Coaching changes can have severe costs, including losing your players to the portal. However, that was not the case for Michigan football.
The Wolverines retained most of their entries, but suffered the loss of a few who were likely to contribute in a large manner this season. Justice Haynes is arguably the most consequential starter that Michigan could not keep, but with the arrival of Savion Hiter and others, the running back position might be better without him. Two that will sting because of their departures leave holes in the depth chart.
2 departarted defenders whom Michigan will regret losing to the portal
Cole Sullivan-Oklahoma
Besides losing Haynes, Sullivan was the biggest name that Michigan lost in the portal. He was primed for a year where he could have been the leading tackler for the Wolverines. Instead of starting in Ann Arbor, he opted to join a rotation in Norman and earn a role for himself. No returning linebacker has as much playing time as Sullivan possessed. Michigan's new staff tried tirelessly to bring in someone to ease the Sullivan transfer, but to no avail. The pressure is on Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and others to replace his production.
Jayden Sanders-Notre Dame
Although Sanders was only a true freshman, he made an immediate impact on the field last season. When Zeke Berry or Jyaire Hill were not in the lineup, Sanders was playing fearlessly. He flashed lockdown corner potential that Berry or Hill rarely showed.
Factor him into the equation with those two, and Smith Snowden and Michigan's secondary is second to none. He'll now get to study Leonard Moore at Notre Dame and should eventually grow into a first-round projected star. He might not be missed so much this year, but he was a sure bet to start in 2027 with the previous three mentioned starters all departing.
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