New Michigan football transfers in the running for major awards

Ahead of the upcoming season, Jim Harbaugh has signed a plethora of transfer portal talents, hoping to finally get over the hump and lead his team to a national title in 2023. Yesterday, two of these new Michigan football transfers, center Drake Nugent and tight end AJ Barner, were named to national watch lists for some of the most prestigious awards in college football — the Rimington Award and the Mackey Award.

New Michigan football transfers in the running for major awards

Last year, Michigan football celebrated its first-ever Rimington Award winner, former All-American and current Seattle Seahawk Olu Oluwatimi, who joined as a transfer portal addition from Virginia. This year, the Wolverines have another transfer center, this time being former Stanford captain Drake Nugent.

Nugent joined the Wolverines from the portal quite early after the 2022 season, and so far, he seems to have more than lived up to the hype. Alongside being a preseason 1st team All-Big Ten selection, Nugent appears to be poised for a major leadership role within the Wolverines’ elite offensive line, which aims to secure a third-straight Joe Moore Award this year.

In addition to Nugent, transfer portal addition AJ Barner — a massive tight end from Indiana — is also in the running for some major hardware. Barner is on the watchlist for the Mackey Award, given annually to the best tight end in the country.

AJ Barner was a significant acquisition for Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines, considering they lost two fantastic blocking and receiving threats in Luke Schoonmaker and Erick All via the draft and portal. Now, the Wolverines have added a massive 265-pound tight end with Big Ten experience, run-blocking skills, and excellent hands — a perfect combination for a tight end donning the Maize and Blue.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!