Michigan football was expected to be aggressive in the transfer portal and so far, the Wolverines have lived up to that.
They have been active with five additions so far. Damon Payne, the former five-star defensive tackle from Alabama was added to the roster this week, along with former Cal Poly offensive tackle Brady Norton, and Arkansas defensive backs TJ and Tevis Metcalf.
Norton could have a chance to play next season. He's a little short for a tackle but he's got long arms. He could be a guard or could just need a year of seasoning. Payne should be a rotation guy, while Donaven McCulley and TJ Metcalf have good chances to start and play a lot at wide receiver and safety.
Michigan football still has some key needs to fill though. The Wolverines need a bridge quarterback, I'd argue a running back, plus more help on the offensive and defensive lines. The good news is that Michigan is targeting and even hosting some targets this weekend at those spots and here are four must-land transfer portal targets for U-M.
Fa'alili Fa'amore, OT Washington State
Fa’alili Fa’amoe is the second-ranked offensive tackle in the transfer portal. He's 6-foot-5, 314 pounds, and has started over 30 games at right tackle for Washington State over the past three seasons.
Fa'amoe entered the portal earlier this week after his head coach left for Wake Forest. He's also visiting Michigan football this weekend after visiting Nebraska.
The Huskers need a tackle badly too (they aren't alone) and the competition will be fierce. Michigan doesn't have a veteran quarterback yet, but whether it's a bridge starter or Bryce Underwood, the Wolverines could use a proven offensive tackle and Fa’amoe is the best option available.
This is one of the dudes you have to drop a bag to get. But he'd be worth every penny.
David Gutsa, DT Washington State
Another Washington State Cougar hit the transfer portal earlier this week and that's 6-foot-3, 302-pound defensive tackle David Gusta.
Gusta was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the No. 8 interior defensive lineman this past season, so in terms of replacements for Mason Graham and potentially Kenneth Grant, if he leaves for the NFL draft as expected, you could hardly do better.
Gusta, who will be a redshirt senior next season, has 62 tackles over the past three seasons, as well as six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Michigan has been in contact and the hope is that the Wolverines will be able to get him on campus for a visit.
There is no shortage of suitors though. Alabama, Oklahoma, Cal, UCF, Rutgers, and Auburn were schools that reached out right away. Certainly, there have been others.
But few programs can offer the plug-and-play opportunity Michigan football can. If Rayshaun Benny returns, alongside Payne, Derrick Moore, T.J. Guy and Jaishawn Barham, the Wolverines will have one of the best defensive lines in the country, again.
Gusta would give them another NFL-caliber defensive tackle. Benny is a future pro. So are Moore, Barham, and Guy. Add Gusta, and this defensive line will be one of the best in college football.
QB DeQuan Finn
The Former Toledo and Baylor quarterback is on Michigan football's radar and visited earlier this week. The visit went well according to a report from EJ Holland of The Wolverine.
However, Finn is only expected to have another season due to a medical redshirt being approved after he played in only three games last season for Baylor. He wasn't great in those games either, throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions but completing just 53.5 percent of his passes.
Finn has three seasons with 18 touchdown passes or more and he also had 25 touchdown runs in his three seasons as a starter for the Rockets. So in 2021, he accounted for 27 total touchdowns, followed by 32 in 2022 and 29 in 2023, the same year he led the MAC in passing yards. '
The injury is a concern. If Finn can't hold up, Michigan football would have to play Bryce Underwood or Davis Warren. Mikey Keene of Fresno State is another option. He played for Chip Lindsey at UCF but he's only 5-foot-11 and he doesn't have a live arm.
He would be an upgrade over Davis Warren, but a marginal one.
Justice Haynes, Alabama RB
Some Michigan football fans aren't worried about running back. That's because Jordan Marshall, a former top-100 recruit, is waiting in the wings.
Marshall will be a sophomore next season and he feels like the next great Michigan football running back. Yet, as we saw with Blake Corum, it takes more than one guy.
Hell, Michigan had Corum, Donovan Edwards, and Kalel Mullings in 2023, plus Hassan Haskins, Corum and Edwards in 2021. By those standards, the depth isn't where is needs to be.
Former Alabama five-star running back Justice Haynes is visiting this weekend and this should excite Wolverines fans. He had just 79 carries for 448 yards and seven touchdowns last season but averaged 5.7 per attempt and had a run of at least 10 yards in seven of 12 games.
Over the past two seasons, Haynes has had a run of at least 10 yards in 13 of his 18 career games. Yet, he's only received double-digit rushing attempts once in his career. He had an 89-yard touchdown run this season and a 32-yard run against Georgia.
The dude is a playmaker. South Carolina and some other schools are in the mix, but Haynes is visiting this weekend and Michgian is a perfect fit. The Wolverines want to run the ball, a lot. "Smash" is still the identity and after limited use during his first two seasons of college football, it feels like this would be a perfect marriage for both sides.