Michigan's Jaime Ffrench Jr. Shares the Truth Behind His Transfer Decision and His Early Days in Ann Arbor

Former Texas wide receiver Jaime Ffrench Jr. opened up about why he chose Michigan and how it has gone in Ann Arbor so far.

Surrounded by family and friends, Mandarin receiver Jaime Ffrench Jr. smiles while wearing his University of Texas chain following his college commitment on August 30, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kyle Whittingham and the Michigan Wolverines brought in 18 transfers in the 2026 class. With a host of talent coming to Ann Arbor, one of the top newcomers is wide receiver Jaime Ffrench Jr.

Ffrench comes to Ann Arbor from Texas, where he spent one season with the Longhorns and was one of the top WR prospects in the 2025 high school class. Out of high school, the Jacksonville, Fla. native received offers from LSU, Miami, Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma, among others.

Mandarin's Jaime Ffrench Jr. (2) celebrates his touchdown score during the second quarter of a regular season high school football matchup Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 at Riverside High School in Jacksonville, Fla. The Mandarin Mustangs defeated the Riverside Generals 50-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In 2023, he originally committed to Alabama before later decommitting on Jan. 14, 2024, and later signing with the Longhorns.

This week, Ffrench joined Michigan QB Chase Herbstreit on the Champ Media podcast, talking about his journey to Michigan.

🏈 Jaime Ffrench 〽️

A new episode of The Team is OUT NOW with @UMichFootball WR @jaimeffrenchjr joining @ChaseHerbstreit 〽️

Jaime and Chase discuss:
〽️ His journey to Ann Arbor
🤘 Transferring from Texas to Michigan
⚡ What he brings to the wide receiver room
👀 AND So Much… pic.twitter.com/c8rioA6ddQ

— Champ Media (@ChampMediaCo) July 7, 2026

What Ffrench Said

In his talk with Herbstreit, Ffrench talked about his time in Ann Arbor so far, in particular new wide receivers coach Micah Simon.

“Man, coach Simon, he is my guy for sure,” Ffrench said. “He is more of an active coach so I like him for sure. He’s definitely a players coach… Every day he brings the juice, he just makes me want to go to practice some days, even when it's hard sometimes; he makes you push through. He is a guy you want to play for.”

Michigan wide receivers coach Micah Simon watches warm up during the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Simon joined the UofM coaching staff from Utah, where he was with Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck for a season, leading the WR room.

Herbstreit asked Ffrench if his eyes were always set on Michigan when entering the transfer portal.

“Actually it (Michigan) wasn’t (my top option),” Ffrench said. “Even when we played you guys in the bowl game, I didn’t have any intentions of transferring at all… I loved Texas and everything it had for me… Going through the exit meetings and stuff like that, things weren’t talking like I thought it was… I am here now and I am happy.”

Ffrench said he tries to model his game after wide receivers like Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals) and Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings).

What to Expect This Season

Ffrench should be an instant impact type of transfer for the Wolverines.

Michigan returned its top receiving threat from last season, Andrew Marsh, who will likely lead the WR room. The Wolverines also brought in former Utah WR JJ Buchanan, who will see valuable playing time.

Michigan State's Darius Snow, left, tackles Michigan's Andrew Marsh during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The trio of Marsh, Buchanan and Ffrench could finish the 2026 season as QB Bryce Underwood's top three targets.