Michigan Football Likely Missing On Major Transfer Portal Target

Transfer portal recruiting can be tough, especially for college programs like Michigan football, which has tough academics and lower NIL funding than many other major schools, especially those residing in conferences like the SEC. That said, Jim Harbaugh tends to get a lot of incredible talent through the door, though it looks like UPenn target Joey Slackman is no longer among those that the Wolverines are in the running for.

Transfer portal recruiting is tough: Michigan football likely missing on Joey Slackman

Joey Slackman is one of the top prospects in the NCAA football transfer portal right now — right off the bat, he was a top-ranked target for the Wolverines. That said, as his visit date (this weekend) approached, it is now being reported by credible U-M insider Josh Henschke that he will be canceling his visit to Ann Arbor in favor of a trip to Auburn, AL, for a visit with the Tigers instead.

Confirmed that UPenn DL transfer Joey Slackman is no longer visiting Michigan this weekend. A rescheduled visit is unlikely at this point. Will be visiting Auburn instead.https://t.co/m7YJKpp041

— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) December 13, 2023

Per Henschke’s report, Joey Slackman will be visiting Auburn this weekend instead of Michigan — he adds that Slackman will likely not be rescheduling a visit to Ann Arbor due to time constraints. This is a disappointing whiff for the Wolverines, who have been solid at transfer portal recruiting in the past.

That said, Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff have a lot of other top targets in mind, and getting another defensive tackle (like Slackman) is not a drastic need for the Maize and Blue right now.

Another key factor here could be that Michigan football has two incredible defensive tackles that will be returning to Ann Arbor next fall: sophomores Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham. Both would likely see starting reps over Joey Slackman, who is looking to get some Power 5 experience on tape during his final season of eligibility after finishing his Ivy League degree at UPenn.

As I mentioned, this is a disappointing whiff for the Maize and Blue, though it’s not one that is too detrimental for Michigan in the scheme of things. Per 247 Sports, Slackman is the No. 21 player in the portal and the No. 3 defensive line transfer nationally. On’3 RPM also cites Auburn and Florida as the top contenders in his recruitment for the time being, which would make a lot of sense given his upcoming visit to Auburn and his recent visit with Florida.

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