Michigan Football: Breaking down offer to transfer portal DT

Michigan football could use some added beef in the middle of the defensive line and one option in the portal is Illinois State defensive tackle John Ridgeway. 

For months now, Michigan football fans have been clamoring for the team to make a move in the transfer portal, especially at a position of need such as defensive tackle or linebacker.

Of course, with admissions at the University of Michigan, that makes nothing easy, as we saw with Xavier Worthy who ended up leaving, in part, because he wasn’t able to enroll early for spring practices.

Worthy asked out his national letter of intent and a number of other players have transferred which has Michigan football very close to the 85-man scholarship limit.

With Brad Hawkins and a few others not counting, the Wolverines should have a few spots to spare, but despite the hand-wringing, outside of Zach Charbonnet and Worthy, every departure via transfer was just part of processing.

And it’s probably not done.

However, there could be a chance of Michigan football adding some talent through the transfer portal as the Wolverines offered former Illinois State defensive tackle John Ridgeway.

According to his profile on the Illinois State website, Ridgeway is 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, which is exactly the kind of body Michigan football needs on its defensive line.

The problem is that Michigan isn’t the only program searching for defensive line help. Arkansas, Texas, Indiana, and Penn State are among the other programs that have offered Ridgeway, whose recruitment is blowing up after playing four games this spring.

Others such as USC, Arizona State, Tennessee, and Iowa have also jumped into the mix, most within the past day.

In 2019, he was honorable mention in the Missouri Valley Conference and registered 50 tackles, as well as three tackles for loss. He doesn’t have a long history of getting sacks, but Ridgeway is a stout run defender and that’s what the Wolverines need more than anything.

We’ll see how this develops, but Michigan has a need at the position and Ridgeway would get lots of playing time and a chance to showcase himself for the NFL as Mike Danna once did.

Michigan is also still after former Tennessee linebacker Henry To’o To’o and another former Vol, Quavaris Crouch, is another consideration at linebacker, but he’s actually picked up a couple of crystal ball picks to Michigan State.

Any of those guys would be welcome additions as the run defense needs to improve before heading into next season but getting Ridgeway won’t be easy.