Michael Dwumfour Enters The Transfer Portal, Leaves Michigan Thin At D-Tackle
Michigan's 2020 defense lost a potential starter Tuesday with the announcement from Michael Dwumfour he will enter the transfer portal instead of playing a fifth year in Ann Arbor. The 6-2, 282-pounder started two games this past season and played in 10 overall at defensive tackle, recording 1.5 tackles for loss.
While Dwumfour was not seen as the difference-maker Michigan needed on the interior of its line in 2020, he was an experienced player with 33 career contests, and proved capable of getting into the offensive backfield to create chaos, though his overall numbers reflected a disrupter that rarely finished the job - he had four sacks and 7.5 career tackles for loss.
Next to a big 300-pounder, Dwumfour might have found greater success, but he teamed with classmate Carlo Kemp (6-3, 286 pounds) on the inside the past two years to form an undersized tackle position for the Wolverines.
Michigan is believed to be seeking a grad-transfer or two at the tackle position and it's quite possible Dwumfour felt he didn't have a future role with the Wolverines, especially with the continued emergence of sophomore Chris Hinton (6-4, 303 pounds), who was taking more and more snaps as the season progressed.
However, until U-M gets a transfer or two, the loss of Dwumfour severely cuts down the number of bodies that can play inside in 2020. Kemp will be back for a fifth year while Hinton is poised for a breakout sophomore campaign, but the rest of Michigan's depth chart is not overwhelmingly convincing, and there are rumors that Donovan Jeter could follow Dwumfour into the transfer portal.
Incoming freshmen Kris Jenkins (6-4, 239) and Aaron Lewis (6-5, 235) are both undersized and transitioning from high school careers at defensive end, meaning, for now, Michigan is completely reliant on five returning players, three - Jeter, redshirt junior Phillip Paea and redshirt freshman Mazi Smith - with 13 combined games defensively and three total tackles.
