So far the maize and blue haven't been depleted too much by the transfer portal. They'll have to find a new punter and may have a silent commit from Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley to replace Tyler Morris at receiver. The rest of the losses have been primarily backups, but that can change in an instant with NIL in play. Bryce Underwood is a prime example of that. Here are three transfers that Michigan football could indulge in.
1. Dillon Thieneman, Safety, Purdue
Thieneman burst onto the scene as a freshman for the Boilermakers. He picked off quarterback's six times as a first-year starter in West Lafayette and recorded 100-plus tackles in two years there. He's a starter as soon as he steps on to campus who has All-American characteristics. Every school should be foaming at the mouth to get this guy in their uniform.
Pitting him with the potential return of Rod Moore would make Michigan's secondary second to none. There is word that he is open to returning to Purdue, based on who they hire as their next coach. Michigan football did not offer him a scholarship out of high school. Safety isn't the biggest need, but you can't say no to a player of Thieneman's caliber if he is interested in joining.
Thieneman leads by example with his play on the field, which shouldn't make him a locker room diva. Some of his numbers were down as a sophomore because the staff used him in more of a nickel role, instead of his usual safety spot.
2. Tanner Koziol, Tight End, Ball State
The 6-foot-7 tight end recently entered his name in the portal. He was a workhorse in 2024 with 94 receptions and eight touchdown catches. He's totaled 18 touchdowns in his Cardinals career. He was not named as a finalist for the Mackey Award. Fellow MAC star Harold Fannin at Bowling Green took one of those spots away from him.
In 2023, he captured eight receptions for 66 yards against Kentucky. With Colston Loveland moving on, the offense needs more playmakers to surround Bryce Underwood. Losing 4-star commit Andrew Olesh to Penn State makes this an even more important priority now. There's no need to panic though because the tight end room is still in good hands as of this moment.
One thing that any tight end has to learn how to do if they choose Michigan football, is block. Koziol is looking to help his draft stock rise and moving up to a Big Ten program would do that. Early indicators from On3.com have Koziol leaning towards Illinois or Louisville. We'll see if Michigan gets involved or if they stick with what they've got.
3. Eli Sanders, Running Back, New Mexico
So far it has been said that Michigan football has reached out to CJ Campbell of Florida Atlantic. Sanders was a disciple of Matt Campbell before heading to New Mexico. He has raised his game every year in college and has one season left. With Cole Cabana and Tavierre Dunlap departing, the third back on the depth chart seems to be wide open.
Sanders broke the 1,000 yard mark and got better as the season wore down. He ran for 100 plus in the upset win over Washington State late in the season. Perhaps the most glaring stat that stands out about him is that he hasn't carried it more than 17 times in a game and has tread left on his tires. He wouldn't have to do that much in Ann Arbor unless he outplayed Jordan Marshall, Ben Hall or whomever else carries the rock.
Before signing with Iowa State he was committed to Boise State who may have produced the next Heisman winner. He also got an offer from Iowa, which their offense revolved around Kaleb Johnson. Johnson announced his intentions to enter the NFL draft. You have to wonder if Sanders would be in Jeanty's or Johnson's position if he would have stayed the course.