Michigan football: transfer portal class drops three spots to No. 4

Heading into the College Football Playoff, Michigan football boasted a 13-0 record (10-0 Big Ten) and the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class. Despite not losing a single portal recruit, the Wolverines’ class is down to No. 4 nationally.

Michigan football assembled incredible class

Just because Michigan’s portal class has moved down a few spots does not mean it isn’t one of the best in the nation. Right now, the Wolverines have seven players committed — all of which have starting experience and 6/7 have are coming from Power Five schools. In fact, three of Michigan’s seven transfer players have Big Ten experience (from Indiana and Nebraska).

Jim Harbaugh’s class includes five 4-star transfers and two 3-star transfers, and most (if not all) of these new Wolverines should have an immediate impact on the 2023 season. As of today, Michigan football has the No. 4 class in the nation, one that boasts an overall grade of 59.55 according to 247 Sports.

The Wolverines are brining in some much-needed proven talent from schools like Stanford, Nebraska, Arizona State, and more. Some of the bigger names headed to Ann Arbor include Ernest Hausmann (LB, Nebraska), Josaiah Stewart (edge, Coastal Carolina), AJ Barner (TE, Indiana) and more. The Wolverines seem to expect a lot of turnover on the offensive line as they plan to bring in three battle-tested offensive lineman in this transfer class alone.

The numbers do not tell the entire story

While Michigan’s class has moved down in the rankings, it is important to remember two things. 1) Michigan’s class did not get worse — the Wolverines still have seven transfers committed and all will be enrolling in the fall. 2) Michigan has only seven transfers opposed to schools like ASU and Colorado, who have 15+.

Right now, there are three schools ahead of U-M in 247’s portal rankings: Florida State (8 players), LSU (7 players), and Colorado (17 players). Two of the three schools ahead of U-M have more transfers than Michigan does.

When looking at overall grades, the Wolverines are still close to being in the top-3. LSU, who is ranked just ahead of Michigan’s class (which boasts a 59.55 grade) also has seven commits, though the Tigers’ class is graded at 62.16. Ahead of the Tigers are Colorado (68.25 overall) and Florida State (69.34 overall).

Michigan football stands out in portal rankings

The fact of the matter is that Michigan is in odd company at the top. The three teams above Michigan are all in the early-stages of a rebuild, and their head coaches are trying to patch immediate holes. The three teams below Michigan (Arizona State, UCLA, and USC) are all in the same boat.

Michigan football, on the other hand, is coming off of back-to-back 12-win seasons, Big Ten Championships, and Playoff appearances. The Wolverines are likely gearing up for another run at the conference title and CFP spot again in 2023, too. If Michigan is recruiting the portal this well now, its holes should be patched by the next fall and Michigan should be one of the nation’s best teams yet again.

While the Wolverines’ class may not be ranked No. 1 anymore, this is nothing for Michigan football fans to be upset or worried about in the slightest.