Michigan football addressed another need in the transfer portal on Saturday with the Wolverines' sixth commitment since the portal opened officially last week.
The Wolverines had five commitments coming into the weekend but got a pledge from former Georgia linebacker and four-star recruit Troy Bowles, who is the son of Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Todd Bowles.
Linebacker wasn't viewed as a need earlier in the offseason, but once it was reported by Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider that Jaishawn Barham was going to return, but focus on EDGE instead of linebacker, it felt like the Wolverines needed another body.
Ernest Hausmann should be one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten next season. Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan have also shown promise. Bowles visited Michigan football recently. He redshirted this season and has played in only seven games in two years for the Bulldogs.
However, Bowles was a top-100 recruit coming out of high school. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker was ranked 80th overall in the 2023 recruiting class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.
Brian Jean-Mary, the Michigan linebackers coach had a prior connection, which probably helped the Wolverines beat out Florida State and Oklahoma State for his commitment.
Can Troy Bowles meet his potential with Michigan football?
Bowles was viewed as a true three-down linebacker coming out of high school. He runs well, has good coverage ability, and is a good tackler. At least in high school with 250 tackles, 10 sacks, and five interceptions in three seasons.
The linebacker is ranked as a three-star in the transfer portal by 247 Sports. But the scouting service once projected him to be a day-two draft pick. Florida State and Oklahoma State were two of the other programs interested in him, and based on the current depth chart, this is a smart bet.
Bowles could become an impact player or he could end up as a special teams guy, but the ceiling is so high, it's worth rolling the dice.