Iowa Hawkeyes Add Another Michigan Player from Transfer Portal
For the second time in two weeks, the Iowa Hawkeyes have made another splash via the transfer portal. On December 2nd, the team welcomed former Michigan Wolverine Cade McNamara. McNamara played under Jim Harbaugh for three seasons before transferring to Iowa. Now, one of his teammates is going with him.
On December 14th, 2022, it was confirmed that Michigan tight end Erick All would be transferring to the Hawkeyes for the 2023 season. All merely appeared in three games for the Wolverines last season, netting three receptions for 36 yards, before suffering a back injury that required season-ended surgery. He made his plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal on December 5th.
Erick All looks to bolster an Iowa Hawkeye offense that could use all the help it can get. The Athletic's Scott Dochterman and Austin Meek called All one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten when he's healthy. He's also considered to be a potential early-round draft pick when the 2024 NFL Draft arrives. Yet, as is the case with players, you can never predict injuries.
Presently, the Iowa Hawkeyes have a whopping nine players in the portal; the latest is Dallas Craddieth, who just recently expressed his interest to transfer. The NCAA transfer portal is in itself becoming a lot like free agency in the NFL, where every offseason, players are free to jump teams without restrictions nor penalties.
According to John Steppe of The Gazette, Big Ten teams have averaged 7.2 transfer portal departures as of the last week. Excluding the three programs who are in the middle of coaching/regime changes (the three being Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Purdue), the average is 6.9.
Both McNamara and All were a part of Michigan's 2021 Big Ten championship season run. However, it's still a long way to go before the start of the new season. Time will tell if the Hawkeyes headline-making acquisitions will result in more wins following their underwhelming season.