The Michigan Wolverines have landed a commitment from former Utah tight end JJ Buchanan out of the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. He is represented by Conor Chawke of Rosenhaus Sports.
Buchanan (6-3, 225) visited Michigan on Thursday, first reported by The Wolverine. A versatile piece, he is a tight end by trade but also plays wide receiver. He logged 269 snaps at slot, 264 as an outside receiver and only 10 as an in-line tight end as a freshman in 2025. Buchanan was third on the team with 26 catches and 427 receiving yards, adding 5 touchdowns. Eighteen of his receptions came on passes of 10-plus air yards, showing he’s a dangerous weapon down the field.
Coming out of Coronado HS in Henderson, Nevada, Buchanan was a three-star recruit, the No. 11 athlete in the country and the No. 7 player in the state, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. His senior season saw him make a major impact on both sides of the ball, racking up 60 tackles (3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks) with a fumble recovery and two passes defended, along with 1,023 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
U-M needed to add more production at tight end with Marlin Klein off to the NFL, and the position as a whole needs a bit of a boost. Klein, Zack Marshall, Hogan Hansen, Deakon Tonielli and Max Bredeson combined for 56 catches for 604 yards and two touchdowns on the year. All but Klein and Bredeson are expected to return next season.
Michigan’s offense will be coordinated by Jason Beck, who also coaches the quarterbacks, with Freddie Whittingham coaching the tight ends. Both assistants coached Buchanan this past season at Utah and officially made the jump to Ann Arbor with head coach Kyle Whittingham last week.
Buchanan’s addition to the Michigan program gives them another playmaker to build around for next season with Bryce Underwood returning for his sophomore campaign.