Michigan football UDFA tracker: OL Trente Jones, Drake Nugent land with contenders

The Michigan football finished with a program-record number of players who heard their name called over the weekend, a handful of them were not selected in the 2024 NFL draft.

In total, 13 former Wolverines were taken in the record setting event in downtown Detroit, but even for those who weren't chosen, the expectation is many — if not all of them — will still have a chance to make an NFL roster as undrafted free agents.

Here's a tracker of Michigan football's UDFAs who've signed:

WHAT A NIGHT: Michigan's Mike Sainristil hoped for 1st round NFL draft pick. Then he waited.

OL Trente Jones to Green Bay Packers

He served an unheralded role during his time in Ann Arbor, but Trente Jones was an essential piece of the Wolverines' national championship.

A five-year player who never quite broke through as a full-time starter, Jones made 41 appearances in four seasons with 12 starts at right tackle and as the sixth offensive lineman, as he battled for time behind LaDarius Henderson, Karsen Barnhart and Myles Hinton.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound lineman appears to fit best as an interior lineman at the next level after serving as a part of consecutive Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines in 2021 and 2022.

OL Drake Nugent to San Francisco 49ers

Drake Nugent transferred to Michigan from Stanford with tremendous shoes to fill.

All the previous graduate transfer center (Olusegun Oluwatimi) had done was become a first-team All-American as he was named both the Rimington Trophy and Outland winner as the nation’s top center and interior lineman and was part of the nation’s Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line.

Now, the 6-2, 301-pound center is returning to the Bay Area after signing with the 49ers, according to reports.

A Rimington finalist, Nugent was named first-team All-Big Ten by coaches (second-team by media) in his lone season in Ann Arbor, starting all 15 games at center for the undefeated Wolverines as he paved the way for Blake Corum to set a U-M record for single-season rushing touchdowns (27) and quarterback J.J. McCarthy to earn Big Ten Quarterback of the Year.

Nugent, who played for four years in Palo Alto and was named a captain in his senior season before joining the Wolverines as a grad transfer, finished his collegiate career with 42 games at center (39 starts) and all-league honors in both the Pac-12 and Big Ten.

DB Josh Wallace to Los Angeles Rams

Wallace, a transfer from UMass, was the final addition to the 2023 national championship team, but he proved to be a vital one.

He appeared in all 15 games of U-M's 2023 season at cornerback, including 11 starts, and racked up 33 tackles with four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He had some of his best moments in the biggest spots, which included fumble recovery against Iowa in the Big Ten championship and vs. Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl, when he grabbed a loose ball from Jalen Milroe in the fourth quarter.

Now, the 5-11, 185-pound defensive back is headed to Los Angeles, according to reports.

DL Braiden McGregor to New York Jets

Perhaps the most shocking among the five non-drafted Wolverines, McGregor will sign with the Jets. He has NFL size, with a 6-foot-5, 257-pound frame, and in a defense that was designed for everybody to eat, was still able to produce with 4½ sacks, the third-highest total by a U-M player.

He will take the long route, which is nothing new for the former Port Huron Northern star, who spent his early years buried on the depth chart behind players such as Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo and Mike Morris after he had to overcome a knee injury suffered in his senior year of high school.

However the last time around, it all proved to be worth it, as McGregor saved perhaps his best for the biggest moment, when he sacked Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe twice and later helped U-M win a national championship.

OL Karsen Barnhart to Los Angeles Chargers

Here's what Jim Harbaugh said about Michigan's offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart last October.

“He’s one of my favorite guys,” U-M's then-head coach admitted. “He’s a trusted agent and known friend. Selfless player.”

It should come as no surprise that the Chargers, now led by Harbaugh, prioritized the offensive lineman as a free agent, where Barnhart will hope to put his versatility to display to try and make the roster. That's how he developed into a legitimate pro prospect throughout his five-year career, which saw him play every position on the line at some point except center.

Never was his adaptability more needed than this season, when he moved from left tackle to right tackle and then eventually to center. In 2023, he was a fixture in the lineup, moving from left to right tackle before he finished up the championship run at right guard in replacement of Zak Zinter who broke his left tibia and fibula during a victory over Ohio State in November.

Still, there's a reason a 6-foot-5, 306-pound offensive lineman who can play multiple positions went undrafted. He's shaky in pass protection, having allowed a team-high four sacks, to go with 24 pressures — the second-highest total among Michigan players — last year.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football UDFA tracker after 2024 NFL draft