Two new Michigan Wolverines were named to The Athletic’s top-100 transfers in college football ahead of the 2024 season:
In this day and age of college football, recruiting players out of the transfer portal is just as important — some would argue it’s even more important — as recruiting high school prospects. The Michigan Wolverines have been very accepting of the portal the last few years, as players like Olu Oluwatimi, Drake Nugent, LaDarius Henderson, Josh Wallace, AJ Barner and more have found success in Ann Arbor.
This season will be no exception, as Sherrone Moore and company dipped into the portal several times to replenish some of the talent they lost to the NFL. College football reporter Bruce Feldman and a couple of his colleagues over at The Athletic recently published an article that ranked the top-100 transfers in college football ahead of the 2024 season, and two new Wolverines made the list.
First up: linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who slots in at No. 32 on the list. Here is what The Athletic had to say about him.
The most talented player on the Terps defense in 2023 will bring even more physicality to what will again be a nasty unit in Ann Arbor. Barham has made a big impression on his new coaches with his toughness and mobility. He’s a lights-out hitter who will be a menace at the Will linebacker spot.
Barham was a monster addition in general, but even more so considering the Wolverines lost Michael Barrett and Junior Colson to the NFL Draft . The linebacker depth was incredibly thin at that point, so him transferring to Michigan could prove to be a game-changer for the defense this season.
The second Michigan player on the list is left guard Josh Priebe, who was ranked No. 77.
A third-team All-Big Ten selection and team captain for Northwestern in a turbulent but successful season, Priebe is a key part of the next in a wave of transfer talent that will bolster the Wolverines in the trenches. The 6-5, 306-pound Michigan native is a gritty, tough interior lineman who started 29 games for NU — mostly at left guard — and he will be a cornerstone of the Wolverines’ entirely rebuilt O-line.
The Wolverines lost six offensive linemen to the NFL this offseason, so it was crucial for them to go snag at least one player with experience. Priebe has that in bunches, as explained above by The Athletic, and it helps that he has faced the rigors of Big Ten defenses his entire career.
Additionally, former Wolverine and current Alabama safety Keon Sabb made the list at No. 28 overall. Other significant players in the Big Ten include Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (No. 1), Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (No. 2), OSU running back Quinshon Judkins (No. 6), Oregon wideout Evan Stewart (No. 7), Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles (No. 14), USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, and OSU quarterback Will Howard (No. 19).
Which transfer portal addition do you think is the most important for Michigan this year? Let us know down in the comments!