Visitors: June 2-4, 2023

    Brian Robinson, Jr. (image via 247 Sports)

    2023 TRANSFER PORTAL

    Josh Wallace - CB - UMass: Wallace is a 6'1", 190-pounder who has started 34 games over the past few seasons at UMass and was a two-time team captain. He has one year of eligibility remaining and was coached at UMass by former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown.

    2024

    Marquis Gallegos - S - West Hills (CA) Chaminade: Gallegos is a 6'1", 175 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA, and USC, among others. He's a 4-star, the #23 safety, and #252 overall. This is his official visit.

    Brian Robinson, Jr. - DE - Austintown (OH) Fitch: Robinson is a 6'5", 255-pounder with offers from Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State, among others. He's a 4-star, the #10 edge, and #132 overall. All four crystal ball picks have come in for Michigan, but he also has official visits set up for Kentucky and Penn State after he visits Ann Arbor.

    Hit the jump for more.

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    2023 Season Countdown: #105 Will Rolapp

    Mandatory Credit: Photo by Julio Cortez/AP/Shutterstock (12611603ai)
    Michigan wide receiver Will Rolapp, left, makes a catch against Maryland defensive back Corey Coley Jr. during the first half of an NCAA college football game, in College Park, Md. Michigan won 59-18
    Michigan Maryland Football, College Park, United States - 20 Nov 2021

    Name: Will Rolapp
    Height: 
    6’0″
    Weight: 
    200 lbs.
    High school: 
    Darien (CT) Suffield Academy
    Position: 
    Wide receiver
    Class: 
    Redshirt junior
    Jersey number: 
    #30
    Last year: 
    I ranked Rolapp #101 and said he would be a backup wide receiver and special teamer (LINK). He did not play in any games.
    TTB Rating:
     N/A

    Rolapp is a walk-on receiver who did not see any playing time in 2022 even though he had a very nice, memorable, 26-yard catch against Maryland in 2021. A few fun facts about Rolapp since there's really no recap of last season for him:

    • Rolapp originally attended Darien (CT) Darien, the same high school as former Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Stueber
    • He then attended Suffield Academy for prep school, the same prep school that produced Michigan players Kechaun Bennett, Brad Hawkins, and Davis Warren
    • Rolapp also played point guard in basketball and once scored 44 points in a game
    • There's a 5-minute highlight reel of his basketball exploits on Youtube:



    As for playing time in 2023, Rolapp will be in a battle for mop-up duty.

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    2023 Season Countdown: #106 Hunter Neff

    Mandatory Credit: Photo by Paul Sancya/AP/Shutterstock (10405418f)
    Michigan wide receiver Hunter Neff runs during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Army in Ann Arbor, Mich
    Army Michigan Football, Ann Arbor, USA - 07 Sep 2019

    Name: Hunter Neff
    Height: 
    6’3″
    Weight: 
    231 lbs.
    High school: 
    Chelsea (MI) Chelsea
    Position: 
    Tight end
    Class: 
    Redshirt senior
    Jersey number: 
    #80
    Last year: 
    I ranked Neff #117 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He played in two games and caught 1 pass for 8 yards.
    TTB Rating:
     N/A

    Neff deserves some sort of award for stick-to-it-iveness. He joined the program as a walk-on in 2019, stuck through 2020, and stayed through 2021 without seeing the field. After three years of sitting and watching, he finally got on the field in a couple blowout games in 2022, even catching an 8-yard pass against Colorado State.

    There probably won't be a big leap in 2023, but Michigan did lose several tight ends in the off-season - four, to be exact. Neff doesn't have the size to factor into the rotation much, but he could possibly move up slightly on the depth chart. A.J. Barner, Matt Hibner, and Colston Loveland seem to make up the top three, and then after that, things seem to be a little murky.

    Prediction: Backup tight end

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    2024 Recruiting Update: May 29, 2023

    Owen Wafle (image via Irish Sports Daily)

    CURRENT 2024 TEAM RECRUITING RANKING: #2

    ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2023 TRANSFER PORTAL

    Michigan offered UMass grad transfer Josh Wallace, who's a 6'1", 190-pounder. Wallace was a 3-star and the #142 cornerback overall back in the class of 2019 when he came out of Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha. He made 41 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 8 pass breakups in 2022. Wallace is a two-time team captain and has started 34 games for the Minutemen.

    ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2024

    Princeton (NJ) Hun School defensive tackle Owen Wafle (4-star, #41 DL, #405 overall) was offered by Michigan and decommitted from Notre Dame. Notre Dame has a policy like Brady Hoke used to have, where visiting other schools means you're no longer considered a commitment. Wafle plans to visit Ann Arbor and therefore sacrificed his spot in Notre Dame's class, so some crystal balls came in for Wafle to commit to the Wolverines.



    OFF THE BOARD

    Peculiar (MO) Raymore-Peculiar tight end Jaden Reddell (4-star, #3 TE, #55 overall) committed to Georgia.

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    2023 Season Countdown: #107 Danny Hughes

    Danny Hughes (#24, image via Twitter)

    Name: Danny Hughes
    Height: 
    6’0″
    Weight: 
    205 lbs.
    High school: 
    Naperville (IL) Central
    Position: 
    Running back
    Class: 
    Redshirt senior
    Jersey number: 
    #24
    Last year: 
    I ranked Hughes #80 and said he would be a backup running back and special teamer (LINK). He played in seven games and had 6 carries for 35 yards.
    TTB Rating:
     N/A

    For the past two seasons, Hughes has been a big special teams contributor, playing in 20 games over that time span. Last season with a shallow running back depth chart, he managed to snag 6 carries for 35 yards across two blowout games (Hawaii and UConn).

    This season I'm dropping Hughes down a hefty 27 spots for a couple reasons. First of all, Michigan returns a ton of players this season and did not lose much off the College Football Playoff team from a year ago. Second, Michigan returns everyone from the running back room and adds two freshmen, Cole Cabana and Benjamin Hall. There might be some garbage time carries to be handed out to walk-ons, but Michigan also needs to find out what it has in some of the younger backs like Hall, Cabana, and C.J. Stokes to see if they can take over the load in 2024 after both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards could possibly be gone.

    Prediction: Backup running back and special teamer

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    2023 Season Countdown: #108 Breeon Ishmail

    Breeon Ishmail (image via 247 Sports)

    Name: Breeon Ishmail
    Height: 
    6’4"
    Weight: 
    225 lbs.
    High school: 
    Hamilton (OH) Princeton
    Position: 
    Edge
    Class: 
    Freshman
    Jersey number:
     N/A
    Last year: 
    Ishmail was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 64 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions (1 returned for a TD).
    TTB Rating:
     71

    Ishmail was one of the later commitments in the class of 2023, announcing his intention to play for Michigan in late November. A whirling dervish of a player, Ishmail did a little bit of everything for Princeton's defense, playing middle linebacker, overhang defender, and edge rusher. They didn't rush him as much as they could have, or else his sack totals should have been higher.

    Ishmail has the length and closing speed to be a productive pass rusher, but he's a little bit light right now and doesn't have a whole lot of technique in his arsenal. Rated as a 3-star, the #91 linebacker, and #1107 overall in the 247 Composite, Michigan lists him as an EDGE, which I think is his best fit. He will need a couple seasons to pack on enough weight to hold up against kickout blocks, and then he'll have a chance to see the field.

    Prediction: Redshirt

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    2023 Season Countdown: #109 Nathan Efobi

    Nathan Efobi (image via Twitter)

    Name: Nathan Efobi
    Height: 
    6’4"
    Weight: 
    295 lbs.
    High school: 
    Cumming (GA) South Forsyth
    Position: 
    Offensive guard
    Class: 
    Freshman
    Jersey number:
     N/A
    Last year: 
    Efobi was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble on defense.
    TTB Rating:
     68

    Efobi was a pretty big get for Michigan in the 2023 class, signing with the Wolverines over offers from Georgia, Miami, and Penn State, among others. He ended up as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 interior offensive lineman, and #345 overall. He committed in November and signed in December, and he will join the Wolverines this summer.

    From an on-the-field perspective, I'm not sure how much Efobi will have an impact. I gave him a TTB Rating of 68 because I think he has a lot of work to do. Even if considering the overall ranking, only 259 players were drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, so if he ends up as the 345th best player in three to five years, that puts him as an undrafted free agent. Of course, NFL Draft results don't always mirror recruiting rankings, but it's important to keep some perspective. Efobi will probably need at least a year of development to be field-ready, and Michigan has a ton of legitimate linemen, so I think a redshirt is a safe bet.

    Prediction: Redshirt

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