The History of Michigan Football Transfers
Since a slew of transfers are on their way and that number could still rise, I figure I'd post this since Michigan has already appeared to set a record for transfers welcomed in a single year with 4.
My source for this is the Bentley football roster database. This is a list of every documented Michigan incoming transfer.
I say documented because it is possible that guys transferred here in the late 19th century and early 20th century and it just wasn't listed that they transffered.
There are some really impressive names on this list that you might recognize.
| Player | Pos. | U-M Years | Transferred From |
| William Caley | G | 1896-1898 | Colorado |
| Charles McDonald | T | 1898-1899 | Oberlin |
| Charles Street | QB | 1898-1899 | Williams College |
| Ebin Wilson | C | 1900 | Eastern Michigan |
| Willie Heston, Sr. | HB | 1901-1904 | San Jose State |
| Dan McGugin | G | 1901-1902 | Drake |
| Arthur Reid | N/A | 1901 | Simpson College |
| Charles Carter | G | 1902 | Brown |
| Willard Peach | E | 1916, 1919 | Western Michigan |
| Elroy Hirsch | RB | 1943 | Wisconsin |
| Howard Yerges | QB | 1944-1947 | Ohio State |
| Len Ford | E | 1945-1947 | Morgan State |
| J.T. White | C | 1946-1947 | Ohio State |
| Don Zanfagna | QB | 1951-1952 | Army |
| Rick Jones | LB | 1977-1978 | Detroit |
| Michael Kerr | OL | 1986-1987 | DuPage J.C. |
| Chris Kurpeikis | OT | 1995 | Notre Dame |
| Eric Mayes | LB | 1995-1997 | Xavier |
| Russell Shaw | WR | 1996-1997 | Locke - El Camino C.C. |
| Jonathan Goodwin | OL | 1999-2001 | Ohio University |
| Spencer Brinton | QB | 2001-2004 | San Diego State |
| Troy Nienberg | K | 2001-2004 | Dayton |
| Grant Mason | CB | 2004-2005 | Stanford |
| Austin Panter | LB | 2007-2008 | Kensington - Butler C.C. |
| Steven Threet | QB | 2007-2008 | Georgia Tech |
| Marrell Evans | LB | 2011 | Hampton |
| Ty Isaac | RB | 2014- | USC |
| Wayne Lyons | CB | 2015- | Stanford |
| John O'Korn | QB | 2015- | Houston |
| Blake O'Neill | P | 2015- | Weber State |
| Jake Rudock | QB | 2015- | Iowa |
Italics indicates JUCO (junior college) transfer
Willie Heston...didn't know he was a transfer. His grandson was a doctor in the AA area in the '70s who treated a broken leg that helps me get around.
April 10th, 2015 at 12:57 AM ^
College football players were, shall we say, a bit nomadic at the turn of the century. As in, transfer rules didn't really exist--you could just get a kid, er, rather, entice a kid to come to your school, and they'd drop everything and do it. There were guys playing for multiple teams in a single season. Yost was one of them, actually. The whole 4-year-eligibility thing didn't really exist, either.
As I understand it, Heston was a bit different, as he was a law student. But the fact of the matter is, "transfer" meant something far different for much of the sport's early years.
It would be interesting to see a list in the opposite direction...M players who transfered to other schools and played at the destination school. Probably much harder to put together such a list (but I think you are up to it WD).
Thanks!
April 10th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
Didn't know Jonathon "Bubbles" Goodwin was a transfer. Thanks for posting.
April 10th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
There's some good ones on there. Thanks for putting this together!
April 10th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
I think it's safe to say that Jake Rudock will only be at UM for one year.
April 17th, 2015 at 11:54 AM ^
The college football playoff is in 2016.
a quarterback from depaw, transfer ~ 1982 or '83. first name might have been mike. not kidding.
April 14th, 2015 at 10:56 PM ^
Comments