a legitimate claim to the “quarterback of the future” title when he committed to Michigan over North Carolina, Tennessee and Clemson. Then Jim Harbaugh left, Sherrone Moore took over, and Michigan made a major play to woo Underwood from LSU. The spring game will be the first opportunity for Michigan fans — and other programs — to see how Davis fits in the quarterback picture.

On time and on target 🎯 pic.twitter.com/KijuZKlUUy

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) April 12, 2025

At minimum, Davis should come out of the spring as Michigan’s No. 2 quarterback. What happens beyond that will be up to him. Meanwhile, there’s little clarity about the nature of Keene’s injury and when he’ll be back at 100 percent. With Davis Warren recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in the ReliaQuest Bowl, it’s hard to predict what Michigan’s depth chart will look like on the first day of preseason camp.

In a perfect world, Keene and Warren will get healthy, Davis will carry the competition into the fall, and Michigan will have four quarterbacks capable of holding down the starting job. If any part of that plan seems iffy, Michigan will have to decide whether it’s worth looking for another veteran quarterback to fill out the depth chart.

Don’t rule out another WR

Michigan has eight or nine viable options at wide receiver, which is a definite improvement from last spring. But do the Wolverines have enough difference-makers? That’s a question to revisit after the spring game. Michigan doesn’t need to target a wide receiver for the sake of adding another body, but if there’s a player in the portal who brings big-play potential, it would behoove Michigan to take a look.

If the Wolverines had to play tomorrow, I’d bet on Donaven McCulley, Fred Moore and Semaj Morgan as the starting wide receivers, with Jamar Browder and Andrew Marsh, both freshmen, pushing second-year players Channing Goodwin and I’Marion Stewart for spots on the two-deep. Kendrick Bell, Peyton O’Leary and C.J. Charleston are back from last season and should compete for snaps as well. The main thing missing is proven production, as McCulley is the only player on the roster who has had a 500-yard receiving season in the Big Ten.

Michigan had high expectations for Amorion Walker, but his return to Ann Arbor didn’t go as planned. Walker wasn’t assigned a number on the spring roster, and wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy said last week he was “trying to get healthy” and “working through something.” A few days later, Walker announced plans to enter the transfer portal for a third time. Filling that spot isn’t a necessity, but if there’s a clear upgrade available, I’d expect Michigan to be interested.

How much turnover will Michigan have?

Based on the roster numbers, it seemed likely that Michigan would need to trim at a few positions after the spring. The turnover has started already, as several players who weren’t projected in major roles have entered the portal.

Cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows had four tough-luck seasons at Michigan and never quite broke through as a starter, in large part because of injuries. Even if McBurrows wasn’t in line for a starting role, cornerback is one spot where Michigan could use the depth. Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill are back, but losing Will Johnson and Aamir Hall means Michigan will need its newcomers to play. That could mean more snaps for freshman Shamari Earls or Louisiana transfer Caleb Anderson, who has a history with defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan.

Alessandro Lorenzetti came to Michigan as an offensive lineman, switched to defense, and didn’t have a clear path to playing time. Linebacker Jason Hewlett, another of Michigan’s spring portal entries, is one of those positionless football players who had a lot of promise but didn’t find a niche. Aymeric Koumba was a raw edge prospect from France who had some younger players in front of him on the depth chart, and Benjamin Hall was competing for the No. 3 running back job behind Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes. All were three-star prospects who signed with Michigan during Harbaugh’s tenure and didn’t break through into major roles.

Michigan signed some big classes in recent years while also utilizing the transfer portal to fill needs. That resulted in a roster that, heading into the spring, featured nearly 100 players who were recruited on scholarship or signed out of the portal. Though the proposed roster limit of 105 would allow programs to hand out more than 85 full scholarships, most programs seem to be sticking closely to the 85 number. Moore has been tight-lipped about how he plans to handle the scholarship math, but it’s reasonable to project a slightly leaner roster when Michigan opens preseason camp.

Is Michigan set on the OL?

Michigan’s help on the offensive line came via the FCS and Division II levels, with Cal Poly transfer Brady Norton on campus and Ferris State transfer Lawrence Hattar expected to join the team in the summer. Both will have a shot to contribute, but Michigan’s pathway to improvement has to start with the players returning from last season.

Nobody wants to see Underwood running for his life on every snap, which means Michigan needs to find an answer at left tackle. Evan Link, last year’s starter at right tackle, might be that answer. If he’s not, Michigan will need Norton or one of its young tackles to emerge. Adding another tackle from the portal isn’t a must, but if there’s a player who offers a clear upgrade, the Wolverines will need to do their due diligence.

It’s hard to imagine anyone displacing Giovanni El-Hadi at left guard, and Greg Crippen is the incumbent starter at center. That leaves the right guard spot up for grabs. Third-year player Nathan Efobi has gotten some buzz this spring, and Hattar will give Michigan another option in camp. Michigan has young players who need reps, so it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to add another transfer purely for depth purposes. But the Wolverines showed interest in some Power 4 transfers in the winter and might be tempted if the right player becomes available.

 (Photo of Jadyn Davis: Jaime Crawford / Getty Images)

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