An Inside Look at Michigan Football Transfer Portal Strategy

The No. 2 Wolverines’ (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) season is still going, taking on the No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) this weekend in the Big Ten title game. Still, it has become impossible to avoid the activity happening throughout college football with transfers, especially since the 2023 Michigan football transfer portal class was so strong and has helped shape a second straight 12-0 season for the Wolverines this fall. On Wednesday, we got an inside peek at some of the strategies behind how Michigan evaluates potential targets via Kirk Campbell.

Michigan football transfer portal moves played a big part in 2022-2023 success

In 2022, Michigan football transfer portal lineman Olu Oluwatimi, a center, became the most decorated lineman in U-M program history — he won the Outland, the Rimington, was a consensus All-American, was an All-Big Ten selection, helped win the Joe Moore Award, was a Big Ten Champion, and more.

This fall, even more new additions from the transfer portal have helped pave the way to a second straight undefeated regular season, Big Ten title game berth, and potentially a third straight College Football Playoff berth if the Wolverines can handle business this weekend.

Kirk Campbell gives insight into portal strategy

Seeing as a lot of Michigan’s top players, including junior quarterback JJ McCarthy, are likely leaving Michigan football after the 2023 season, there is a likelihood that the Wolverines must use the transfer portal to rebuild heading into 2024.

Ahead of the Conference Championship Game, QB Coach Kirk Campbell gave insight into how the program and staff evaluate potential additions from the transfer portal.

“I think that’s the large majority — when you’re recruiting a player or bringing a player in, they have to fit. It’s like dating: they gotta like you (and) you gotta like them. It’s not just taking somebody just because they’re a good player. If they don’t have the intangibles, the leadership qualities, the type of — how they carry themselves, the background, the familiarity of what we’re trying to achieve here.”

Jack Tuttle cited as prime example of “fit” at Michigan

This season, Michigan football added a new transfer quarterback: Jack Tuttle from Indiana, who is currently the Wolverines’ backup QB behind JJ McCarthy. While Tuttle is not likely to start this fall, or perhaps even next year, he has still been an incredible addition to the team — so much so that Kirk Campbell cited him as a prime example of what Michigan wants in a player from the portal.

“Jack Tuttle has been an outstanding addition,” he said. “I think I’ve spoken about that before up here. The type of player that he is, the leadership, the experience he’s had. If you can ever find players like him to add to your program for culture, it’s an unbelievable add. Very fortunate to have Jack as part of the room.”

As a few Michigan football coaches have pointed out so far, the Wolverines are not worried about who will stay and who will go just yet — that will work itself out. What the team is focused on, however, is taking things one game at a time, winning the Big Ten, appearing in the College Football Playoff, and perhaps making a run at the 2023-24 national title.

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