Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham is hitting the ground running in Ann Arbor, hot on the recruiting trail just days after being named as the new leader of the Wolverines' premiere football program.
With the transfer portal opening on Jan. 2, players have 15 days to officially decide whether or not they want to leave their current program. And, head coaches, like Whittingham, and their staffs can now recruit said players who have entered the portal.
One of the transfer players who the Wolverines have already set their sights on is four-star safety Ty Benefield, who spent the last three years with the Boise State Broncos.
Michigan targets CFP-experienced Ty Benefield
Benefield didn’t see major playing time until last year, but the 2024 season resulted in a College Football Playoff berth for the Broncos, giving the veteran defensive back invaluable postseason experience.
Over the last three seasons, Benefield amassed 233 total tackles (161 solo), 11 pass deflections, five interceptions (50 yards), three sacks, and two forced fumbles.
In other words, he is always everywhere all at once when his team’s defensive unit trots onto the field.
The reason Benefield heading to Ann Arbor simply makes sense is because Whittingham just hired his position coach, Tyler Stockton, from Boise State. So, Benefield would simply be following his coach to a bigger program (exactly what they both deserve after this past season).
This year, the Broncos finished as Mountain West Champions, defeating the top-seeded UNLV Rebels in the conference championship game. Over the year, Benefield earned a career-high 105 total tackles, and tied his career highs for interceptions (2) and forced fumbles (1).
Coming out of high school Benefield was a three-star prospect and the No. 138 safety in the class of 2023. Now, he is a four-star and the No. 9 safety and No. 97 overall prospect in the entire transfer portal.
Whittingham needs to go all in on Benefield, and he should undeniably receive some help from Stockton standing in his corner.