ESPN cites Daley, Buchanan among Michigan’s key portal additions
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Michigan football had a somewhat quiet transfer portal haul this offseason, but certainly it was an impactful one. Though there aren't a ton of national outlets that are going to be shouting from the rooftops about what new head coach Kyle Whittingham did, certainly, it's still enough to stand up and take notice.
Such is the case for ESPN.
ESPN ranked the top teams in terms of 2026 transfer portal additions, and the Wolverines came in ranked ninth overall.
Kyle Whittingham's first plunge into the portal at Michigan was largely successful. He retained enough talent to avoid a mass exodus and landed three top-50 transfers. Defensive end John Henry Daley, one of several transfers to follow Whittingham to Ann Arbor, is by far the most impactful. He's a plug-and-play contributor who has a mean streak against the run. Daley's arrival could take some pressure off incoming five-star defensive end Carter Meadows to make an immediate impact.
Smith Snowden was a two-year starter at cornerback for Whittingham at Utah. Michigan's class also has some younger transfers with upside and plenty of runway, including tight end JJ Buchanan (Utah), wide receiver Jaime Ffrench Jr. (Texas) and offensive guard Houston Ka'aha'aina-Torres (Nebraska). Michigan also landed SC Next 300 prospect Salesi Moa, who originally signed with Utah last month but has jumped to the Wolverines and can develop at WR or in the secondary.
Michigan even revamped its quarterback depth behind Bryce Underwood, bringing in both Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (Colorado State) and Colin Hurley (LSU).
What Whittingham did mostly was address roster retention before adding players of need. Buchanan (actually a wide receiver, not a tight end) could be one of the most impactful additions, along with Snowden, the not-mentioned safety Chris Bracy, and linebacker Nathaniel Staehling — who the maize and blue had higher on their board than most other linebacker options.
Sure, there weren't a ton of splashy names outside of Daley, but Whittingham got Michigan help where it counted — not unlike Jim Harbaugh did in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: ESPN ranks Michigan No. 9 nationally for 2026 transfer portal class
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos