Yesterday, the media got to meet with new Michigan football transfer portal cornerback Josh Wallace, who comes to Ann Arbor after a few standout years with the UMass Minutemen. With Wallace competing for a starting spot right now, there is a lot of buzz about his presence coming out of fall camp; that said, let’s take a step back and review why Wallace chose the Wolverines and what the biggest differences are.
New Michigan football transfer portal addition explains why he chose the Wolverines
Right off the bat, it appeared that Michigan football may have gotten an early advantage since UMass’s head coach is a former Jim Harbaugh assistant coach — Don Brown. Did that play a role? Nope — Wallace said that was a non-factor. So, why choose the Maize and Blue?
“Really, the players on my visit,” he explained on Wednesday. “Mike (Sainristil), Rod (Moore), Quinten (Johnson), Makari (Paige), they’re all out at dinner and they kind of convinced me to come here.”
Where did he go to dinner on his visit? Chophouse in Ann Arbor — he explained that he had the Wagyu steak, so it’s clear that he was wined and dined during his visit with the Wolverines.
Coming from UMass to Michigan football is a big transition for this new transfer portal addition. At first, Wallace referred to the Wolverines as “you guys,” but he claims that those days are behind him — he now feels like a part of the team.
“Oh, yeah, most definitely. That was my little phase I had, I’m not gonna lie,” he said. “I’d watch TV and be like, ‘Oh, you guys play at night this game.’ That’s done now. I’m part of the team.”
Biggest differences for Josh Wallace since arriving in Ann Arbor
Coming from a smaller school like UMass to one of the biggest brands in the world in the Big Ten conference is a massive leap. Is Wallace afraid of that transition? Not one bit; it’s all just football, regardless of where you play.
“I use it (as motivation) a little bit, but at the end of the day, I just feel like it’s football,” Michigan football transfer cornerback Josh Wallace explained. “So it shouldn’t matter if someone’s at a bigger school or not because people are in the NFL that is undrafted that come from smaller schools — D1, D2 — I just feel like that doesn’t really matter.”
What about practice and team culture — is that different?
“People are held more accountable here,” he stated. “That’s really the biggest difference … Most definitely in practice. But it’s still football. Just have to go in with your head down ready to work … Just little things in the locker room — someone leaves a towel, just getting on the player for that, stuff like that.”
The position battle at cornerback is still too close to call right now, but with Amorion Walker “banged up” right now, expect Josh Wallace to be a strong contender for the CB2 spot across from star defensive back Will Johnson.
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