Michigan football has solidified its offense through player retention and the transfer portal. Now, the focus has shifted to the defensive side of the ball, where the Wolverines landed one of the best players available in the portal on Tuesday.
Smith Snowden, another former Utah player, has committed to Michigan, after also considering Notre Dame and Oregon among other programs.
Notre Dame landed former Wolverine Jayden Sanders on Monday. That made you think good news could be coming with Snowden, but Oregon still loomed.
Yet the pull of his former head coach was too much. This is the fourth former Utah player that Kyle Whittingham has brought with him, along with John Henry-Daley, JJ Buchanan, and defensive tackle Jonah Leaea.
Smith Snowden adds elite piece to Michigan secondary
Snowden is right there with Henry-Daley in terms of impact. He's ranked 48th overall among players in the transfer portal, according to 247 Sports. The 5-foot-10 cornerback is also ranked third at that position.
He's started 23 games the past two seasons for Utah. He also played in 11 games as a freshman. He was Second-Team All-Big 12 with nine pass breakups and two interceptions. He finished with 37 tackles. In 2024, Snowden had 48 tackles, with four tackles for loss, to go along with eight pass breakups and two interceptions as the starting nickel.
Snowden also had eight runs for 40 yards and 13 catches for 57 yards last season. With Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill back, Snowden could be the nickel back, giving Michigan an elite secondary, filled with all-conference players.
The defensive line might not be the strength next season, although it depends on how quickly some grow into their roles, but it's starting to feel like the backend of the defense will be elite.