Overview

• Spokesman Dave Ablauf confirmed that Hester will sit out the 2025 season and reenter the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.
• Hester joined Michigan this summer after rushing for 528 yards and four touchdowns at UMass following a freshman stint at Western Michigan.
• With Hester gone, Alabama transfer Justice Haynes and sophomore Jordan Marshall are poised to handle the bulk of backfield snaps.
• Sophomore Micah Ka’apana and junior Bryson Kuzdzal will compete for the third running back spot in fall camp.
• The move underscores coach Sherrone Moore’s approach of blending portal transfers with internal talent in his second full season.