An already loaded Michigan football team found a potential answer to one of its biggest question marks of the offseason on Wednesday morning when it landed a commitment from UMass transfer cornerback Josh Wallace.

Wallace, a four-year starter and two-time captain for the Minutemen, was offered by the Wolverines on May 26. Michigan had been in the running for numerous corners throughout the offseason, but it had failed to secure a transfer to help bolster a young and inexperienced position group.

The cornerback position has been one of the most talked about position groups of the Michigan football team this offseason, and rightfully so. True sophomore and former five-star Will Johnson has locked up the first starting spot, but questions surrounding the second spot have been circulating for months now.

Two of the most frequent names to come up in the search for the second starting spot have been true sophomore and converted wide receiver Amorion Walker and junior Ja'Den McBurrows. Neither player has seen significant playing time throughout his career, hence the discussion surrounding the second starting cornerback spot.

Walker appeared in six games as a freshman in 2022. He played five games at wide receiver and one game at cornerback. Meanwhile, McBurrows played in four games as a freshman in 2021 and sat out most of 2022 due to an injury.

Despite swinging and missing on multiple transfer cornerbacks earlier in the offseason, Michigan continued to look for a potential starting corner opposite Johnson. Wallace then entered the portal in late May, and the Wolverines jumped all over the experienced starter.

Wallace took a two-day visit to Ann Arbor from June 1-2, and Michigan closed soon after.

At the very least, the Wolverines secured an experienced starter to help increase the depth at one of the thinner positions on the roster. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Wallace played 2,197 snaps in his four-year career at UMass, which vastly outnumbers the snap counts of Johnson, Walker and McBurrows combined.

Wallace accumulated 137 total tackles during his four seasons at UMass. He also recorded 24 passes defended and three interceptions.

The jury is still out as to whether the talent difference will be too much to handle for Wallace, but with an older player now in the fold, it gives younger players like Walker, McBurrows, Jyaire Hill and Myles Pollard a chance to compete with and learn from Wallace, who has played his fair share of snaps.

The hope, however, is that Wallace can emerge as the starting cornerback opposite Johnson. Wallace's experience and physicality cannot be overstated for a Michigan team with few holes to point to.

With one year of eligibility remaining, Wallace will play his final season of college football in Ann Arbor, where he will look to be the missing piece as it relates to Michigan's national championship aspirations.

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