The 2024 season was up-and-down for Michigan football. Yet, the Wolverines ended on a high note with wins over Ohio State and Alabama to finish 8-5.
Thanks to those wins, Michigan football has momentum going into the offseason. The Wolverines have confidence, especially since their defense dominated Alabama with nine or 10 guys who will be back next season.
The offense will be completely different. Chip Lindsey will be the offensive coordinator and the quarterback room will be much improved with Bryce Underwood and Mikey Keene.
Michigan has added Justice Haynes from the transfer portal, as well as some other pieces, but there is still plenty of work to do. Now, that bowl games are over, except for two playoff games, it’s a great time to look at what’s still on the Michigan football transfer portal to-do list.
Get more playmakers
Michigan football has been working on adding more skill guys to fix one of the worst offenses in college football. Haynes will help and former Indiana wideout Donavan McCulley is a nice piece but the Wolverines need more.
Skyler Bell, the former Wisconsin and UConn wide receiver is trending to Michigan. The Wolverines are also hosting former Yale wide receiver David Pantelis this weekend according to EJ Holland of The Wolverine.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound wide receiver had 69 receptions for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games last season as he earned All-Ivy League First-Team. Some other power-4 programs have reached out but it seems like Michigan would be a great fit for Pantelis.
Still, Michigan could use a No. 1 option. They still don’t have that. Bell might be the closest thing and he had over 800 yards receiving last year for UConn, but it woud be incredible to add a true No. 1 wide receiver type to the room. It’s probably not going to happen, but even so, the Wolverines need to upgrade the wide receiver talent.
Fortify the offensive line
During it’s run of three consecutive Big Ten championships, Michigan football had the best offensive line in the Big Ten, maybe in the country.
Defense was always a key part of the equation but the running game and the offensive line are an essential part of Michigan’s championship formula and even with Bryce Underwood at quarterback, the offensive line can’t go overlooked.
Andrew Sprague played well in the ReliaQuest Bowl. I’d be stunned if he wasn’t one of the starting tackles next season. Evan Link can’t be the other. I’d love to see him play guard — the dude can run block — but pass protecting as a tackle isn’t his strength.
So add a tackle, a proven one in the portal as the Wolverines are trying to do in Washington State’s Fa’alili Fa’amoe, the No. 2 offensive tackle available in the portal via 247 Sports. Fa’amore could allow Link to move inside. But the Wolverines need at least one starting-caliber tackle from the portal.
Adding another guard/center type for competition and depth wouldn’t be a bad idea either, and that’s another move to look out for. Brady Norton is transferring from Cal Poly and is expected to be a tackle but will probably be more of a depth/developmental piece in 2025.
Beef up the defensive line
The need on the defensive line might not be as glaring as we thought before the ReliaQuest Bowl but the Wolverines still need to add a defensive tackle.
Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant were two of the best to ever do it, at least in the history of Michigan football, so it’s not going to look the same. Rayshaun Benny is a good starting point, plus Trey Pierce, Enow Etta, and Ike Iwunnah all played well against Bama (all should be back next season).
Michigan football was dominant on the EDGE. Derrick Moore and T.J. Guy will be one of the best pass-rushing tandems in college football, along with Cameron Brandt and also Jaishawn Barham.
The Wolverines could use another stud on the interior though. Former Washington State standout David Gusta is one name on the radar, but he’s visiting a trio of SEC schools. Chris Balas of The Wolverine mentioned Clemson defensive tackle Tre Williams (6-2, 315) as a candidate for Michigan football. He had 16 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks this past season for the Tigers.
Whether it’s Gusta, Williams, or someone else, the Wolverines need at least one more defensive lineman to eat up snaps on the interior.
A veteran cornerback
Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, and Aamir Hall are all expected back for Michigan football. There is also hope that freshman Shamari Earls, who is 6-foot-2 and ranked 96th overall in the 2025 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, will make an early impact like Will Johnson did.
2024 signee Jo’Ziah Edmond is another cornerback that Michigan football fans should know. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear his name this offseason.
But the Wolverines still need to add a veteran. They have been sniffing around for a few. Tony Grimes, a former five-star who played at North Carolina, before spending last season with UNLV, is one possibility.
Getting Rod Moore back in the fold would be huge. He would probably play nickel next season, which would leave TJ Metcalf and Brandyn Hillman as the favorites to start at safety. In that scenario, Michigan might not need another corner, but with Ohio State and Oregon, you can never really have enough.
Last but not least, the Wolverines needed to add a veteran punter.
If they do all that in the coming weeks, this roster should have all it needs to at least be a College Football Playoff contender in 2025.
