TRENDING: Michigan New Top Star players will surprise at the NFL Final Season…
By now, everyone is familiar with Jim Harbaugh’s claims that the Michigan Wolverines will make a splash at the NFL Draft later this month, and at this point that boldness is being met with the typical pessimism. Sure, there are plenty of Michigan supporters across the draft community, but there are also plenty of detractors, which makes sense for such a polarizing program.
Obviously the biggest lightning rod is J.J. McCarthy, who has done more than proven himself through his play, his workouts, and his character. Anyone who has followed his career knows he is worthy of a top-10 (and even a top-five) selection, but those from afar – and those who hate Michigan – are anywhere from perplexed to outraged about his recent hype.
The polarization does not end at all with McCarthy. Given the nearly 20 players that are in contention to hear their name called in Detroit, there of course are plenty of other Wolverines who are being slept on as well. Michigan fans may have bias, but it seems the general public is just as biased (or ignorant), just in the other direction.
Which Michigan players do you think will surprise at the NFL Draft?
The two names that immediately come to mind for me are Roman Wilson and Mike Sainristil. Both are unfairly penalized by their size, but more than make up for it everywhere else. While many mock drafts have them lingering around the third round, they should be early Day Two picks at worst. Neither may jump into Thursday night, but both have the ability to have first-round careers.
Additionally, I think basically every key defender has a chance to beat mock drafts by a round or so. Kris Jenkins does not get the hype of Mason Graham or Kenneth Grant, but does nothing but produce. Junior Colson and Michael Barrett have shown they can play in a NFL defense. All of the edges have shared snaps, but are built for the next level.
Conversely, I do wonder if the offensive line goes as highly as expected despite the accolades and praise over the past few seasons. The guards at the top, sure, but everyone else could end up going late. I think Michigan’s less-heralded players are ready to make some waves, but certainly not every prospect is going to exceed projections.
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Michigan reaches out to Oklahoma transfer Javian McCollum, Tulane transfer Kolby King
New Michigan head coach Dusty May is working hard to build up his team for his debut season in Ann Arbor. It’s clear he’s looking for guys that would fit his system, and that’s clear based off the two most recent players he has reached out to in the transfer portal.
Javian McCollum
According to The Portal Report, Michigan is one of the teams to have contacted former Oklahoma guard Javian McCollum.
McCollum was the leading scorer for the Sooners this past season. He started all 30 games as a junior, averaging just over 13 points, three assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. He shot 40.4 percent from the field and hit 31.4 percent of his threes.
It’s easy to see from highlights why he could fit in May’s system.
One thing that’d be nice to have for the Wolverines is his consistency at the free throw line. He set a school record for free throw percentage at Oklahoma, hitting 94.3 percent of those shots. He also hit 39 consecutive free throws, breaking another program record.
While Michigan has expressed interest, McCollum received a Crystal Ball from 247Sports this week in favor of Georgia Tech. Another thing that could make it difficult for Michigan to bring McCollum to Ann Arbor is his age. He just finished his junior season, and we all know the issues underclassmen have had transferring credits.
Kolby King
Jamie Shaw with On3 reported that Tulane transfer Kolby King has received the most interest from Michigan and schools like Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Wichita State, Oklahoma State and others.
King started his college career at St. John’s, playing in 25 games as a freshman. He saw even more time at Tulane, averaging about 27 minutes per game. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 10.4 points per game for the Green Wave and shot 37.9 percent from behind the arc. That’s an encouraging stat when you consider what May has said he wants to do at Michigan — shoot a high volume of three-pointers.
However, he is just finishing his second year in college, so this may be another future admissions issue if he were to commit to the Wolverines.
Stay up to date on all the news this offseason with our Michigan basketball transfer portal tracker.