BREAKING: WR CJ Charleston Commits To Michigan

Michigan picked up a commitment from a transfer portal wide receiver who logged 30-plus receptions last season.

Less than a week ago, former Youngstown State wide receiver CJ Charleston officially entered the Transfer Portal, and it didn’t take long for him to figure out his football future would be best spent at Michigan. 

Ho〽️e pic.twitter.com/kTW1RZam8n

— CJ Charleston (@cjcharleston13) May 1, 2024

Charleston, who is listed at 6-0 and 190 pounds, had a decent 2023 season for the Penguins before entering the portal, posting 33 receptions for 503 yards and four touchdowns a year ago. However, Charleston was the third option for Youngstown State in terms of downfield targets last season, so perhaps a larger share of the passing game is what he is looking for.

As such, Charleston officially entered the portal on April 26, and Michigan wide receiver coach Ron Bellamy extended an offer just three days later. Now, after letting his opportunity sink in for a few days, Charleston decided to commit to Michigan this afternoon, strengthening a position of need for the Wolverines in the process,which Brandon outlined earlier today.

As a member of the YSU squad for the past five years, Charleston experienced his fair share of ups and downs. In 2021, Charleston broke into the starting lineup for a handful of games and showed promise before running into a major speed bump a year later. During fall camp for the 2022 season, Charleston tore his Achilles and underwent a difficult recovery process, but eventually he worked his way back into form and was a trusty contributor for Youngstown State last season. 

Prior to attending YSU, Charleston was a dominant running back, wide receiver and cornerback for his high school squad, and he also won state titles in track and field for long jump and the 4x100 meter relay. So, Charleston is a plus-athlete with the speed and burst to make plays in space, which is reportedly a focus for coach Bellamy according to 2026 WR recruit Jaylen Pile. 

“He likes when wide receivers can be spread out and play multiple positions on the offense,” Pile told Wolverine Digest of Bellamy’s vision. “He said he might put me back in the backfield, take a little handoff or something— speed in space and having them be able to create plays. That's what he's all about.”

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Charleston would be the Wolverines’ eighth scholarship wideout on the roster this season, but U-M’s top pass-catching option may be tight end Colston Loveland. Expect the reliable U-M tight end to pace Michigan in the receptions department in 2024 even with the addition of Charleston. 

What do you think of Michigan’s most recent transfer portal pickup? Does Charleston address the wide receiver depth enough for the 2024 season? Let us know and follow @EricJRutter, @mlounsberry_SI and @BSB_Wolverine on Twitter for more Michigan Athletics updates at Wolverine Digest.