Wolverine Digest

Michigan defensive snaps leader from 2025 enters transfer portal

The Wolverines secondary is shaping out to look much different in 2026
Seth Berry|
Michigan defensive back TJ Metcalf (7) celebrates a tackle against Michigan State during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
Michigan defensive back TJ Metcalf (7) celebrates a tackle against Michigan State during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 25, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

Michigan football's snaps leader from the 2025 season is in the transfer portal, according to a report from On3's Pete Nakos on Thursday night.

TJ Metcalf, who came to the Wolverines from Arkansas, totaled 58 tackles, four pass deflections and recorded an interception for the Maize and Blue in 2025.

He was an All-Big Ten selection for his performance in the Michigan secondary and recorded his lone interception in the team's loss at Oklahoma on Sept. 6 from his safety position.

Metcalf spent two seasons at Arkansas prior to coming to Ann Arbor. During his freshman campaign in 2023, Metcalf appeared in all 12 games on special teams with 11 games in the secondary, making 15 tackles with one fumble recovery.

As a sophomore with the Razorbacks, Metcalf's role expanded even further with 11 starts in the defensive backfield. He recorded 57 tackles in 2024 with 10 pass breakups and three interceptions.

Metcalf has one year of eligiblilty remaining.

Michigan's secondary looking to shape out much differently in 2026

Michigan's defensive backfield looks to be undergoing massive turnovers for the 2026 season under new coach Kyle Whittingham.

Former defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan, who is regarded as a good recruiter, relationship builder and a rising star in the coaching industry, was not retained by Whittingham. With that being the case, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that many players who were a part of Michigan's defensice backfield this past season are looking elsewhere.

The Wolverines were able to retain Zeke Berry after he entered the portal, who should be a big part of Michigan's secondary again next season. However, Michigan has now lost Metcalf, Brandyn Hillman, Elijah Dotson, Jordan Young and Jayden Sanders in the portal.

New Michigan coaches Tyler Stockton and Jernaro Gilford, who will be in charge of the safties and corrnerbacks, respectively, will be tasked with re-tooling the Wolverines' back end in 2026 and beyond.

We'll see if Michigan is able to make some headway in the portal to be able to replace some of the losses that have taken place. The window for the current transfer portal ends on Jan. 16.

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Seth Berry
SETH BERRY

Seth began writing on Michigan athletics in 2015 and has remained in the U-M media space ever since, which includes stops at Maize N Brew and Rivals before coming onto Michigan On SI in June of 2025. Seth has covered various angles of Michigan football and basketball, including recruiting, overall team coverage and feature/analysis stories relating to the Wolverines. His passion for Michigan sports and desire to tell stories led him to the sports journalism world. He is a 2020 graduate of Western Michigan University and is the former sports editor of the Western Herald, WMU's student newspaper.

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