Two more transfer portal departures for Michigan football

The spring transfer portal opens Wednesday, and there will be two more Michigan football players available for other teams after Ja'Den McBurrows and Aymeric Koumba entered the portal on Monday, or at least announced their intention too.

McBurrows is the first player who has been a regular contributor in the past to enter the transfer portal this spring. It does come as a little bit of a surprise but when you are hearing rumblings about defensive backs, it has gotten a little crowded.

McBurrows was expected to be in competition for the nickel job last season but only ended up playing in four games. In 2023, when Michigan football won the national championship, McBurrows played in 11 games and had one interception against Michigan State.

McBurrows should be able to find another place to play. He's a solid cornerback, but can also play safety. With Rod Moore coming back, plus the addition of TJ Metcalf, there wasn't a lot of room for McBurrows, especially with the way guys like Shmari Earls have emerged at cornerback.

Defensive end also enters the portal

Aymeric Koumba, a former three-star recruit from France, who was ranked 845th overall in the 247 Sports composite rankings in the 2023 class, is also leaving U-M. He's 6-foot-4, and came to Michigan football with a ton of upside but only played in two games for the Wolverines.

I was high on Koumba when he signed. He was a high upside player with a low ceiling. It did seem like there was a path to playing time, but there's probably a much quicker path somewhere else, especially with a loaded defensive line returning.

Koumba was probably going to struggle to see the field this season. Good luck to both of these guys in their future but this is all part of the process, especially now that roster limits are close to becoming a real thing.