ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The transfer portal is a major part of college sports now, and no team has seen more roster turnover than Michigan in that department.
While Jim Harbaugh has taken advantage of transfer players such as Shea Patterson and Mike Danna, he's also lost plenty of roster depth due to backups leaving for starting jobs elsewhere.
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Last week, Michigan played an Iowa team that features former Wolverines wideout Oliver Martin. This week, Michigan travels to play an Illinois team led by transfer quarterback Brandon Peters.
Former Wolverines are littered across the country.
Here's an update on 25 players who transferred from Michigan and are still playing.
TE Devin Asiasi
Current team: UCLA
When Devin Asiasi committed to Michigan on National Signing Day in 2016, he was the No. 3 tight end in the country and a top 100 player.
He caught just two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman before transferring back home to UCLA. He's made 22 catches for 353 yards and two touchdowns the last two seasons in Chip Kelly's new offense.
It's been a rough couple of years for the Bruins, though, as they're off to a 1-5 start after finishing 3-9 last season.
WR Brian Cole
Current team: Mississippi State
Remember the top-ranked player in Michigan's 2015 recruiting class? Brian Cole was a four-star receiver and the No. 1 player from the state when he joined the Wolverines for Harbaugh's first year.
He played sparingly at wide receiver in 2015 before transferring to East Mississippi Community College and switching to defensive back.
After redshirting in 2017, he returned to major college football as a safety for Mississippi State. He's made 25 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks this season for the Bulldogs while returning the occasional kickoff.
WR Kekoa Crawford
Current team: Cal
He went by Dylan Crawford when he committed to Michigan as a top 20 receiver in the 2016 recruiting class, but Kekoa Crawford never really hit his stride in Ann Arbor.
He was a big part of the offense in 2017, making 17 catches for 243 yards and a touchdown, but then got passed on the depth chart by some of the Wolverines' younger options.
After sitting out 2018, Crawford has made 10 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns this season for a Cal team that has taken down Washington and Ole Miss on the road.
K Andrew David
Current team: Northwestern
Andrew David has been all around the country. He committed to Michigan as a three-star kicker in 2015, but transferred to TCU before getting a chance in game action.
He moved to punter for the Horned Frogs, punting six times in 2017 before taking over the starting job last year.
In 2018, David averaged 37 yards per punt in 29 attempts.
He graduated and signed with Northwestern this season for his final year of eligibility. David has yet to punt this season, according to the Northwestern athletics website.
RB Kingston Davis
Current team: Lane College
The last few years have been a wild ride for former Michigan running back Kingston Davis, who only played in one game as a true freshman due to injuries and depth at the position. When Michigan wanted to move him to fullback, he decided to transfer.
Davis landed Independence Community College in Kansas, where he was one of several players featured on the Netflix documentary series "Last Chance U." He played in seven games for ICC, gaining just 37 yards.
He landed at UAB in 2018 and played in four games, rushing for 85 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries.
Davis was removed from the UAB roster after being arrested on domestic violence accusations.
He's now listed on the Lane College football roster. According to the individual game box scores on the school's athletics website, Davis has played in all five games, rushing 79 times for 400 yards and a touchdown.
OL JaRaymond Hall
Current team: Central Michigan
JaRaymond Hall was committed to Michigan for two years before officially enrolling in 2017, but he redshirted his only season before announcing a transfer to Central Michigan.
He sat out 2018 for NCAA transfer rules and hasn't gotten into a game this season, according to CMU's athletics website.
He was a four-star prospect and the No. 30 offensive tackle in the 2017 recruiting class.
OL James Hudson
Current team: Cincinnati
James Hudson's transfer was probably the messiest on the list. Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell apparently forgot how the transfer process works and accused Harbaugh of "blocking" Hudson from getting immediate eligibility.
This sparked outrage from the Cincinnati fan base and led to more overblown criticism of Harbaugh during the offseason.
In the end, Hudson was the only Michigan player who wasn't granted immediate eligibility, and he hasn't been able to play for the Bearcats.
DL Deron Irving-Bey
Current team: Central Michigan
Deron Irving-Bey was forced to sit out all of 2018 after transferring from Michigan to CMU after his true freshman season.
The former four-star defensive end prospect was dismissed from CMU due to academics but welcomed back in 2019 after getting his grades in order at a junior college, according to a report from Evan Petzold, of CMU Life.
He has not appeared in any games for the Chippewas, according to the university's athletics site.
WR Nate Johnson
Current team: Grand Valley State
Nate Johnson, along with Crawford and Eddie McDoom, made up a trio of wide receivers committed in 2016 who were supposed to bring an element of speed to the Michigan offense.
Obviously, all three were gone within two years, and Johnson's departure was the messiest.
He was dismissed from the team after being sentenced to jail for a domestic violence incident. Johnson landed at Arizona Western College for a season before transferring again to Grand Valley State.
Michigan moved Johnson to defensive back, but he's listed as a wide receiver on GVSU's roster. He hasn't appeared in any of the team's first five games, according to the individual game box scores.
DL Ron Johnson
Current team: Towson
Ron Johnson spent three years as a backup defensive lineman on the Michigan roster before transferring to Towson, where he's appeared in three games this season.
Johnson has made one tackle -- a 4-yard sack -- this season, against N.C. Central on Sept. 7.
He's listed as a redshirt junior and will have another year of eligibility after 2019.
Johnson originally pledged to Rutgers after entering the transfer portal, but who can blame him for preferring Towson?
DL Reuben Jones
Current team: West Virginia
Reuben Jones redshirted as a true freshman in 2015 but then was part of Michigan's defensive line rotation for the next three seasons.
He ultimately appeared in 16 games from 2016-2018 before transferring to West Virginia for his final season of eligibility.
In five games, Johnson has made 12 tackles, including one sack for a 5-yard loss against James Madison in the opener. He made a season-high five tackles this weekend against No. 11 Texas.
WR Oliver Martin
Current team: Iowa
One of the many Michigan players who transferred to Big Ten opponents, Martin wasn't a factor at the Big House when Michigan outlasted Iowa, 10-3.
Martin was one of four four-star wide receivers to commit to Michigan's 2017 class, but ended up as the odd man out behind Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins and Tarik Black.
He transferred back home to Iowa and has made five catches for 28 yards and a touchdown this season.
Martin ended his Michigan career with 11 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown, all as a redshirt freshman in 2018.
WR Eddie McDoom
Current team: South Florida
Harbaugh loved to use McDoom on jet sweeps, but he never really became a big part of the passing game. He transferred from Michigan after catching 16 passes and carrying the ball 24 times in 2016 and 2017.
McDoom had 203 rushing yards and 140 receiving yards for the Wolverines. His most famous play was a dropped pass against Michigan State that squelched any chance of a late comeback.
He sat out 2018 due to transfer rules, but McDoom is back on the field this year, catching four passes for 43 yards. South Florida is off to a rough start -- 2-3 with wins over South Carolina State and Connecticut.
QB Brandon Peters
Current team: Illinois
The most high-profile transfer of the offseason was Peters, who was the best of a lot of iffy options for Harbaugh's worst team in 2017.
Peters gave an otherwise hopeless Michigan offense life in 2017, completing 52.8% of his passes for an average of 6.2 yards per attempt. He finished the year with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
A vicious hit in the Wisconsin game knocked Peters out for the end of the regular season, and he struggled in the Outback Bowl, throwing two picks and completing just 20 of 44 passes.
He transferred to Illinois and won the starting quarterback spot in the fall. Peters has been solid, completing 58.3% of his passes for 6.3 yards per attempt, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
The Wolverines are heading to Champaign this weekend to face Peters, but it's unclear if he will be healthy enough to play. He suffered an injury against Minnesota last weekend, and his status is still in doubt.
RB O'Maury Samuels
Current team: New Mexico State
Harbaugh landed O'Maury Samuels as the No. 1 player in New Mexico from the 2017 class.
Samuels never rose above No. 4 on the Michigan running back depth chart, carrying the ball 21 times for 79 yards in his career.
He was removed from the roster last year after an incident that led to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in Ann Arbor.
Samuels transferred back home to New Mexico State, where he's sitting out the 2019 season. He'll have two seasons of eligibility, starting in 2020.
DB Myles Sims
Current team: Georgia Tech
One year after joining Michigan as a top 20 cornerback and four-star prospect, Myles Sims transferred back home to Atlanta.
He was granted immediate eligibility to play for Georgia Tech this season and has appeared in three games, making four tackles.
Georgia Tech is in the first year of a new coaching staff and has started 1-4 with a win over South Florida. The Yellow Jackets also suffered an embarrassing home loss to The Citadel in mid-September.
LB Drew Singleton
Current team: Rutgers
Unlike Martin, Drew Singleton got some action in his return to the Big House this season, though it came in a 52-point loss.
After appearing in just one game for Michigan last season, Singleton was granted immediate eligibility for Rutgers this season and has appeared in all five games.
Singleton has 20 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack this season, including five tackles against Michigan.
He was a top 100 player and a four-star outside linebacker in the 2017 recruiting class. Singleton was the No. 1 player from the state of New Jersey.
DL Aubrey Solomon
Current team: Tennessee
Right now, Aubrey Solomon is at Tennessee, but with the way his recruitment went, there's no telling where he might be next year.
After committing to Michigan in June 2016, Solomon infamously decommitted and posted a video bashing the Wolverines, only to eventually recommit to Michigan.
The former five-star defensive tackle was a solid contributor for the Wolverines, making 19 tackles and two tackles for loss in 10 games while battling injuries.
He announced a transfer to Tennessee this offseason and has made 13 tackles and two tackles for loss in five games for the Volunteers.
Tennessee is 1-4 this season with home losses to Georgia State and BYU and blowout losses to Florida and Georgia. The team's only win came against FCS foe Chattanooga.
DB Benjamin St-Juste
Current team: Minnesota
As a graduate transfer, Benjamin St-Juste will have three years of eligibility with Minnesota.
He appeared in three games at Michigan in 2017, making three tackles.
St-Juste has made 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in three games for the Golden Gophers this season.
Minnesota isn't on Michigan's schedule this season, but the Wolverines will make an October trip to Minneapolis next year.
RB Kurt Taylor
Current team: Iowa Central Community College
Kurt Taylor was a star running back in high school but didn't appear in a game during his two season in Ann Arbor.
He announced his plan to transfer in November 2018 and landed at Iowa Central Community College.
According to the team's website, Taylor has carried the ball 114 times this season for 624 yards and three touchdowns. He's averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 89.1 yards per game.
It appears Taylor will get an opportunity to return to an FBS roster next season with two years of eligibility remaining.
K Ryan Tice
Current team: Central Michigan
Ryan Tice was nearly perfect in three years kicking for the Wolverines, though he didn't see the field in 2015 or 2017.
Tice made all 10 extra point attempts in 2016, but missed his only field goal attempt -- a 40-yarder against Wisconsin with the score tied late in the third quarter.
Tice got that field goal attempt after starting placekicker Kenny Allen missed a pair of attempts in the second quarter.
Since transferring to Central Michigan in 2018, Tice has been very reliable for Central Michigan. He's 30-for-31 in career extra point attempts at CMU and 16-for-21 in field goal attempts.
He's scored 78 points for the Chippewas the last two seasons.
OL Nolan Ulizio
Current team: Pittsburgh
Nolan Ulizio was one of the few players left from the 2015 recruiting class last season (Jon Runyan Jr. is now the last player from that group).
He graduated and transferred to Pittsburgh after appearing in 16 games as a backup offensive lineman at Michigan.
Ulizio was listed as Pittsburgh's starting right tackle in mid-September.
RB Kareen Walker
Current team: Mississippi State
Once a five-star prospect at the time of his commitment, Kareem Walker struggled late in his high school career and arrived at Michigan as a four-star and the No. 4 running back in the nation.
He only carried the ball 20 times for 68 yards and a touchdown in 2017 after missing his true freshman season.
Walker transferred to Fort Scott Community College in 2018 after being passed by Karan Higdon on the depth chart in Ann Arbor. He gained 207 yards on 64 carries at the junior college level.
He joined Mississippi State in September and will take an academic redshirt in 2019, head coach Joe Moorhead announced this week.
Walker will have two years of eligibility when he returns in 2020.
DB Keith Washington
Current team: West Virginia
The most successful player on the field on this entire list is probably Keith Washington, who is a second-year starter in the West Virginia secondary.
Washington made 40 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while picking off two passes and defending nine more passes in 2018.
He's already picked off three passes and defended six passes in five games this season.
The former three-star cornerback redshirted for the Wolverines in 2015 and played on special teams the following year, when Michigan was loaded in the secondary.
Washington is one of the most dynamic players on the West Virginia defense and appears to be in line for a huge statistical season.
TE Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Current team: Morgan State
The excitement surrounding Tyrone Wheatley Jr. at Michigan was always more theoretical than production-based.
With Harbaugh's love of tight ends in the passing game, Wheatley's massive frame and the legacy left by his father, it appeared to be a perfect match.
But Wheatley was a modest contributor in three seasons, catching six passes for 61 yards and one touchdown.
He played in 11 games for Stony Brook last season, making six catches for 36 yards.
He's now with Morgan State, where he's yet to catch a pass, according to the team's website.
More transfers
Here are some additional Michigan transfers who don't appear to be on an active roster this season:
- Freddy Canteen
- Corey Malone-Hatcher (medical retirement)
- Alex Malzone
- Elysee Mbem-Bosse
- Ahmir Mitchell
Did I miss a transfer player? Email me at dhutchinson@wdiv.com.