Dusty May on transfers to Michigan, NIL – ‘We have to do our work early’
Some have criticized the Michigan administration for policies they say have prevented some players from being able to transfer from other schools. Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. and North Carolina’s Caleb Love are two they identify as potential program-changers for the Wolverines who ended up at other schools because they “weren’t allowed in.”
But there are two sides to that coin, and new Michigan head coach Dusty May elaborated Tuesday on what it takes. He landed a handful from the portal and said there was one thing they had to do with all of them.
“We have to do our work early,” May said. “There’s no reason to invest our time, energy, and effort — especially the emotional energy — that goes into recruiting (on guys who can’t get in). There’s one thing to make a call, and there’s another to really be invested in that call and be present and be relational in it.
“We just try to see who fits us in the beginning, and usually the ones that fit us like us better than the ones who don’t. We just tried to streamline it by doing our homework early, getting the right information and attacking those guys.”
There were a few guys they had to stay away from that were “maybes” when it came to getting into school, he admitted. Given the time frame, however, they concentrated more on the “sure things.”
“Out of all the guys we signed, it was relatively simple after we got their initial transcripts,” May said. “We moved forward and went from there.”
In short, they were well organized and had a plan. Some have lamented there aren’t enough guys who can flat out play, “fit” what the Michigan coaches are looking for, and aren’t looking for the biggest bag. May and his staff shot down all those narratives in their first class, one May expects to compete very well in the Big Ten.
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But he also wants his guys taken care of to the best of the collectives’ ability, and he made it clear he’d fight for his guys. When he first arrived, he told us he’d spend about a third of his time helping fund raise, working with the collectives, etc. to help raise money and create opportunities for the players.
“It’s going well,” he said, acknowledging what we’d heard — that he’d met with Michigan donors personally during dead periods and stayed in touch with the fundraisers. “It’s going well. I’ve enjoyed getting to know those guys who run the [Champions Circle] collective. We have an ongoing relationship; we talk with them almost every single day.
“Our job is to help. It’s another extension of our team. Those guys, our success is tied to their success, and I think their success is probably tied our success, as well. Just like everything else, we all want what’s best for Michigan, so we do whatever we can to help each other be successful.”
There’s no question they’ve made progress on the Michigan football end. It’s encouraging that May is encouraged by what he’s seen in his first few months, as well.
“Those guys have worked incredibly hard to help us get where we need to be in the NIL space,” May said. “We’re pleased to this point, especially with how much time and effort they put into it.”
Hopefully, with much more to come.
