What to make of another surprising roster addition by Michigan football

Even though the Michigan football season is just three weeks away, the Wolverines are still adding and subtracting from their 2025 roster.

Michigan football added a punter from the transfer portal right before the start of fall camp. Then, earlier this week, running back CJ Hester, who signed with Michigan out of the transfer portal in the spring, left the team, reportedly to redshirt and enter the portal with an eye on playing in 2026.

On Friday, there was another roster surprise, albeit a good one this time, as former Columbia linebacker Rocco Milia is joining the Wolverines, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker had 49 tackles for Columbia last season in seven games. In 2023, Milia was credited with 56 tackles and three interceptions.

Whaat does this move mean for Michigan football?

After all the talk about how deep the Wolverines are at linebacker, it's a little strange to see a player added this late. Mi is from the state of Michigan. He was also a productive player in the Ivy League, and clearly has academic prowess for the University of Michigan.

What will he bring on the field? Will he ever play?

It's hard to say. Milia is good in coverage. He's a nice depth piece to have behind the likes of Jaishawn Barham, Ernest Hausmann, Jimmy Rolder, and Cole Sullivan, but unless there is an injury we don't know about, the path to playing time will be difficult.

Special teams are possible. But even then is Milia up to par as an athlete? At the same time, Michigan football is holding open tryouts, so you never know when you will find a diamond in the rough.

Taking a look at his highlights there are some impressive plays. Milia has good instincts and is a solid tackler, but that's also the Ivy League. It's quality depth, which is never a bad thing.

But I wouldn't expect Milia to make a huge impact this season, as long as the rest of the linebacker room is healthy.