The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2026 he played in Michigan defensive coordinator Jay Hill's defense and recorded 21 total tackles with a sack in 2025. He was the second member of the Alford family to join the program during the portal cycle along with wide receiver Braydon Alford, Tony Alford's son, who will be a walk-on with the program. Whittingham's retention of the incumbent RBs coach helped make it happen, and it has now led to a family reunion in Ann Arbor. CHRISTOPHER BRACY • S SR. • 6-1, 195 MEMPHIS • ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL (ALA.) HS On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 177 S Rivals Industry Ranking (2023): HHH, No. 1,962 overall, No. 170 CB Bracy's addition helped Michigan address some of the losses it took in the defensive back room in the portal by providing an experienced piece to add to the rotation. He picked the Wolverines over interest from schools like Clemson, Houston, Iowa, Mississippi State, Arkansas and others. Bracy began his career at UAB before transferring to Mem- phis, where he recorded 81 tackles, 9 passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble in 2025. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining. The Wolverines have some question marks at safety with TJ Metcalf and Brandyn Hillman transferring out. Rod Moore is back and the hope is that he can return in full. Junior Mason Curtis and sophomore Jordan Young will also factor into the rotation, but Bracy gives them a guy with some starting expe- rience to help round things out, and could wind up being one of the most underrated additions out of the portal this cycle. CAM BROWN • P SO. • 6-2, 185 UNLV • QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 21 P Rivals Industry Ranking (2025): N/R U-M landed a commitment from the UNLV transfer punter on Jan. 7, its second addition of the portal cycle at that time. Brown, the latest in a long line of Australian punters in college football, averaged 43.8 yards per attempt on 46 punts in 2025, along with a 71-yard long during his true freshman season with the Rebels. He also pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 17 times with only 3 punts going through the end zone for touchbacks. Brown had 9 punts of 50 yards or more last season, but his 3.6-second hang time was 12th out of 15 Mountain West punt- ers last year. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining and adds competition and much-needed upward trajectory to U- M's special teams ranks. JJ BUCHANAN • WR SO. • 6-3, 225 UTAH • CORONADO (NEV.) HS On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHHH, No. 57 overall, No. 15 WR Rivals Industry Ranking (2025): HHH, No. 573 overall, No. 11 ATH U-M brought in one of the most versatile pass catchers in the portal with plenty of upward tra- jectory in Buchanan, who was listed as a tight end at Utah but played most of his true freshman season at wideout. He appeared in all 13 games with seven starts, catching 26 passes for 427 yards and 5 touchdowns as a freshman, and his yardage mark was the highest among freshman tight ends in the country. He logged 269 snaps at slot, 264 as an outside receiver and only 10 as an in-line tight end as a freshman last year; 18 of his 27 receptions came on throws of 10-plus air yards. "JJ worked out of the wide receiver room after about Game 4," his father, Jeff Buchanan, told The Wolverine. "So really, what's going on at Michigan is very natural to what he did at Utah. He's a matchup issue. He's fast, he's long, he's got great length, he is 6-4, but he has got a 6-6 reach. His vertical was the highest on the entire Utah team at 40 ¼ inches. I believe that is what his vertical got tested at. So, he's difficult to guard, and his playing wide receiver is just consistent with what he did at Utah." TREY BUTKOWSKI • K SO. • 6-0, 170 PITTSBURGH • LAKE NONA (FLA.) HS On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 37 K Rivals Industry Ranking (2025): HHH, No. 2,621 overall, No. 15 K Butkowski was a true freshman standout for the Panthers this year under head coach Pat Narduzzi. The Lake Nona, Fla., native won the starting kicking job out of training camp and grabbed second-team All-ACC honors after making 20 of 23 field goals (87 percent) on the season, along with a 43-for-44 mark on extra point attempts. He did not attempt a field goal beyond 50 yards, and his three misses came from between 40-49. This past season, he set a Pitt record with 16 consecutive field goal makes. His longest field goal came from 47 yards out, and he converted all 13 of his attempts inside 40 yards. But- kowski was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, one of only four kickers in Pitt history to earn that designation. Coming out of high school, Kohl's Kicking rated Butkowski as the No. 9 kicker in the 2025 class and a five-star at his position. NICO CRAWFORD • LS GR. • 6-2, 235 PITTSBURGH • PARK CITY (UTAH) HS On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: HHH, No. 22 LS Rivals Industry Ranking (2022): N/R Crawford, who was U-M's first commitment out of the portal on Jan. 6, played in 37 career games with more than 200 snaps after enrolling at Pitt in January 2024 following a season at Charlotte in 2023, where he played for former Michigan staffer Biff Poggi. The Dublin, Ohio, native originally joined Illinois as a walk-on ahead of the 2022 season, but redshirted and did not appear in any games.