New Michigan football transfer garnering serious national hype, ranked in top 10 by PFF

Despite all of the team’s success during the 2022 season, Jim Harbaugh still hit the portal pretty hard, assembling one of the best transfer portal recruiting classes in the nation. One new Michigan football transfer addition, Drake Nugent, has been garnering all kinds of national hype, recently ranked among the top 10 interior offensive linemen in the nation ahead of the 2023 season per Pro Football Focus.

Who is new Michigan football transfer Drake Nugent?

Drake Nugent, a former standout center and two-time honorable-mention offensive lineman in the PAC-12, is among the recent additions to the Michigan football roster. Nugent displayed exceptional skills during his tenure with the Stanford Cardinal and is expected to step into the role of starting center, taking over from Olu Oluwatimi, who achieved unparalleled success as an offensive lineman for the Wolverines in the 2022 season.

Not only is Nugent considered one of the top offensive line recruits in the country, but he also boasts an impressive academic record, earning a place on the All-PAC-12 Academic Honor Roll twice during his time at Stanford. His well-rounded abilities make him an excellent fit for the Wolverines in Ann Arbor this upcoming fall.

Where does Nugent rank among interior offensive linemen this fall?

According to the latest Pro Football Focus rankings, the recent transfer portal addition to the Michigan football team is ranked No. 6 in the nation. This makes for an impressive replacement for Olu Oluwatimi, something that Michigan needs heading into a year full of enormous expectations this fall.

Here is PFF’s take on the Wolverines’ newest center addition:

“Despite losing Outland Trophy winner Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan should still have elite play in the middle of its offensive line. Nugent is the highest-ranked center on this list and is the most valuable returning one in the Power Five according to PFF’s wins above average metric. The Stanford transfer’s 84.1 run-blocking grade ranked third among all centers in the country this past season. Between Nugent creating holes in the middle and two top-10 running backs in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, the Wolverines’ ground game should once again be deadly next season”

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