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Transfer Portal Shopping List

The transfer portal opens up on Tuesday, April 16, and lots of schools are going to be shopping. With spring games out of the way for many programs – and Michigan’s coming up this Saturday – we’re enough of the way through spring ball to be aware of some roster deficiencies going into the fall.

Here are the top three positions Michigan should be looking for in the transfer portal prior to August camp:

1. QUARTERBACK
I know there are some big Alex Orji fans out there, but . . . I’m not one of them. At least not yet. Orji was a project coming out of high school, and in his second season in a Michigan uniform, he did not attempt a single pass. Yes, he can run at 6’3″ and 236 pounds (15 carries, 86 yards, 1 touchdown in 2023), but I’m on the record as a Passing QB Enthusiast. While I’m not a proponent of statuesque quarterbacks, championship teams have good passers and decision-makers, not run-first quarterbacks. I don’t think Michigan has the roster to win an FBS championship in 2024, anyway, but I don’t think they’re going to hit their ceiling without finding a quarterback who can pass the ball efficiently. Some of the big names have already found a new home, but perhaps the Wolverines can find the 2024 version of Jake Rudock, a solid passing quarterback who led Michigan to ten wins back in 2015. Others in the running are seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle and redshirt sophomore Jayden Denegal, but Tuttle had shoulder surgery and Denegal needs some polish since he’s not quite as dangerous as a runner as Orji.

Hit the jump for more.

2024 Season Countdown: #122 Shomari Stone II

Name: Shomari Stone II
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 198 lbs.
High school: Washington (DC) St. John’s
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #37
Last year: I ranked Stone #140 and said he would be a backup defensive back (LINK). He was not on the roster during the season.
TTB Rating: N/A

One of the problems with counting down such a deep dive into the roster for any season is we have no idea what the roster will look like in the fall. Sometimes there are roster casualties of some sort, and Stone was one of those. A member of the team in 2022, he left the program for the 2023 season and missed the national championship run. Now he’s back for a team that probably won’t win the natty.

Stone was a solid high school player who’s probably more known for being the son of D.C.-area media personality Shomari Stone. At 5’8″ and at a position where it’s tough to get on the field to play defense, he’s unlikely to play much of a role this fall. Perhaps some special teams might be in order, but it will be an uphill battle for Stone to see the field much this fall.

Prediction: Backup defensive back

2024 Season Countdown: #123 James Kavouklis

Name: James Kavouklis
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 279 lbs.
High school: Tampa (FL) Berkley Prep
Position: Center/Long snapper
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #64
Last year: I ranked Kavouklis #139 and said he would be a backup center (LINK). He did not see game action.
TTB Rating: N/A

NOTE: I skipped a couple spots in the countdown since running back Danny Hughes and tight end Josh Beetham are both in the transfer portal and were originally in the countdown.

Kavouklis played in one game as a true freshman back in 2022, but he did not see any action in 2023. If you want some positive fluff about new strength and conditioning coach Justin Tress, Kavouklis was a scrawny 272 pounds last season but is now up to a whopping 279 this spring.

On the plus side, Kavouklis doubles as a long snapper, so he could play center or long snap, so that might open some opportunities if there’s an injury or two. He’s not going to elevate to starter in either spot, but sometimes when there’s a blowout, the coaches start emptying the bench. The path to long snapper is typically a little shorter, but Kavouklis is probably #4 there behind William Wagner, Greg Tarr, and Evan Boutorwick.

Prediction: Backup center and long snapper

2024 Season Countdown: #126 Bryson Kuzdzal

Name: Bryson Kuzdzal
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Ada (MI) Forest Hills Eastern
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #41
Last year: I did not rank Kuzdzal. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Kuzdzal was a preferred walk-on for Michigan in the class of 2023, and he’ll be getting a national championship ring for his good taste of choosing the Wolverines over MSU as his walk-on destination. As a high school senior in the fall of 2022, he ran for 1,379 yards and 22 touchdowns, caught 1 touchdown pass, and returned 3 kicks (2 kickoffs, 1 punt) for touchdowns while averaging 10.4 yards per carry. But with a loaded backfield, he was unlikely to play in 2023, and he didn’t.

This fall the depth chart doesn’t look much better for his chances. Despite the graduation of Blake Corum and the transfer of C.J. Stokes to Charlotte, Michigan returns Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings – the #2 and #3 backs from last season – and they added freshmen Jordan Marshall and Micah Ka’apana in the 2024 class. Throw in Tavierre Dunlap, Ben Hall, and Cole Cabana, and it’s a pretty full running back room. Kuzdzal could potentially get some garbage time snaps, but Michigan has invested more scholarship spots at running back than a couple seasons ago when a guy like Leon Franklin was getting a fair number of snaps.

Prediction: Redshirt

Visitors: April 12-14, 2024

2025

Mariyon Dye – DE – Elkhart (IN) Elkhart: Dye is a 6’5″, 235 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #16 EDGE, and #107 overall. This was a midweek visit.

Elijah Melendez – LB – Kissimmee (FL) Osceola: Melendez is a 6’2″, 215-pounder with offers from Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio State, but he chose the least successful program of his top group – the Miami Hurricanes – to commit to back in December 2023. He’s a 4-star, the #16 linebacker, and #138 overall in the class of 2025. On the plus side, he is going against Mario Cristobal’s wishes in order to take a three-day visit to Ann Arbor, so there is some hope for Michigan here as linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary tries to get him to flip.

D.J. Sanders – DT – Bellville (TX) Bellville: Sanders is a 6’4″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #11 defensive lineman, and #111 overall.

Kainoa Winston – S – Washington (DC) Gonzaga: Winston is a 5’11”, 185-pounder with offers from Georgia, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, and others. He’s a 4-star, the #9 safety, and #88 overall. He has already set officials for UNC, Oregon, and PSU, and Michigan is trying to get on that list.