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Michigan DB Brandyn Hillman plans to enter NCAA transfer portal

Screenshotby: Clayton Sayfie01/09/26CSayf23

Michigan Wolverines football senior safety Brandyn Hillman plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from On3.

The 6-foot-0, 200-pounder spent three seasons at Michigan under former head coaches Jim Harbaugh (2023) and Sherrone Moore (2024-25) and has one year of eligibility remaining. U-M hired a new head coach in Kyle Whittingham Dec. 26, weeks after Moore was fired.

The honorable mention All-Big Ten selection appeared in 32 games with 11 starts at safety during his Michigan career.

All 11 of his starts came in 2025, recording 49 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, 4 pass breakups, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.

Hillman is known for his big hits from the safety spot, where it’s on a receiver attempting to catch the ball or as he comes down hill to attack a running back in the hole. However, Hillman led Michigan with 14 missed tackles, according to PFF.

“It all depends on how I see it coming out of the post or if I’m down in the box,” Hillman said in October. “But I kind of just come at it with the same mentality — see ball, get ball. Certain plays, I do have to wrap up. That’s just me being a self-critic, but certain plays I just come down with bad intentions of getting the person down, and that’s how I play.”

Prior to logging 545 defensive snaps in 2025, he was on the field for 234 snaps as a key reserve in 2024. He played in 12 games, including 11 in the defensive backfield, that season, following nine appearances as a true freshman in 2023. His freshman year, the Wolverines went 15-0 and pulled down a national championship under Harbaugh, the program’s 12th.

The Portsmouth (Va.) Churchland product was a four-star recruit and the No. 207 overall player and No. 6 safety in the country in the 2023 class.