Tag: transfer portal

Ernest Hausmann, Wolverine

Former Nebraska linebacker Ernest Hausmann has committed to Michigan as a transfer. Transfer offers are a little bit iffy to track, but he was offered by Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Virginia out of high school.

Hausmann is a 6’2″, 220 lb. player who made 54 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack while starting seven games as a true freshman for the Cornhuskers in 2022. Despite being offered by the Wolverines out of school, chose his “home state” team for a year instead; Hausmann was actually born in Uganda but was adopted and moved to be with his adoptive family when he was five years old.

High school rankings from 2022:

ESPN: 3-star, 78 grade, #24 ILB
On3: 4-star, 91 grade, #27 LB, #294 overall
Rivals: 3-star, 5.6 grade, #45 OLB
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #65 LB

Hit the jump for more.

LaDarius Henderson, Wolverine

Arizona State offensive guard LaDarius Henderson announced today that he would be spending his final year of eligibility in Ann Arbor.

Henderson was a 6’4″, 270 lb. offensive tackle prospect coming out of Waxahachie (TX) Waxahachie in the class of 2019. He was ranked as a 247 Composite 3-star and the #50 offensive tackle, and he picked ASU over offers from Boise State, Colorado State, and Illinois, among others. (Fun fact: While at Waxahachie, Henderson played for former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, who coached the program for three seasons before stepping down.)

Now listed at 6’5″ and 310 lbs., Henderson started thirteen games at left guard in 2021 – in fact, all but 12 of ASU’s offensive snaps – but only played in six games in 2022 due to injury. Overall, he has 29 career starts and was named a team captain this past season. He had accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Game, but instead it appears he will play for the Wolverines.

Michigan is losing at least two starters after this season in left tackle Ryan Hayes and center Olu Oluwatimi; but there’s a good chance that one or both guards, Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, enter the NFL Draft in 2023. Henderson was ranked as an offensive tackle coming out of high school and played some as a backup tackle in 2020, but he’s more of a guard. My guess is that Michigan plans to bring him in to compete at the guard position.

A possible depth chart for 2023 could be (as the roster stands right now):

LT: Karsen Barnhart (RS Sr.), Jeffrey Persi (RS Jr.), Evan Link (Fr.)
LG: Trevor Keegan (RS Sr.), LaDarius Henderson (RS Sr.), Alessandro Lorenzetti (RS Fr.), Connor Jones (RS Fr.)
C: Greg Crippen (RS So.), Raheem Anderson (RS So.), Amir Herring (Fr.)
RG: Zak Zinter (RS Jr.), Giovanni El-Hadi (RS So.), Dominick Giudice (RS So.), Nathan Efobi (Fr.)
RT: Trente Jones (RS Sr.), Andrew Gentry (RS Fr.), Tristan Bounds (RS So.)

Daylen Baldwin, Wolverine

Jackson State transfer Daylen Baldwin committed to Michigan on Monday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over an offer from Ohio State (and others).

Baldwin is listed at 6’3″ and 210 lbs. During the shortened spring 2021 season, he caught 27 passes for 540 yards (20.0 yards/catch) and 7 touchdowns.

Baldwin bounced around a little bit in high school, going from Southfield to Waterford Mott. He signed with Morgan State in the 2017 class and spent two seasons there before transferring to Jackson State in 2019. After sitting out 2019 and playing in 2020, he decided once again to switch schools. He worked out while visiting Michigan last week, an offer ensued, and it was assumed shortly after that he would pick the Wolverines, with the biggest reason being an opening for immediate playing time.

I have perhaps an irrational affinity for receivers who are roughly 6’3″ and 210 lbs., because those have been some of the guys who have had the most success at Michigan, such as Marquise Walker, David Terrell, Adrian Arrington, etc. Michigan doesn’t have many of those long, rangy types on the roster in 2021, with just redshirt sophomore Cornelius Johnson and true freshman Cristian Dixon approaching that type of height and length.

Baldwin has some good film from the level of FCS Jackson State, catching deep balls and outjumping some smaller defensive backs. I have not seen evidence that he is an advanced route runner, but Michigan does not really require advanced route running from its outside receivers. The Wolverines mostly need a big receiver who can run fades and posts, allowing the slot guys to run the RPO’s over the middle.

Baldwin has a good chance to play immediately at Michigan. Cornelius Johnson will probably start on the outside, and he could somewhat have a breakout season. Ronnie Bell can play outside and inside, and then there are guys like Roman Wilson and A.J. Henning, who are a little smaller but faster than Baldwin. Personally, I think Baldwin is probably the fourth or fifth most talented receiver on the roster, but that should still get him on the field.

Jordan Whittley, Wolverine

Oregon State graduate transfer defensive tackle Jordan Whittley has selected the Michigan Wolverines as his destination for 2021.

Whittley is a 6’1″, 358 lb. nose tackle. He missed 2020 with a tumor near his heart, but the last time he played (when he was listed at 6’1″, 324), he made 14 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup, and 1 quarterback hurry. Before Oregon State he was at Laney College, a JUCO in Oakland, California, that was profiled in season four of Last Chance U. Out of high school in the class of 2014, he was a 247 Sports 2-star and the #287 athlete, signing with San Jose State but never attending.

Whittley was listed as a 6’2″, 225 lb. running back coming out of high school. He tore his ACL and put on 100 lbs. or so while he was laid up recovering.

Michigan needs help on the interior of the defensive line. Former defensive coordinator Don Brown did not stockpile nose tackle types, leaving the Wolverines thin on pluggers and heavy on tackle/end tweeners. Michigan addressed the dearth of defensive tackles in the 2021 recruiting class, but nobody is ready to play as a true nose tackle right away. Whittley – if healthy – should be able to hold up to double teams. He won’t be Maurice Hurst, Jr. and living in the offensive backfield, but he should be able to let the linebackers flow to do their job.

Transfer Portal Recruiting Update: January 23, 2021

Quavaris Crouch – LB – Tennessee: Crouch was listed as a 6’2″, 235 lb. linebacker for Tennessee in 2020 after coming in at 6’1″, 246 lbs. (too heavy) as a freshman in 2019. As a second-year player, he made 57 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. His final three out of high school included Clemson and Michigan. Originally from North Carolina, the Wolverines and Tarheels are being considered. Crouch was a 4-star, the #3 athlete, and #61 overall in 2019. Here’s a blast from the past, what I wrote about Crouch when he committed to the Vols (LINK):

Crouch somewhat inexplicably picked the Tennessee Volunteers. With a top three including Clemson, Michigan, and Tennessee, most people thought he would pick Clemson. Except he then supposedly eliminated them in the last week or two, taking a final-weekend visit to Tennessee. Michigan seemed to be running #3, but Tennessee . . . I mean . . . Tennessee?

Hit the jump for more.