The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543210
MARCH 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 53 BY ANTHONY BROOME AND CLAYTON SAYFIE T his year's window for players to enter the transfer portal lasted from Jan. 2-16. Given that Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham was hired on Dec. 26 and was simultaneously putting together his coaching staff during this time frame, it's remarkable how well the Wolverines fared with new roster ad- ditions via the portal. In all, U-M added 19 transfers to counter the 23 outgoing transfers following the Sherrone Moore debacle. In addition, Whittingham and his new staff made some key saves during this window with their vision and pitch for the future of Michigan football resulting in seven U-M players withdrawing from the portal and electing to stay with the Wolverines. Here are the biographies of all the players U-M added during this period, many of whom bring familiarity with Whittingham and/or his staff, having played for them at Utah or elsewhere. MAX ALFORD • LB GR. • 6-1, 230 BYU • PARK CITY (UTAH) HS On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 147 LB Rivals Industry Ranking (2021): HHH, No. 1,768 overall, No. 121 RB Alford, the son of the late Aaron Alford — who coached under Kyle Whittingham at Utah — and nephew of U-M run- ning backs coach/offensive run game coordinator Tony Alford, joined the program on Jan. 12 to help round out the depth and competition within the linebacker room in Ann Arbor. He could have as many as two seasons of eligibility remain- ing after redshirting due to injury in 2023 and suffering a season-ending injury in 2024. Alford spent his first three sea- sons at Utah State before transferring to BYU last year, where U-M Adds Influx Of Talent Via Transfer Portal Smith Snowden was a second-team All-Big 12 selection at cornerback in 2025 with the Utah Utes. He will instantly be in the running for a starting job in the Michigan secondary this fall. PHOTO BY ANNA FUDER/UTAH ATHLETICS