Michigan transfer portal movement (Jan. 2): Wolverines still have No. 3 class

The Michigan Wolverines‘ 2024 season is officially in the books with the full priority moving forward on building out the roster for next season. Currently, it has 8 transfer portal commitments with 15 scholarship players out the door and a class that ranks No. 3 nationally, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

“On3’s Team Transfer Portal Index utilizes the On3 (P)erformance score to measure a team’s production during the transfer process, compared relative against its roster and not a comparison against other schools,” On3 says of its rankings. “This proprietary algorithm determines if a school has improved its overall team talent, stayed the same, or declined in talent during the transfer window.”

Below is a look at the names in and out of the Michigan program just after the start of the new year.

Transfers in (8)

Fresno State QB Mikey Keene
This season, he threw for 2892 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 picks. Keene started the opener at Michigan, going 22-of-36 for 235 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, including a pick-six thrown to Will Johnson.

Alabama RB Justice Haynes
Haynes rushed a total of 79 times for 448 yards and 7 touchdowns and could be a potential lead back in the team’s duo ahead of the 2025 season. He has not officially signed yet, but is still expected to land in Ann Arbor.

Indiana WR Donaven McCulley
During the 2023 season, he led the Hoosiers in catches (48), yards (644) and touchdowns (6) by a wide margin this season. McCulley also threw a 44-yard touchdown in the 52-7 loss to the Wolverines last year. He was limited to 2 catches for 21 yards before shutting it down this year. His interest in the program dates back to last year’s portal cycle, where he eventually stuck it out and returned to Indiana.

Cal Poly OL Brady Norton
The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder has three seasons of eligibility remaining after spending two at Cal Poly, redshirting in 2023 and starting in 2024. He’s appeared in 14 games with 11 starts.

Alabama DT Damon Payne
This season, Payne had 14 tackles and a fumble recovery in eight games played. He redshirted in 2021 before playing in six games in 2022, and then emerged as a rotational piece in 2023 for an Alabama team that lost to Michigan in the Rose Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff.

Georgia LB Troy Bowles
The 6-foot-0, 220-pounder saw action in two games this season, totaling 12 defensive snaps and preserving his redshirt. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Arkansas S TJ Metcalf
A 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, TJ racked up 57 tackles, including 1 for loss, 7 pass breakups and 3 interceptions as a sophomore, appearing in 12 games with 11 starts for the 6-6 Razorbacks. He is one of 35 Power Conference safeties with 3 or more interceptions this season. He saw action in 12 outings as a freshman in 2023, posting 15 tackles.

Arkansas CB Tevis Metcalf
Tevis played just 15 defensive snaps in two games as a freshman, but the 5-foot-10, 192-pounder did play in all 12 contests on special teams, featuring on the kick return, kick coverage and punt return units, among others.

Transfers out (15)

Junior QB Alex Orji
This season, Orji played in 10 games, completing 23 of 44 passes (52 percent) for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns with an interception. He also rushed 53 times for 260 yards and a score.

Junior QB Jayden Denegal
A 6-5, 235-pounder, Denegal played in one game during mop-up duty in 2022 and six more last season, completing 4-of-5 passes with one touchdown. He also ran four times for 10 yards to earn his second varsity letter, but he didn’t register any statistics this year.

Sophomore RB Cole Cabana
During the 2023 season, the Dexter, Mich. native only saw two carries on the season, amassing six yards for the Wolverines. He didn’t see the field in 2024.

Senior RB Tavierre Dunlap
Dunlap had 22 carries for 138 yards in his career, one of which came for 20 yards and his only touchdown in the Maize and Blue this season. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his next destination.

Junior WR Tyler Morris
The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder has one year of eligibility remaining, after playing three seasons at Michigan. He appeared in 35 games with 12 starts as a Wolverine.

Senior OL Raheem Anderson
Anderson played in 16 career games as a Wolverine, mostly as a reserve before having a special teams role this season. He was in the battle for the starting center job in fall camp, but fell behind classmates Greg Crippen and Dominick Giudice in the pecking order.

Senior OL Tristan Bounds
The 6-foot-8, 305-pounder saw action in two contests this season, at Indiana Nov. 9 and against Northwestern Nov. 23. He logged one offensive snap on the season, which was a touchdown by running back Tavierre Dunlap, the first of the ball-carrier’s career. Bounds only recorded 41 offensive snaps in his career. Bounds played in one game in 2023, three in 2022 and one in 2021.

Senior OL Dominick Guidice
The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder spent four seasons with the Wolverines, playing in 18 games with five starts at center.

Junior OL Andrew Gentry
The 6-foot-7, 327-pounder out of Littleton, Colo., appeared in 26 games with two starts in three seasons in Ann Arbor. The 23-year-old has two years of eligibility remaining.

Sophomore EDGE Breeon Ishmail
He did not see game action during the 2023 season. He was a three-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class for Michigan, coming in as an athlete at 214 pounds and putting in work in the weight room to find a position before ultimately landing at EDGE.

Junior LB Micah Pollard
This year, Pollard was limited to two contests – the Fresno State and Texas games – before appearing on the availability report the rest of the season with an undisclosed injury designation.

Junior CB Myles Pollard
Pollard appeared in just 10 outings over the last three seasons, playing a reserve role throughout the entirety of his career.

Junior CB Kody Jones
The 5-foot-11, 193-pounder played in 15 games as a reserve in three seasons at Michigan. He has two years of eligibility remaining, since he redshirted as a freshman in 2022.

Sophomore K Adam Samaha
In two seasons with Michigan, Samaha saw limited playing time and took a redshirt for the 2023 season, making an extra point in his appearance that season. He has not yet attempted a field goal.

Senior P Tommy Doman
Doman has served as the primary punter for Michigan the past two seasons, winning a national title with the Wolverines in 2023. He has a career punt average of 43.4 yards.