Michigan football RB depth takes a hit after transfer portal departure

Michigan football will be a little thin at the running back position this fall, as the No. 3 running back, Benjamin Hall, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.

The transfer portal doesn't open till Wednesday, but Hall will be one of the players entering. That makes it five total for Michigan football after the departures of Ja'Den McBurrows and Aymeric Koumba on Monday.

In the case of Hall, it makes perfect sense. Jordan Marshall who started during the ReliaQuest Bowl and earned MVP honors after 100 yards rushing, is expected to be the starting running back this season with Justice Haynes, the Alabama transfer, right there with him. It's 1A and 1B.

Hall is another impressive back. He's shown flashes during his two seasons with Michigan football, carrying the ball 44 times for 141 yards in two seasons with the Wolverines. Yet, in 2024, Hall was the third-running back and didn't have a huge role.

It's understandable that he would want to go somewhere else. Plenty of teams will have a need for a running back, including some others in the Big Ten. Hall could transfer down to a smaller conference, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him land with another Power-4 program.

Hall is going to be one of the best running backs available in the spring transfer window. He's got three years of eligibility and just needs an opportunity. Unfortunately, he probably wasn't going to get that this season with the Wolverines, which is why the move makes sense, even if it is a bummer.

Micah Ka'apana is one of the other returning running backs. He got two carries last season. Michigan football also signed four-star backs Donovan Johnson and Jasper Parker in the 2025 class. Both could have a chance to make an early impact, especially now that the No. 3 running back job is wide open for the taking.