Michigan football offers UMass cornerback transfer Josh Wallace
Michigan Wolverines football has pursued multiple cornerbacks in the transfer portal this offseason, and a new target has emerged. The Maize and Blue have extended an offer to former UMass standout Josh Wallace.
Wallace played four seasons with the Minutemen and has one year of eligibility remaining. Since entering the portal Thursday, Wallace has also received offers from Penn State, Indiana, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Oregon State.
The 6-0, 190-pounder has some ins with Michigan, since there are many connections on the UMass staff. For starters, head coach Don Brown was the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator from 2016-20. Former U-M analyst Steve Casula is the team’s offensive coordinator, and outside linebackers coach Mike McCray is a former Wolverine captain.
UMass wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Ryan Partridge is the cousin of Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge, who’s now his primary recruiter.
Wallace also played high school football and basketball at Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic alongside former Michigan offensive lineman Olusegun Oluwatimi and former Michigan hoops center Hunter Dickinson, respectively. Dickinson is a two-time All-Big Ten honoree who transferred to Kansas this offseason.
A two-time team captain at UMass, Wallace totaled 140 tackles, 7 stops for loss, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 28 pass breakups, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble in four seasons and 39 games. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Wallace took 2,197 defensive snaps in his career in Amherst.
Wallace is coming off an impressive 2022 season for UMass, which disappointed as a team with a 1-11 record. He ranked sixth on the squad with 41 tackles, adding 3 for loss, 2 interceptions and 8 pass breakups.
Per PFF, he allowed 22 receptions for 381 yards and 2 touchdowns on 40 targets. His 71.2 PFF coverage grade ranked 117th among all cornerbacks nationally.
The Michigan target was named second-team All-Independent by Pro Football Network in both 2022 and 2020.
The Bowie, Md., native racked up 53 tackles, 4 for loss and 1 sack as a junior in 2021, besting the team with 12 pass breakups. He had 13 tackles and a team-high 5 pass breakups in 2020, and posted 33 tackles and 1 pick in 2019.
Michigan has a preseason first-team All-Big Ten (Athlon Sports) cornerback in sophomore Will Johnson, but the other starting spot is a “big question,” according to defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The Wolverines saw two corners with ample starting experience depart the program for the NFL this offseason — DJ Turner (second round, Cincinnati Bengals) and Gemon Green (undrafted free agent, New York Giants).
The Wolverines have brought in eight players from the transfer portal this offseason.
