The future of Michigan's defensive tackle roster took a hit yesterday as RS freshman George Rooks announced he's entering the portal, probably because the present of Michigan's defensive tackle roster is stacked.

Rooks was an important recruit for Shaun Nua after several cycles of whiffing on 4-stars and trying to build DTs out of Anchor prospects. Rooks…was an Anchor prospect, but one who seemed likely to grow into a DT, or in the new defense, one of those tackles that plays a little bit of SDE when the Harrell type backs into coverage (IE the role that Kris Jenkins plays).

In limited opportunities in that role Rooks looked like a hit, showing surprising agility and speed for the position in front of his hometown crowd in New Jersey:

#54 the 2nd DL from the bottom

And showing impressive pad level and awareness in his few appearances during the nonconference blowouts.

same spot

same spot

Unfortunately for Rooks he only got to play in late blowouts because Michigan's DT recruiting has been spectacularly successful since his commitment late in the 2021 cycle. True freshman Mason Graham was instant star, Rooks's classmate Rayshaun Benny is trending that direction, and Kenneth Grant, another true freshman, was seeing regular rotation by the end of the season. Even with Mazi Smith expected to move on to the NFL, Michigan has two years left from Jenkins and a solid rotation with Benny, Graham, and Grant. Since Michigan likes to play three DTs at a time they certainly had room to play Rooks, but it's understandable if he would rather not be the fifth banana.

Michigan does have two more developmental DTs from the Rooks/Benny class in Ike Iwunnah and Dominick Giudice. UCF transfer Cam Goode was one spot ahead of Rooks and has a COVID year left, but it's unlikely he'll want to use it. Ike and Dom can probably give them what they got from Goode and Rooks this year, and Michigan's close to adding a potentially playable freshman to a class that already has a Rooks-like in Brooks Bahr, so they probably don't need to look in the portal for a 5th DT. It would have been nice to have Rooks in line when Jenkins departs but that's quite a luxury in the portal era. Good luck Rooks!