Posts by: Thunder

Justice Haynes, Wolverine

Alabama transfer running back Justice Haynes has committed to Michigan as of Christmas Eve.

Haynes is a rising third-year player with two years of eligibility remaining. Standing 5’11” and 210 pounds, he rushed for 448 yards on 79 carries and scored 7 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024. He was a backup to Jamarion Miller and was #3 in rushing yards behind quarterback Jalen Milroe and Miller. As a freshman in 2023, he ran 25 times for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Haynes was a 5-star, the #3 running back, and #29 overall in the class of 2023 out of Buford (GA) Buford. Michigan has recruited several players from Buford over the years, but their best signee was running back Christian Turner (who transferred to Wake Forest and then Indiana).

Of all the players in the portal, Haynes was one of the guys I wanted most because it’s pretty clear to see how he will translate to Michigan’s offense. Michigan likes downhill running backs, and Chip Lindsey had success with a pretty similar back at North Carolina in Omarion Hampton. (Hampton is a little bigger at a listed 6’0″, 220 lbs.) Haynes has quick feet, gets north-south quickly, does a good job of following his blocks, and also has contact balance.

Side note: I also was hoping to land Kentucky transfer Keeshawn Silver as a big nose tackle and Washington State QB John Mateer; Silver is headed to USC, and Mateer was a pipe dream, anyway, but decided to follow his offensive coordinator to Oklahoma.

Anyway, Haynes should leap to the front of the line at the running back position and make a good 1-2 punch with Jordan Marshall. I’ll channel my inner Fred Jackson and say Haynes looks like De’Veon Smith . . . but fast! I like both Haynes and Marshall, and the Wolverines should have one of the best backfields in the Big Ten. Cole Cabana (Minnesota) and Tavierre Dunlap (Eastern Michigan) both decided to transfer after the season, but the program will have third-year back Benjamin Hall, second-year player Micah Ka’apana, and newly signed Jasper Parker and Donovan Johnson in addition to Haynes and Marshall.

Haynes is the second Alabama player to transfer to Michigan this cycle, joining defensive tackle Damon Payne. Michigan lost safety Keon Sabb to the Crimson Tide last off-season.

Damon Payne, Wolverine

Alabama transfer Damon Payne committed to Michigan last week.

Payne is listed at 6’4″ and 313 lbs. He made 14 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss this past season with the Crimson Tide while playing in twelve games. Altogether, he has 30 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks over four seasons at Alabama. He was a 5-star, the #7 defensive lineman, and #24 overall in the class of 2021.

Payne is originally from Belleville (MI) Belleville and was offered by Michigan coming out of high school, but the Wolverines’ strained relationship with Belleville made his recruitment basically a non-starter. Michigan has landed a couple Belleville products in recent years (Andre Seldon in 2020, Jeremiah Beasley in 2024), but both of them transferred before making any kind of impact; a few other Belleville products have committed but then decommitted, such as Aaron Alexander (UMass to Michigan State to Arkansas State) and Myles Rowser (Campbell to New Mexico to Arizona State).

Despite the 5-star ranking, Payne never made much of an impact at Alabama. After redshirting in 2021, he played mostly a backup role and managed just 2 total tackles for loss. With one year of eligibility remaining and Belleville superstar quarterback Bryce Underwood signing with the Wolverines for 2025, it seems Payne wanted to finish out his career near home and with a chance to make an impact.

Michigan is losing Mason Graham to the NFL and very likely could also lose Kenneth Grant to the draft, as well. Payne could potentially be a nose tackle starter next to 3-tech Rayshaun Benny. Other players in the mix to play include Trey Pierce and Ike Iwunnah, but Michigan seems to be looking for at least one more defensive tackle in the transfer portal. Payne managed an overall grade of just 62.3 in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus, so he will likely be a significant step down from Graham/Grant. He was the #4 highest graded Defensive Interior player on Alabama’s team with 100+ snaps (Payne played 288 snaps) on the season, so he’s a playable entity but not a standout.

Breeon Ishmail, Ex-Wolverine

Rising third-year player Breeon Ishmail entered the transfer portal last week.

Ishmail is a 6’3″, 260 lb. player who was listed as an EDGE last season. He made 3 tackles while playing in eight games this past season after redshirting as a true freshman in 2023.

Ishmail was a 3-star, the #91 linebacker, and #1110 overall coming out of Cincinnati (OH) Princeton. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Kentucky, Pitt, Tennessee, and West Virginia, among others. I gave him a TTB Rating of 71 coming out of high school (LINK).

So far nine players from the class of 2023 have entered the transfer portal, including Ishmail.

Mikey Keene, Wolverine

Fresno State transfer quarterback Mikey Keene has committed to Michigan. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Keene is a 5’11”, 200-pounder who spent two years at UCF before transferring to Fresno for the 2023-2024 seasons. When he was at UCF with Gus Malzahn as head coach, new Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey was his offensive coordinator for one season, a 2022 campaign that saw Keene complete 60/83 passes (72.3%) for 647 yards, 7.8 yards/attempt, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

Hit the jump for more.

Troy Bowles, Wolverine

Georgia transfer linebacker Troy Bowles has committed to Michigan after visiting this week.

Bowles is listed at 6’0″ and 200 lbs. He played just 12 defensive snaps over two games as a second-year player this past season (34 in four games as a freshman in 2023), so he will have three years of eligibility remaining. He is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who played linebacker at Temple before embarking on an NFL playing and coaching career.

Hit the jump for more.