Michigan edge rusher Kechaun Bennett enters NCAA transfer portal

Michigan edge rusher Kechaun Bennett has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. He played the past four seasons with the Wolverines.

Bennett played 24 games over the past two years in Ann Arbor, contributing both on special teams and as a backup for the defense. He ends his career with seven tackles, one quarterback hurry and one blocked kick.

Bennett played high school football at Suffield Academy (CT), where he was a three-star recruit. He ranked as the No. 445 overall player and No. 45 edge rusher in the 2021 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Michigan has now lost 31 players overall and three edge rushers to the transfer portal this offseason. The Wolverines have also added 17 players and rank No. 9 according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

Michigan is coming off of a year in which it finished 8-5 in the inaugural season for coach Sherrone Moore. As the Wolverines move on to Year 2, they’ll now be down one of their key contributors on special teams from a season ago.

The spring transfer portal opened Wednesday, April 16 and will close 10 days later on Friday, April 25. As of this writing, more than 3,600 FBS scholarship players have entered the transfer portal in the 2024-25.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Michigan lands commitment from UMass transfer running back CJ Hester

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, former UMass running back CJ Hester has committed to the Michigan Wolverines. After having great play at the position in previous years, Michigan is hoping Hester can be the program’s next great ball carrier. A nice pickup for Sherrone Moore on the same day spring practice wraps up in Ann Arbor.

This is not the first time Hester has gone through the NCAA transfer portal experience. His career began at Western Michigan after being a three-star prospect out of Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming. Hester was the No. 1,647 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

After one season in Kalamazoo, Hester put himself on the open market and landed in the Northeast with UMass. The stats were significantly better than his true freshman campaign, rushing for 529 yards and four touchdowns on 119 carries. UMass would call on him out of the backfield every once in a while, catching 14 passes for 58 yards.

Hester is now heading back to the Great Lake State to play for the Wolverines. A big step up in competition will take place as he moves into the Big Ten. And expectations inside the program are high when it comes to running back.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.