The transfer portal has changed college sports. It came into being back in 2018. Players could transfer before, but things have never been the same.
That was especially true when NIL came into being, and the penalty of sitting out a year was removed from transferring. If that rule were still in place, a lot of the things college football fans complain about would probably be fixed.
Instead, college football has turned into the Wild West. Michigan football was able to take advantage by winning the national championship in 2023, with a slew of transfer portal contributors, including multiple starters.
Over the years, Michigan football has gotten more than it has lost when it comes to the transfer portal, but here are six players that the Wolverines should regret losing the most in the portal era (2018).
Zach Charbonnet, RB (UCLA)
The former four-star recruit was probably the biggest portal exit of the Jim Harbaugh era. After a solid season in 2019 with 149 carries for 726 yards (4.9), Charbonnet only played in five games during the COVID season and was limited to 19 carries.
Clearly, the relationship soured. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons for UCLA after transferring, with 1,359 in 2022 to go along with 14 rushing touchdowns and an average of seven yards per attempt, which led the Big Ten.
Michigan had Blake Corum that season, but imagine if it had both? It might not have worked; Still, Charbonnet could have been a valuable piece in 2022 and 2023. He also ended up as a third-round pick.
Benjamin St. Juste, CB (Minnesota)
The 6-foot-2 cornerback only played three games after battling injuries with the Wolverines. He wanted a chance to play, so he transferred after being told he should medically retire by Michigan due to a hamstring injury that forced him out of the 2019 season.
St. Juste sought a second opinion and transferred to Minnesota. He had 13 pass breakups over the course of two seasons in 2019 and 2020, two seasons that the Wolverines could have used a stellar man-to-man corner in the secondary.
The whole situation was unfortunate. Michigan should have treated the player better in this instance, and it burned the program as he turned into a third-round NFL draft pick.
Giles Jackson, WR (Washington)
Giles Jackson was the best kickoff returner in the Big Ten in 2020. He had two kickoff returns for touchdowns during his Michigan football career, while also scoring a touchdown against Ohio State.
Jackson had limited success with Washington until the 2024 season, when he broke out for over 800 yards receiving. The Wolverines could have used him as a returner during the 2023 season, when punt returning nearly cost Michigan a national title, literally.
Jackson could have been the return guy, added another weapon on offense, and possibly the top pass catcher on the team in 2024, when the wide receiver room was barren of talent.
Keon Sabb, DB (Alabama)
In the aftermath of Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan football for the NFL after the national championship in 2023, the one notable departure that happened, in terms of players, was the loss of Keon Sabb to Alabama.
Sabb was stellar in the national title game during the 2023 season. He was excellent and proved that he was a future pro. He's done nothing to change the perception over the past two seasons with Alabama.
Sabb has five career interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 121 career tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. It would have been great to have him starting in the secondary the past two seasons, as well as in 2026, where he will play his final college season with the Crimson Tide.
Justice Haynes, RB (Georgia Tech)
It was clear that there weren't enough carries in Michigan's running back room for Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall, and Savion Hiter, but man, it would have been fun to see.
That could have been one of the best running back rooms of the past decade or so in college football. Marshall, Haynes, and Hiter should all be early-round draft picks.
Marshall ran for 823 yards in Big Ten play last season, despite missing nearly three games, and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt. Haynes was spectacular, too. The former five-star Alabama signee rushed for 857 yards and had 10 touchdowns on 7.1 yards per carry.
Haynes was the perfect fit for Michigan. He got the carries he should have gotten at Alabama, and if he stays healthy, should have over 1,000 yards this season, easily.
The trio of Haynes, Marshall, and Hiter would have been awesome, but that's a lot of mouths to feed. Too many as it turns out.
Cole Sullivan, LB (Oklahoma)
This might be the one that stings the most on this list when it's all said and done. After playing in 12 games as a freshman with just a few tackles, Sullivan turned into an impact defender last season.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker finished last season with 55 tackles, five tackles for loss, three interceptions, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. He's just like a magnet for the ball.
Oklahoma was able to win him over in the transfer portal. Considering the massive hole his departure left at linebacker, without anyone to fill it, watching Sullivan turn into an All-SEC defender will be hard to watch. He will be an early-round draft pick, too.
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