Michigan football has had more than 20 players enter the transfer portal since it opened, however, one of the most costly departures was that of Cole Sullivan.
The sophomore linebacker transferred to Oklahoma. With Jimmy Rolder also expected to leave for the NFL, the Wolverines have lost their top three linebackers from last season.
There are some talented pieces on the roster. That's one bit of good news. Another is that Michigan football is trending in the right direction to land former Cal linebacker Cade Uluave.
Another key player from transfer portal projected to Michigan
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker was an All-ACC selection last season. He's actually from the state of Utah, so he has relationships with the coaching staff, and was on a visit to Ann Arbor this weekend.
It feels like that visit has been going well, because EJ Holland of The Wolverine.com has put a projection for the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine for the talented linebacker, ranked seventh among transfer portal linebackers, to commit to Michigan football.
Uluave would be a home run as a replacement for Sullivan. Last season, he was First-Team All-ACC. Before that he was Honorable Mention in 2024, as well as Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023.
Last season, Uluave had 90 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and six pass breakups. Sullivan was strong in coverage, but so is the former Cal linebacker, who has three career interceptions and 12 pass breakups over his three-year career. That's on top of 20.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.
JJ Buchanan and Texas wide receiver Jaime Ffrench have also been projected to land with the Wolverines. There is still some work to do in the secondary, but if Michigan could find a way to bring back one of the safeties that hit the portal, and a cornerback, the roster would be in solid shape.
Linebacker might be the biggest need, though, outside of pass catchers, and hopefully, those needs will be addressed with commitments and signings soon.