ESPN boosts Michigan football's transfer portal class ranking

Generally, not many have discussed Michigan football's transfer portal haul, at least not as one having as much significance as others. There wasn't a lot of flash and panache to who Kyle Whittingham brought in, with many of the top players hailing from his former Utah team. But, in terms of how the incoming players could impact the team, it's actually quite huge.

ESPN reevaluated each team's transfer portal class in the wake of Texas Tech quarterback Brandon Sorsby's scandal, and with that, the worldwide leader thought better of the maize and blue, putting the Wolverines at No. 10 overall, seven spots higher than 247Sports has Michigan in its own team rankings.

10. Michigan Wolverines

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 (Utah), wide receiver (Texas) and offensive guard (). 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.