Michigan Football: DT Antonio Shelton is a must-get in transfer portal

Michigan football has pledged to be active in the transfer portal leading into next season and Antonio Shelton of Penn State is a prime target.

The Michigan football team needs more bodies at defensive tackle and whether that comes through traditional recruiting or the transfer portal, it must be addressed.

The Wolverines didn’t sign a true defensive tackle in the early signing period in 2021, even though Dominick Giudice who was recruited as a defensive end but has grown into more of a tackle.

Michigan is also hoping it can flip Michigan State commit and in-state defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny or possibly even George Rooks.

But even if that happens, Michigan still needs more depth and that’s why adding one or maybe even two defensive tackles from the portal is a must.

And one name that makes a ton of sense is former Penn State defensive tackle Antonio Shelton, who has been contacted by the Wolverines according to Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider ($).

What Shelton would bring to Michigan

Shelton is exactly the kind of defensive tackle Michigan football fans have been wanting on the roster because he’s 6-foot-2, 327 pounds.

He’s also been a productive player and over the past four years, he has notched 51 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Those numbers might not jump off at the page, but Shelton is a big man and much of his job is taking up blockers and getting six sacks in that time is nothing to scoff at.

Shelton is obviously one of the top names at the position in the portal right now and he said a ton of teams have been contacting him, so Michigan football will really need to work on this addition.

But if the staff could make it happen, Shelton, for my money, would be an immediate starter up front next season. Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith both showed flashes in 2020 and they will play key roles at defensive tackle next season along with Donovan Jeter.

But those guys were part a run defense that was pushed around too often and especially against a team like Wisconsin, the Wolverines struggled to hold their own in the trenches.

Adding a guy like Shelton would help with depth, but it would also give Michigan a big body in the middle with Big Ten experience. That combination of talent and experience will be hard to find elsewhere and that’s why getting Shelton is critical for the Wolverines.