Michigan may lose a defensive player who was vying for a bigger role in Ann Arbor this year.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos , DJ Waller Jr. has entered the transfer portal. The defensive back played 11 games for the national champions during his freshman year.
Waller joined Michigan last year as a three-star recruit from Youngstown, Ohio. He recorded 12 tackles and one pass breakup.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Waller was competing with Jyaire Hill and Ja’Den McBurrows for Michigan’s second starting cornerback slot alongside Will Johnson. New head coach Sherrone Moore praised Hill following the team’s spring game.
“That kid’s got immense talent to be as good as anybody. … He’s got length, he’s got speed, he’s got athleticism. He’s fearless. He’ll tackle, he will go make a play on the ball. He’s everything you want in a corner,” Moore said of Hill, via Wolverines Wire . “So he’s just had a heck of a spring.”
A stingy Wolverines defense contained opponents to just 157 passing yards per game last season. They led the nation with 10.4 points allowed during an undefeated campaign that ended with a national championship.
All-American defensive back Mike Sainristil is one of 18 Michigan prospects looking to get drafted this week. Barring a change of heart, Waller will no longer be part of the program’s efforts to replace him in 2024.