Michigan football loses another DB as DJ Waller Jr. enters transfer portal

One of the young up-and-coming Michigan football defensive backs has decided to leave the program.

DJ Waller Jr., a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder who had drawn rave reviews during spring practice from coaches and players alike put his name in the transfer portal on Wednesday, a program spokesman confirmed to the Free Press.

The sophomore cornerback was among the favorites to start opposite standout Will Johnson and had an impressive showing in last Saturday's spring game, when the Maize team topped the Blue team, 17-7, in the 15th and final practice of spring ball.

It's just the latest blow to a defensive back room that has seen its depth dwindle since winning the national championship last season.

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It started with starters Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace departing for the NFL draft, continued when the speedster Amorion Walker (Ole Miss) and standout safety Keon Sabb (Alabama) entered the portal, then got even worse when starting safety Rod Moore suffered an undisclosed injury during spring that will keep him out for an indefinite amount of time, quite possibly the entire season.

Now, it's Waller on the way out, who was a three-star recruit from Chaney High School in Youngstown, Ohio. That's the hometown of former defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale, who was Waller's primary recruiter before he left the program to follow former head coach Jim Harbaugh as secondary coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Waller recorded 12 tackles and had one pass break up last season and was seen as one of the favorites to start this season, in competition with fellow sophomore Jyaire Hill. Instead, he's the latest face from last year's defensive back room who it appears won't be around in the fall.

The NCAA’s spring portal transfer window opened on April 15 and closes on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football loses another DB: DJ Waller Jr. in transfer portal