Following Jim Harbaugh’s dismissal as head coach, the Michigan football team had its first scholarship player sign up for the NCAA Transfer Portal on Tuesday afternoon. Reece Atteberry, a defensive lineman, registered as a graduate transfer through the transfer portal after spending three years as a reserve offensive lineman.
Atteberry joins Michigan’s 2023 roster as the sixth scholarship player to sign up for the portal this offseason. Alongside him were running back CJ Stokes, tight end Matthew Hibner, offensive lineman Noah Stewart, cornerback Amorion Walker, wide receiver Darrius Clemons, and cornerback Cameron Calhoun.
Atteberry played the seventh-most defensive tackle snaps last fall, with 43 defensive snaps and 14 game appearances, finishing with three tackles, despite only transitioning to defense just before the season started. After Cam Goode and Kris Jenkins graduated and left the Wolverines, Atteberry would have had a chance at a two-deep role. Although Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Rayshaun Benny are unquestionably starters, the field behind them would have been pretty open, with Trey Pierce, a rising sophomore, coming in second in 2023 snaps.
Nevertheless, Atteberry has earned his keep in Ann Arbor, having played in 12 games over his first three seasons there and working his way up to just outside the offensive line’s two-deep. At 6-foot-5 and 309 pounds, the former three-star recruit from Aurora, Colorado, seems to have two years left of eligibility. The 2020 season will not count toward eligibility, and he will wear a redshirt because he will only play in three games in 2022.
It’s unknown if Atteberry’s choice to swap positions was influenced by his desire to play offensive or defensive line at his next stop. Atteberry has played 91 offensive, 43 defensive, and 127 special teams snaps in his career so far.
As a result of Harbaugh’s departure, Michigan is currently in day six of a 30-day window during which players of all classifications are free to access the transfer site. Winter semesters at universities across the nation are well underway, so it may be difficult to enroll and be eligible for spring practices.
