Getting to know Michigan football's 2024 transfer portal class (2024)

Cornerback Aamir Hall

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 201 pounds

Hometown: Baltimore, Md.

High School: Mount St. Joseph

Previous college: Albany (and Richmond)

Playing for Mount St. Joseph in Baltimore, Hall played on a high school team that ranked 20th in the country his senior year. He began as a cornerback and wide receiver as a sophom*ore, but switched primarily to defense his junior and senior years. As a junior, Hall recorded 65 tackles, four interceptions, 10 pass breakups, five tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Then as a senior, Hall posted 85 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, and was named first-team All-MIAA.

He actually did attend The Opening as a junior, providing verified times of a 4.67-second 40-yard dash, 4.32-second shuttle run and a 33.6-inch vertical leap at 6-foot-1 and 178 pounds. He was never ranked or rated by 247Sports, but received offers from Richmond, Army, Navy and a slew of Mid-Atlantic FCS programs, and committed to Richmond.

Hall made a quick impact with the Spiders, starting three of four games in a COVID-shortened spring 2021 season, and ranking fourth on the team with 18 tackles. He also added two pass breakups and a tackle for loss.

That fall, he was able to make his impact on Richmond's defense in earnest. Starting all 11 games, Hall recorded 60 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and 13 pass breakups. Technically a redshirt freshman, Hall was third on the team in tackles and led the way in pass breakups.

His 2022 season was quieter due in part to injury — 28 tackles, 1.5 TFL, one interception, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles — but he was also more efficient in coverage. After allowing 537 yards on 52 targets in 2021, he surrendered just 101 yards and seven receptions on 16 targets in 2022, and only missed one tackle, per Pro Football Focus.

After the 2022 season, he opted to transfer to FCS power Albany, where he shined on a more robust defense. Playing in 15 games, Hall recorded 57 tackles, five interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He was targeted a lot — 100 times in 15 games — and allowed 62 receptions for 641 yards and four touchdowns. Still, with five interceptions and ranking first among all FCS players in passes defended, Hall was named FCS All-American by Sports Illustrated, and helped Albany advance to the FCS semifinals.

According to PFF, Hall played the second-most snaps of all FCS defensive players, but was also ninth among cornerbacks in defensive grade, and seventh in coverage grade.

ICYMI: Strengths, questions, expectations for Aamir Hall

Cornerback Ricky Johnson III

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 180 pounds

Hometown: Houston, Texas

High School: Cypress Falls

Previous college: UNLV

Playing for Houston's Cy-Falls high school, Johnson recorded 11 interceptions, 86 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss over his three-year career. He was also an all-district receiver, recording 44 catches for 709 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior in 2019.

Johnson didn't have many eye-popping performances before his senior year, however, and without a ton of recruiting camp participation, he only landed a smattering of FBS offers. He initially committed to UTEP over Rice as an athlete, but switched to UNLV shortly after his senior season. He finished the 2020 cycle as the No. 1,935 overall player, and No. 151 safety.

Johnson also ran track in high school, posting a 6-foot-6 high jump, 14.79-second 110-meter hurdle and 45'3.5" triple jump. Those are healthy scores that would compare to Big Ten track and field athletes, but none would have been top-12 in the Big Ten this year.

At UNLV, Johnson played 50 defensive snaps over four games as a true freshman in 2020. He recorded seven tackles without a missed tackle, but also allowed five receptions and 53 yards on seven targets in coverage.

His ascent up the depth chart came to fruition more in 2021. He played in 11 games, including two starts, and finished with 25 tackles, two pass breakups, three interceptions and a fumble recovery in 215 snaps. Of course, the Rebels went 2-10, but Johnson had a strong year in coverage, allowing just nine receptions for 74 yards on 16 targets, and one touchdown to three interceptions.

His third season in Las Vegas was marred by injury suffered on the first day of fall camp. He only played in three games, and finished the year with 10 tackles, one interception and two pass breakups in 148 snaps. In coverage, he allowed 104 yards and nine receptions on 14 targets with two touchdowns, but those numbers are inflated by one 55-yard touchdown surrendered.

Last fall, his fourth year on campus, Johnson finally got to show more of what he could do. He started seven of the 12 games he appeared in, and played 522 snaps. He finished the year with 36 tackles, three tackles for loss and seven pass breakups. He had just four missed tackles on the season and a 70.9 (solid) run defense grade, according to PFF. In coverage, he allowed 25 receptions, 411 yards and two touchdowns on 39 targets in coverage. UNLV as a team improved vastly, going from 7-23 in Johnson's first three seasons to 9-5 in Barry Odom's first season as head coach.

After the season, Johnson entered the transfer portal and committed to Washington State over Colorado State, Memphis, Liberty and others. A couple weeks later, he flipped to play for Michigan.

ICYMI: Strengths, questions and expectations for Ricky Johnson III

Safety Jaden Mangham

Position: Safety

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 185 pounds

Hometown: Franklin, Mich.

High School: Wylie E. Groves

Previous college: Michigan State

Mangham, a three-year starter for Birmingham (Mich.) Groves High School, was a consensus four-star recruit by the time he reached his senior year. Described by 247Sports' scouts as a "tall, long prospect who can play cornerback, safety or wide receiver at the next level," Mangham fielded scholarship offers from Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Penn State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Miami and 26 overall power-conference teams. Many programs liked him just as much as a wide receiver prospect as a defensive player.

As a senior, Mangham recorded 46 tackles and six tackles for loss in five games, as well as 25 receptions for 316 yards and four touchdowns, before injury ended his season early. Prior to the season, some of the blue-blood programs had gone in other directions at safety, and Mangham chose Michigan State to play early and often under Mel Tucker.

Mangham finished the 2022 cycle as the No. 311 prospect in the 247Sports Composite, the No. 13 athlete and the No. 8 player in the state of Michigan.

"Track guy and a long strider who can cover ground quickly with that stride," 247Sports wrote in its evaluation. "Has shown good ball skills. Goes up and gets it on offense and size and athleticism allow him to matchup on bigger receivers on defense. Smooth, transitions well and as he keeps improving and tightening up technique, that should only continue. Has to add weight to his frame and get stronger. Can still improve top end also. But high potential. We like him as a free safety or wide receiver but a big corner is not out of the question."

He didn't actually participate in track enough to register meaningful times, but scouts across the recruiting services agreed that Mangham had great speed and length, and just needed to add strength to be an impact player in college.

Mangham was a quick hit with Michigan State, enrolling early and quickly cracking the two-deep. And as a true freshman, Mangham started two games and played in nine total games (229 snaps) in 2022, recording 20 tackles with three missed tackles. He struggled some in coverage, allowing four receptions and 43 yards and a touchdown on five targets in coverage, but not unusually so for a freshman playing in the Big Ten.

As a sophom*ore, Mangham grew his game considerably. He started 10 of 11 games he appeared in, and recorded 53 tackles, one tackle for loss, seven pass breakups and four interceptions. He missed just eight tackles, and improved his PFF run defense grade from 57.6 to 82.7. He had some tough moments in coverage against Ohio State and Washington — a lot of defensive backs did last season — but allowed just seven receptions, 109 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets with four interceptions against everyone else.

Over the Spartans' final six games — with their season fallen by the wayside — Mangham allowed just two receptions and 46 yards on seven targets in coverage, with two interceptions.

Mangham was named honorable mention All-Big Ten for his efforts, and opted to enter the transfer portal along with a number of Michigan State starters this spring. He chose Michigan overa top three that also included Nebraska and Ohio State.

ICYMI: Strengths, questions and expectations for Jaden Mangham

Offensive lineman Josh Preibe

Position: Offensive guard

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 305 pounds

Hometown: Niles, Mich.

High School: Edwardsburg

Previous college: Northwestern

Hailing from southwest Michigan, Priebe played for a Division-4 powerhouse program in Edwardsburg, one that went 25-1 over his junior and senior seasons, and set a MHSAA record for touchdowns scored in a season and won a state championship his junior year in 2018.

He began to gain traction as a recruit after his junior season, jumping from an 80 to an 89 in 247Sports' ratings, and ultimately fielded 16 power-conference offers, including Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee and Miami. He chose Northwestern in the May of his junior year, and didn't play up the recruiting camps like some prospects do ahead of their senior years.

He was also a varsity power-lifter (official 455-pound squat, 255-pound bench press and 550-pound deadlift as a 270-pound junior in high school at a state competition), and impressed college coaches with his flexibility and body control as a 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior.

"He is very impressive physically, 'no fat on him,'" 247Sports wrote in an evaluation of Priebe in 2020. "And in my opinion the most physical offensive line prospect in the Midwest."

Due to his business-like approach to the recruiting process, Priebe didn't climb the recruiting rankings as much as his offer list might indicate, as he finished No. 430 in the 2020 247Sports Composite.

Priebe played in eight games as a true freshman in 2020, then emerged as a starter in 2021. He started nine games for the Wildcats, all at left guard, then made seven and 12 more starts in 2022 and 2023, respectively. His 2023 season, like Northwestern's as a whole, was Priebe's best. He allowed four sacks in 421 pass-blocking snaps, and was named third-team All-Big Ten.

Over his time at Northwestern, Priebe gained more than 25 pounds, started 29 games and played more than 1,750 offensive snaps for a Big Ten team.

For his fifth season, Priebe opted to transfer to his home state and suit up for Michigan as a graduate transfer.

ICYMI: Strengths, questions and expectations for Josh Priebe

Wide receiver Amorion Walker

Position: Wide receiver

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 180 pounds

Hometown: Ponchatoula, La.

High School: Ponchatoula

Previous college: Ole Miss (and Michigan)

Playing for Ponchatoula, Walker was a year-one impact player, recording 31 receptions for 564 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman. He played on both sides of the ball, but primarily shined at receiver. He caught 23 passes for 489 yards and scored two touchdowns as a sophom*ore, and three passes for 80 yards in an injury-shortened junior season.

As a senior, he caught 31 passes for 561 yards and eight touchdowns, including an exceptional eight receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown in the Louisiana 5A (the highest class) state championship game, earning MVP honors in the process.

In all, he accumulated 88 receptions, 1,694 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns for a Ponchatoula program that has produced seven three- or four-star recruits in the last six recruiting classes.

Impressively, Walker was even more impactful on the recruiting circuit. With elite speed (4.41 40-yard dash at an Alabama recruiting camp, best at the camp) and leaping ability (40-inch vertical leap at the same camp, also the best figure there), Walker garnered attention from a host of power-conference programs. He netted offers from 15 power-five programs, including Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State and Notre Dame, where he initially committed.

Led by Ron Bellamy, who played for the same high school coach as Walker, Michigan won a recruiting battle that was far more impressive than Walker's recruiting rating would suggest.

Despite strong testing times (he also ran a 10.8-second 100-meter dash, if there were concerns about that 40 time), blue-blood interest and showing out in one of the nation's better high school football states, concerns about his weight and consistency led to Walker finishing the 2022 recruiting class ranked No. 522 in the 2022 247Sports Composite rankings.

Walker was viewed as a long-term "project" recruit by both Notre Dame and Michigan out of high school, and that has been the case so far in his career. As a freshman in 2022, Walker caught one pass for four yards on four targets, and only played 38 offensive snaps. He also sprinkled in six defensive snaps and 22 special teams snaps, burning his redshirt, but his impact was ultimately minimal.

In 2023, Walker received as much winter and spring hype as anyone on the team. He posted a staggering 6.10-second hand-timed three cone drill in January, and by February Jim Harbaugh was beaming about Walker's switch to cornerback. Internally, Michigan was comparing the move to that of Seattle Seahawks standout Tariq Woolen, who made the switch midway through his career at UTSA before becoming a Pro Bowl cornerback as a rookie in 2022.

But be it injury, Walker struggling with the nuances of cornerback and other players stepping up, Walker didn't live up to preseason billing in 2023. He played just 66 snaps on defense in six games, and recorded three tackles with two missed tackles, and allowed 29 receiving yards on six targets with one pass breakup. He played the seventh-most snaps by a Michigan cornerback, and did not appear on defense in the Wolverines' Rose Bowl and national championship wins.

That season in part led to a transfer to Ole Miss, where he participated in spring practices and appeared to be in line for a two-deep role. Instead, Walker re-entered the transfer portal, and committed to return to Michigan, but with a return to wide receiver in doing so.

ICYMI: Strengths, questions and expectations for Amorion Walker

Safety Wesley Walker

Position: Safety

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 200 pounds

Hometown: Nashville, Tn.

High School: Ensworth

Previous college: Tennessee (and Georgia Tech)

Playing for The Ensworth School in Nashville, Walker moved positions a decent amount early on in his high school career, but emerged as a four-star cornerback prospect with serious interest from Notre Dame, Tennessee and others thanks to good instincts and versatility. But a torn ACL early in his junior year, as well as a recovery that took until the following July, hurt his recruiting stock. His rating in 247Sports' scouting fell from a 91 to an 86, and many of the high-profile schools recruiting him backed off.

An all-region defensive back as a senior who was also on the wrestling team, Walker's high school highlights showcased a physical, patient defensive back who could close out a play once it developed. He also returned kickoffs, and took snaps at wide receiver.

He ended up committing to Georgia Tech over offers from Kentucky, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others.

After recording three tackles in three games during his true freshman season, Walker began to play like the once-touted recruit he was before his injury. He played in 10 games with five starts at nickel for the Yellow Jackets, but finished fourth on the team with 48 tackles and four pass breakups, adding two tackles for loss. Though he struggled with missed tackles (nine) and run-reads as a redshirt freshman, he showed promise in coverage, allowing 233 yards on 40 targets.

In his third season in Atlanta, Walker grew as a run-stopper, improving his PFF run defense grade from 52.1 to 70.2 and finishing with 45 tackles, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups in 10 games. Two seasons serving as one of Georgia Tech's top defensive players reignited Tennessee's interest, and Walker transferred to the Volunteers after the 2021 season.

Playing on a deeper, more talented defense, Walker actually only started two of 13 games for Tennessee in 2022. Still, his versatility in the secondary led to a healthy 510 defensive snaps, and he finished the year with 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and five pass breakups. Interestingly, he played 139 snaps in the box, 138 snaps at free safety and 232 snaps in the slot in 2022. His missed-tackle rate was a career-low 12.2 percent, he allowed just 6.4 yards per target and didn't commit a penalty all season.

For the first time in his career, Walker moved to safety as his primary position in 2023. He started all 10 games he played in for the Volunteers, and finished fourth on the team with 53 tackles as well as 3.5 TFL, one sack, one forced fumble and two pass breakups.

He missed the final three games of 2023 due to injury, and it's fair to wonder if something was nagging him in the second half of the season before he shut things down: He recorded seven missed tackles and allowed 15.3 yards per target in his final four games compared to four missed tackles and 4.8 yards per target allowed in his first six games.

After the season, he committed to transfer to Ole Miss for a sixth season before enrolling at Louisville. This spring, he re-entered the portal and committed to Michigan over primary competitors LSU and USC.

ICYMI: Strengths, questions and expectations for Wesley Walker

Kicker Dominic Zvada

Position: Kicker

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 174 pounds

Hometown: Chandler, Arizona

High School: Valley Christian

Previous school: Arkansas State

Hailing from Chandler, Arizona, Zvada began kicking field goals as a junior in high school, and made a 55-yard field goal that year. By his senior year, he had the looks of an FBS-caliber kicker. He made 62 of 65 extra-point attempts, ranked fourth in the nation in touchbacks (per his school) and averaged 40 yards per punt to be named Arizona class 3A first-team All-State.

In terms of recruiting, Zvada's late start to the craft but 6-foot-3 frame and natural leg made him a high-ceiling kicker who would likely ascend while in college. Kohl's Kicking gave him a five-star rating (on their site, five stars signifies a kicker who should be on FBS scholarship) and the No. 45 kicker in the 2022 recruiting class.

Kohl's also viewed him as a high-ceiling prospect, remarking that "Zvada's frame should allow him to put on good weight and continue to make gains on long FG's and KO's against other top players in the coming months. Zvada has made a noticeable improvement in leg speed since the winter and is easily able to drive the ball out of the end zone. His upside in the years to come is very high!"

Still, without a ton of traction, Zvada chose Arkansas State over interest from Marshall, Old Dominion and Cal.

As a freshman, Zvada was arguably the Red Wolves' best player in 2022. He went 17-for-18 on field-goal attempts, including 4-for-5 on attempts of 45 yards or more (his lone miss was from 51 yards). He was also 30-for-31 on extra-point attempts, with his lone miss blocked. Against Texas State, he made a school-record 56-yard field goal, the second-longest make in the FBS that season. In his first-ever road game, he became the first kicker since at least 2000 to go 4-for-4 on field goals at Ohio State.

He was named a Lou Groza Semifinalist, and a freshman All-American by the FWAA, 247Sports, CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus, College Football News and others.

As a sophom*ore, Zvada wasn't quite as efficient, but still showed a leg that will pique the interest of NFL teams down the line. He missed two 40-plus yard attempts at Oklahoma, but was 17-for-20 the rest of the way, including 8-for-8 on attempts of 40-plus yards. He missed three attempts inside 40 yards, but was also 41-for-41 on extra-point attempts. He did begin to do more kickoffs, attempting 20, but struggled with a hang time of 3.67 seconds, yardage of 47.9 yards and one touchback compared to an average starting field position of the 31.6 yard line.

He entered the transfer portal in May, and committed to Michigan shortly after in a no-frills recruitment.

ICYMI: Strengths, questions and expectations for kicker Dominic Zvada