Two transfer portal prospects Michigan football is interested in

Posted by author December 12, 2024 Football

Spread the love

Michigan Wolverines football hasn’t landed a commit out of the NCAA transfer portal yet, but the Maize and Blue have been active in recruiting prospects. Two of them — both hot names with a lot of schools pursuing — in addition to those on our recent hot board are Florida International wide receiver Eric Rivers and Grambling linebacker Andrew Jones.

Rivers is the No. 20 overall player and 10th-best receiver in the transfer portal, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Jones isn’t ranked by On3 but has received quite a bit of early interest.

The 5-foot-11, 174-pound Rivers spent two seasons at Memphis (2021-22) and two at Florida International (2023-24). He has one season of eligibility remaining.

This season, Rivers racked up 62 receptions for 1,172 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 18.9 yards per catch. He caught 12 passes on throws of 20-plus air yards. The 2024 first-team All-Conference USA selection averaged 6.8 yards after the catch per reception.

The Chattanooga, Tenn., native hauled in 32 receptions for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2023. He missed the entire 2022 season at Memphis due to injury, after playing in six outings as a true freshman in 2021.

It may be an uphill battle to land Rivers, though. He already has visits scheduled to Miami (Dec. 13-14), Nebraska (Dec. 15-16), Penn State (Dec. 19-20) and Colorado (Dec. 21-22). That’s not to say the Wolverines can’t join that list, however.

Jones also played at Memphis from 2021-22, before transferring to Grambling State for the last two seasons. He has a year of eligibility remaining. While he’s not rated, he has been massively productive, and a lot of suitors have lined up to vie for his services.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign in which he recorded 122 tackles, including 20.5 for loss and 3 sacks, along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery in 10 appearances. He earned SWAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a first-team all-conference selection.

Jones has seen numerous Power Four programs, including Michigan, reach out.

“Listed at 6’2″ and 220 pounds on his official Grambling bio, Jones isn’t overly big for a linebacker,” Gamecock Central wrote. “However, he plays much bigger on film. He is a heavy hitter and also is very strong behind his pads when meeting ball carriers in the hole. That, combined with above-average speed for the position, makes him a dangerous player in the box.

Graham was originally a four-star prospect by multiple publications in the 2021 class.