Michigan Drops Two Scholarship Players as Fall Camp Opens

Overview

• The program confirmed that defensive back Taylor Tatum and wide receiver C.J. Charleston are no longer on the Michigan football roster after the team released an updated list as it reported for fall camp on Aug. 4.
• UM spokesman Dave Ablauf said Charleston was denied an extra year of NCAA eligibility and Tatum is focusing on baseball, effectively ending Michigan’s offseason experiment of moving him from running back to safety.
• Neither player was projected to be a regular starter, so coaches do not expect the changes to alter the opening depth chart, but losing two scholarship players narrows options for special teams and scout units.
• Tatum arrived from Oklahoma this year as a high-profile 2024 recruit who also planned to play baseball; NCAA timing may prevent him from competing in baseball games until 2027 and it is unclear if he will remain with Michigan’s baseball program.
• Charleston transferred to Michigan in 2024 and had minimal on-field production as a Wolverine, and his eligibility denial closes a long-running appeal that left Michigan without that veteran presence at receiver as camp begins.