The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2023 THE WOLVERINE 53 I N C O M I N G TRANSFERS LaDarius Henderson wrapped up his fourth season at Arizona State and weighed his options. He could've opted for the NFL, but decided to enter the transfer portal and play another year of college football. Michigan stood out right away because it provided two situations he badly wants for the 2023 season — to win and to be developed so that he's as ready as possi- ble when he does take his shot at the pros. "There are a few O-line U's, as I would call them, and I feel like Michigan, right now, is definitely in the lead on that," Henderson said. "I know they're an O- line school, and they love their big guys up front. If all of their big guys are doing that good, then somebody's developing them just right." The Wolverines have won two straight Joe Moore Awards for the nation's top of- fensive line under position coach and co- offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore. They've also had eight offensive linemen drafted in eight seasons under head coach Jim Harbaugh. "That's something I wanted to be a part of," Henderson added. "It's just a breath of fresh air to be able to be a part of a pro- gram like this." Playing on a line with All-Big Ten standouts like graduate left guard Trevor Keegan and senior right guard Zak Zinter will be a plus. "When you're a good player, play- ing next to good players helps you a lot," Henderson explained. "You can go to a school, and you can be the only good of- fensive lineman there, and you'll quickly see that you might not have much help. You might be the giver of help in every situation. "Sometimes, it's nice to be next to some guys that are as dialed in and have the same passions and desires that you do. And after talking to these guys, I al- ready love them." Henderson played both tackle and guard at Arizona State, but mostly saw time at the former, where he said he'll compete at Michigan. He started 29 games — 19 at left guard and 10 at left tackle — and was charged with only 2 sacks on 619 pass- blocking snaps over the last two seasons, per Pro Football Focus. Henderson shouldn't have any trou- ble picking up the Michigan playbook quickly. He played as a freshman at age 17 and had four different offensive coordi- nators during his time in Tempe. He'll also look to bring leadership where he can. "I'm always going to be a leader, whether that's a captain, not a captain," Henderson said. "I don't expect to come in and be named a captain. But when you're a leader, that's just who you are." — Clayton Sayfie LaDarius Henderson Ecstatic To Join 'O-Line U.' Arizona State University Waxahachie High Waxahachie, Texas Graduate/1 Offensive Line Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 310 Honors: Voted a team captain for his senior season at ASU in 2022. Recruiting Rankings: On3 ranked him as the No. 5 interior offensive line- man and a college four-star in the 2023 transfer portal … A four-star prospect in 2019 who was ranked as the 65th- best offensive tackle and No. 94 player in Texas, per the On3 Consensus. LaDarius Henderson Michigan football did work in the transfer portal following the conclu- sion of the 2022 regular season, landing seven prospects from other schools. That comes on the heels of two straight cycles in which U-M brought in six combined transfers (three each year), showing a potential shift in philosophy. The Maize and Blue bolstered multiple position groups, most notably the offensive line, grabbing three players. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Co. landed tight end AJ Barner (Indiana), linebacker Ernest Hausmann (Nebraska), offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson (Arizona State), offensive tackle Myles Hinton (Stanford), center Drake Nugent (Stanford), edge Josaiah Stewart (Coastal Carolina) and quarterback Jack Tuttle (Indiana). The Wolverines used some preexist- ing ties to land a few of their newcom- ers. Michigan running backs coach and run game coordinator Mike Hart was the Hoosiers' running backs and associate head coach in 2020, and his connection with Barner and Tuttle paid off. U-M defensive back Mike Sainristil played high school football with Stewart at Everett (Mass.) High, helping to seal the deal and bring him to Ann Arbor. The Maize and Blue recruited Haus- mann out of high school — U-M was a finalist but finished just short. Hinton's older brother, Chris, was a defensive lineman for the Wolverines from 2019-21. (U-M was also a finalist for Myles out of high school.) Hinton and Nugent played under former Stan- ford head coach David Shaw, a member of Michigan head man Jim Harbaugh's coaching tree. All of that amounted to a great haul. On3 rated Michigan No. 19 in its transfer portal rankings, which takes into account players coming and go- ing, but ESPN.com had the Wolverines No. 8 when only considering additions. They trailed only Colorado, Florida State, UCLA, Oklahoma, USC, Ole Miss and Auburn, and were the only Big Ten school to crack the top 10. "The Wolverines have traditionally not gotten very involved in the transfer por- tal," ESPN.com's Tom VanHaaren wrote. "The staff added center Olusegun Olu- watimi from Virginia prior to last season as a grad transfer. This cycle, coach Jim Harbaugh has brought in more transfers, including some big names who could help Michigan make the College Football Playoff for a third straight season." U-M doesn't appear reliant on the transfer class to headline the team, but merely needs to fill roster holes and add depth. There are 14 returning starters (6 offense and 8 defense) and a slew of young Wolverines who can play. — Clayton Sayfie Transfer Class Will Add A Boost To Michigan's Championship Efforts