Michigan DB R.J. Moten enters transfer portal

Yet another Michigan football player has entered the transfer portal.

Senior defensive back R.J. Moten entered the transfer portal Tuesday, as first reported by On3’s Matt Zenitz. The move comes the same day as senior wide receiver A.J. Henning also put his name in the portal.

Starting 10 games at safety last season and appearing in all 14 games, Moten played a major role in last year’s secondary and leaves big shoes to fill. Moten also played 14 games in 2021, registering 65 total tackles across those two campaigns. As part of the safety rotation with fellow senior safety Makari Paige and sophomore safety Rod Moore, Moten provided ample experience that will need to be replaced.

While not normally a player who comes up with massive, game-defining plays, Moten played consistent in his role in stopping long runs. He also proved his chops as a pass defender, deflecting six passes and picking off two across the past two years.

While the likes of senior safety Caden Kolesar or freshman safety Keon Sabb could help alleviate that loss, Moten’s experience as a starter cannot be immediately replaced. Neither of those two safeties have started a game, meaning they’ll have to be caught up to speed this fall.

Michigan kept many core pieces of last year’s team together for a championship run this season, but it will have to find a new contributor to replace Moten’s production in the secondary.