What sold new Michigan football transfer on coming to Ann Arbor?

Jim Harbaugh went to work in the transfer portal following the Wolverines’ crushing loss in the College Football Playoff last year. Now, these new additions can be seen all over the field, from starting roles to vital depth positions. One Michigan football transfer — offensive tackle LaDarius Henderson — spoke with the media last night, where he explained to us what sold him on coming to Ann Arbor from Arizona State.

Michigan football transfer lineman talks deciding factors in commitment

LaDarius Henderson was one of the top players for Arizona State football last year; in fact, his four-year career with the Sun Devils was impressive as a whole. Still, in 2023, home for Henderson is located in Ann Arbor with Michigan football.

But why Michigan? What sold the veteran lineman — who was one of the best players in the transfer portal — to walk into a position battle in Ann Arbor instead of going to the NFL or a team with a guaranteed starting spot for him? Simple: if you want to be the best, you need to play with the best and against some of the best competition in college football.

“Well, I told myself — well also I feel like God led me here to be completely honest — but I knew if I was gonna go back to college, I wanted to go play with the best offensive line,” the Michigan football transfer tackle said last night. “So what guys are better than these guys? So that’s what I wanted to do, and I was like, ‘Hey, if my mindset was if I’m not good enough to play with these guys then got to dig deep and look within yourself like I got some getting better to do.’  It’s never a bad thing to realize you gotta get better.”

LaDarius Henderson looking to prove his versatility with the Wolverines

After standing out as one of the top offensive guards in the PAC-12 over the past few years, LaDarius Henderson is ready to show what he can do at left tackle with Michigan football this year. This weekend, against Rutgers, the starting tackles remain unknown, though there is a sense among media and fans that Henderson’s time to start could be coming.

“I want to show that I can play left tackle at a high level, as well as I played guard before previously,” he said. “I want to show that the things that used to be my weaknesses are no longer my weaknesses. And I want to show that I’m not afraid to compete.”

This weekend, Henderson and Michigan football will begin Big Ten play against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Wolverines are currently 24-point favorites and have an 85% chance of winning per the Football Power Index.

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