Positive and negative transfer portal rumblings for Michigan football

Things change quickly with transfer portal recruiting and Michigan football was reminded of that on Wednesday.

Just one day after defensive lineman Joey Slackman from Penn said he was going to visit Michigan football, he confirmed that he, in fact, won't visit Ann Arbor.

It's not a huge blow. The Wolverines defensive line should be one of the best in the Big Ten next season -- maybe one of the best in all of college football. Mason Graham was an All-American selection, while Kenneth Grant could be an All-American next year.

Everyone remembers his incredible tackle against Penn State. He also dominated down the stretch. The Wolverines also have Rayshaun Benny too. Some depth could be needed, but the Wolverines are still in a good spot in terms of their D-line depth chart.

New transfer crystal balls for Michigan football

On Tuesday, Steve Lorenz of The Michigan Insider put in a crystal ball prediction for the Wolverines to land Jaishawn Barham, a former Maryland linebacker who is 6-foot-4, 233 pounds. He could play inside or even be an EDGE after notching seven sacks in two seasons at Maryland.

According to a new report from Lorenz, his confidence is rising for Michigan football to land Barham, upping his confidence in his crystal ball.

Michigan football has also been connected to Upton Stout, a 5-foot-9 defensive back from Western Kentucky who could be a candidate to replace Mike Sainristil in the Nickel role.

We have talked about him a few times. He seems like he would be an ideal replacement for Mike Sainristil in the nickel role and was on campus for a visit this week.

Lorenz's crystal ball is foggy. Mett Zenitz and Chris Hummer of 247 Sports have put in crystal ball projections of their own, which is a positive. USC and Ole Miss are among the other schools interested.

NIL tends to be a factor in the transfer portal and we'll see if that has an impact, but adding Barham and Stout would be a great haul for the Wolverines.