All Gophers

Report: Cole Cabana flips portal commitment from Minnesota to Western Michigan

Cabana's departure drops Minnesota's list of portal commits to 14 players.
Joe Nelson|
Michigan Wolverines running back Cole Cabana (24) warms up before action against the Bowling Green Falcons Saturday, Sept.16 2023.
Michigan Wolverines running back Cole Cabana (24) warms up before action against the Bowling Green Falcons Saturday, Sept.16 2023. | Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Former Michigan running back Cole Cabana, who was a four-star recruit in high school, has withdrawn his verbal commitment to the Minnesota Gophers and instead signed with Western Michigan, according to a report from On3's Pete Nakos.

Cabana entered the transfer portal after spending two seasons at Michigan and he has three years of eligibility remaining. His departure from Minnesota's transfer portal class doesn't put a huge dent in the program's outlook because the Gophers have leading rusher Darius Taylor II returning, along with incoming transfers A.J. Turner (Marshall) and Cameron Davis (Washington).

Stay up to date on all things Gophers by bookmarking Minnesota Gophers On SI, subscribing to our YouTube Channel, and signing up to receive our free Gophers newsletter, which will enter you into a drawing for the EA College Gameday 25 video game (you choose between PS5 or Xbox).

Turner, who led the nation in yards per carry in 2024, has two years of eligibility remaining, while Davis is entering his final year as a graduate transfer.

Coming out of Dexter High School near Ann Arbor, Cabana was a four-star prospect who was ranked as a top-200 recruit, the No. 10 running back in the country, and the No. 2 player in Michigan by 247Sports' composite rankings.

In two seasons with Michigan, Cabana had just two carries, which came in a September 2023 game against Bowling Green.

Full list of transfer portal commits to Minnesota:

Published | Modified
Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.

Share on XFollow JoeyBrainstorm
Home/Gophers Football