Tag: transfers

Cade McNamara, Ex-Wolverine

Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara has entered the transfer portal. The class of 2019 signee won the starting job from Joe Milton in 2020 and held it through 2021, leading the Wolverines to a 12-1 record, a Big Ten championship, and the College Football Playoff.

Unfortunately for McNamara, his 2022 season started by losing his starting job to J.J. McCarthy in week two. As a backup in week three, he hurt his knee, which was followed up by knee surgery and ultimately an entry into the portal.

McNamara completed 267/431 passes (63.1%) during his career at Michigan for 3,181 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He ranks #14 all-time at Michigan in passing yardage despite starting for just over one season.

I gave McNamara a TTB Rating of 65 and assumed he would probably transfer after being stuck behind Dylan McCaffrey and/or Joe Milton. Obviously, I was wrong about the circumstances – and he deserved a higher TTB Rating – but it turns out he is transferring after being knocked down the depth chart, just not in favor of McCaffrey or Milton. The 2021 season was a pretty magical year and McNamara had some great performances, including against Rutgers in 2020, Penn State in 2021, and even Michigan State in 2021, despite the latter being a loss.

It’s hard to blame McNamara for looking for a new opportunity. He had the job and lost it, and his replacement is going to be around for another year or two. McNamara has two seasons of eligibility remaining, and with his resume, he could potentially go elsewhere and earn a starting job for the next two years. He could even end up still playing in the Big Ten; Iowa (Spencer Petras) and Purdue (Aidan O’Connell) both have quarterbacks graduating after this season.

Michigan is now down to McCarthy, walk-on Davis Warren, and redshirt freshmen Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal. The Wolverines appear not to be interested in taking a quarterback in the class of 2023. Unless they go after a player in the transfer portal, the depth will be rather thin in 2023 and, in my opinion, not very talented outside of McCarthy and Warren. However, some Michigan people seem to believe that it opens the door for an early contribution from Charlotte (NC) Providence Day quarterback Jadyn Davis, who is thought to be a Michigan lean.

Eyabi Anoma, Wolverine

Former Alabama, Houston, and UT-Martin defensive end/outside linebacker Eyabi Anoma has enrolled at Michigan.

Anoma was listed at 6’6″ and 270 lbs. as a Jack linebacker on UT-Martin’s roster. He made 36 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 3 quarterback hurries in 2021.

2018 RECRUITING RANKINGS
ESPN: 5-star, 94 grade, #1 DE, #3 overall
On3: N/A
Rivals: 5-star, 6.1 grade, #1 WDE, #7 overall
247 Sports: 5-star, 100 grade, #1 WDE, #4 overall

Hit the jump for more.

Cam Goode, Wolverine

University of Central Florida grad transfer defensive tackle Cam Goode committed to Michigan on Friday evening. Goode was reportedly also considering Syracuse and Vanderbilt.

Goode was listed on UCF’s roster at 6’2″ and 315 lbs. He was a part-time starter for the Golden Knights in 2021, playing in all thirteen games and making 24 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 4 forced fumbles.

Hit the jump for more.

Jordan Morant, Ex-Wolverine

Rising junior safety Jordan Morant has entered the transfer portal. Morant played eight games in 2021 and made 1 tackle on special teams.

Morant committed to Michigan in the 2020 class out of Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic. At the time he was coming off of a stellar junior season where he made 60 tackles and 4 interceptions. He was an Under Armour All-American and seemed headed for stardom. Unfortunately, he suffered a lower body injury early in his senior year that was rumored at the time to be potentially career-ending and led him to redshirt as a freshman.

By the time Morant got on the field in 2021, he was behind in his development, having been passed up by classmates (R.J. Moten, Makari Paige) and at least one younger player (Rod Moore). He has a lot of physical talent at 6’0″ and 210 lbs., but competition is stiff for playing time at Michigan. It’s unfortunate for him – and for someone like defensive end Braiden McGregor – that injuries during their senior year have hampered their development here at the next level.

Michigan has plenty of safeties left on the depth chart, so this is not a huge factor for the program. It also frees up a scholarship for Michigan, as the Wolverines currently have 88 scholarship guys slotted to be on the roster in the fall and need a few guys to disappear before then.

Eight players from the 2020 class have entered the transfer portal, where Morant joins Andre Seldon (New Mexico State), Darion Green-Warren (Nevada), Cornell Wheeler (Kansas), Dan Villari (Syracuse), Osman Savage (Alabama A&M), William Mohan (Tennessee), and Aaron Lewis (Rutgers).

Olu Oluwatimi, Wolverine

Virginia transfer center Olu Oluwatimi committed to Michigan via Twitter on December 27:

#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/eqPYvXtyzM

— Olu (@bigolu55) December 27, 2021

A product of Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha, Oluwatimi was a 6’4″, 275 lb. prospect in high school who signed with Air Force in 2017. At the time he was a 2-star, the #160 offensive guard, and #3300 overall. After spending a year in Colorado, he transferred to Virginia and sat out the 2018 season due to transfer rules. He missed his first possible game in 2019 due to a hand injury, and then he would go on to start the next 32 games for the Cavaliers. In the 2021 season, he was named a Rimington finalist as one of the top three centers in the country.

Hit the jump for more.