Nevada Football Lands a National Champion Via The Transfer Portal

Florida high school star Jack MacKinnon was a member of Michigan's 2024 national championship squad

Former Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jack MacKinnon (39) has landed at Nevada, via the transfer portal, after two seasons in Ann Arbor. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When Jack MacKinnon was completing his high school athletic career at Florida's Cardinal Mooney High School, he thought he was off to play college baseball at the University of South Florida, where he had committed.

As things turned out, he caught the eye of Jack Harbaugh, father of then Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who offered MacKinnon a preferred walk-on spot with the Wolverines. He accepted.

According to a report by Nevada Sportsnet, MacKinnon appeared in just one contest in two seasons at Michigan, making one tackle, but he stood out on the scout team and had the experience of a lifetime in winning a national championship.

MacKinnon figures to add depth to a strong Nevada linebacking unit, but at 6-foot-4 and 250-pounds he has the size to play defensive end. At Cardinal Mooney he had 58 tackles and 13 sacks as a senior. He also recovered a fumble, blocked a field goal and earned second-team all-state honors.

His father Steve was a former draft pick of the NHL's Ottawa Senators and reach the ECHL.