How Jim Harbaugh continues hitting the jackpot in transfer portal

The transfer portal has been good to Michigan and Jim Harbaugh in recent cycles, with a number of key contributors finding their way to Ann Arbor that way. And The Wolverine’s Chris Balas doesn’t see that changing any time soon.

In an On3 Roundtable with J.D. PicKell, Balas discussed how Harbaugh and the Wolverines use the transfer portal to complement the recruiting classes they sign. Michigan isn’t doing anything wholesale in the portal, and the ability to be more targeted in picking potential transfers has paid off.

“They’ve been doing that to perfection. They’ve been really mixing those recruiting classes with about seven guys every cycle and it’s been fantastic for them,” Balas said.

The headlining transfer in the 2022 cycle for Michigan was former Virginia center Olu Oluwatimi. Oluwatimi quickly became the starting center for Michigan and went on to win the Rimington and Outland Awards, given to the best center and interior lineman in college football, respectively.

In 2023, a number of transfers stand a chance to make big contributions for the Wolverines.

Those contributions might again come on the offensive line, as Michigan brought in Drake Nugent and Myles Hinton from Stanford while adding Ladarius Henderson from Arizona State. Tight end AJ Barner from Indiana gives sophomore Colston Loveland a running mate at that position.

And as recently as this week, Michigan picked up a defensive transfer: Josh Wallace, a cornerback from UMass. He’ll join a cadre of defensive transfers like Ernest Hausmann from Nebraska and Josaiah Stewart from Coastal Carolina.

All told, it was enough for Michigan to have the No. 26 overall transfer class in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Team Rankings. Michigan didn’t lose a single four- or five-star rated player while adding a quartet of four-star caliber contributors.

If any number of the current spate of transfers turn out to be starters or contributors, it’ll be another portal cycle well-worked for the Wolverines.

“They know what they need and they know how to plug ’em in. But they only go after good fits and I think Josh Wallace is a good fit, too,” Balas said. “I don’t think he’s a guaranteed starter, but you’re going to see him compete for playing time. They’ve got guys like Amorion Walker. Obviously you’ve got Will Johnson one side, who is an absolute stud. But, you know what, you need another guy and you need depth. So that’s what they went out and got.