Two transfers to know for Michigan football, plus one departure

Michigan football is in the mix with two transfer portal targets so far, while there was one Wolverine who transferred out so far this week.

Oct 21, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Kyle Ford (19) bobbles a pass
Oct 21, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Kyle Ford (19) bobbles a pass / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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Earlier this week, we laid out some areas of need for Michigan football to address in the transfer portal and the Wolverines must have agreed because so far, they have targeted a wide receiver and a defensive tackle.

Wide receiver has a clear need for depth and veteran experience. Former USC/UCLA wideout Kyle Ford, who is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and in the transfer portal as a graduate, offers those things. He's caught 62 passes in his career and had 22 receptions last season for UCLA.

Ford isn't going to dramatically change the depth chart but he would be a nice piece to have. Ohio State is also in the mix, which makes sense since Chip Kelly was his head coach last season.

What I like about that is that he's probably used to run-blocking. Ford is the fourth-best wide receiver available right now according to On3.com's transfer portal rankings. Wake Forest, USC, South Carolina, and Florida are also in his top six.

Ford wasn't the only transfer portal target that emerged on Wednesday for Michigan football. The Wolverines also offered CJ West, a 6-foot-2, 330-pound defensive tackle from Kent State. West has 19.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks during his career, plus 110 tackles. He would give Michigan some added interior depth and another solid pass rusher from the defensive tackle spot.

One player leaves Michigan via the transfer portal

Former four-star wide receiver Christian Dixon left the program by entering his name in the transfer portal. Dixon came to the Wolverines from Mater Dei and there were hopes he would be able to contribute.

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However, the wide receiver played in just seven games in three seasons. He moved to defensive back this spring but there wasn't much buzz about him. It's not clear if he will play wide receiver or defensive back at his next stop but he caught just one pass during his time in Ann Arbor.