Michigan already looked like it landed one of the top defensive backs available in the transfer portal this offseason when Smith Snowden committed to the Wolverines in the winter, and now the national media is starting to echo that sentiment as well.
Snowden was recently ranked the No. 4 defensive back transfer in college football by The Athletic, and the more you look into Michigan’s secondary heading into 2026, the more important that addition feels.
“Snowden, a 2025 second-team All-Big 12 pick, is a versatile athlete who played multiple roles for the Utes,” The Athletic’s Sam Khan Jr. wrote “As a corner, he spent significant time out wide and in the slot. He also played snaps on offense at receiver, where he caught 13 passes and ran the ball eight times. But he did his best work in the secondary, where his 43.9 percent allowed reception rate was the best in the Big 12 among corners with at least 300 coverage snaps last season.”
All things to be excited about for a Michigan secondary that suddenly has a chance to become one of the strengths of the roster.
The Wolverines already had plenty to like at cornerback entering the offseason. Jyaire Hill is expected to take another major step after showing some flashes last season, and Zeke Berry remains one of the more versatile defensive backs on the roster with experience both outside and at nickel.
And then there’s Snowden. What makes him especially valuable is how naturally he fits into what defensive coordinator Jay Hill wants to do. Members of the program this spring have talked about having and wanting flexibility in the secondary, specifically the ability to move Snowden and Berry between outside corner and nickel depending on matchups. Both those players give the Wolverines that option, which becomes a huge strength in a conference that’s full of spread offenses and downfield passing attacks.
And while Michigan fans didn’t get to see Snowden during the spring game as he recovered from an offseason surgery, there doesn’t seem to be much concern internally about what he’ll bring once he is fully healthy. He already knows the system from his time under Kyle Whittingham at Utah — he has 36 career games of college football under his belt and sounds very much like someone expecting to step into a major role right away.
Honestly, the biggest takeaway from Snowden’s mention in The Athletic story may not even be the ranking itself — it’s what it says about the direction of Michigan’s defense as a whole. Once the season rolls around, expect to see a ton of Snowden in the secondary, whether it be at corner or at the nickel spot.