Good news for Michigan fans on a snowy Sunday — North Dakota State linebacker Nathaniel Staehling has committed to the Wolverines via the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility, he announced
on social media.
Staehling entered the portal on the last day it was open (Friday, Jan. 16), so I doubt he had time to get in a visit to Ann Arbor this weekend. But the inroads new linebackers coach Alex Whittingham made must have paid off.
He thrived in a starting role in 2025 for the Bison, making 75 total tackles (second-most on the team), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery, earning an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honorable mention. He earned a 78.7 overall defensive grade on Pro Football Focus, as well as a 80.8 run defense grade and a 78.2 tackling grade. He also graded out favorably against the pass (70.8 coverage grade) and as a pass rusher (66.1 grade).
Notably, two of Staehling’s three interceptions were against Illinois State in the second round of the FCS Championship, both of which were returned for a touchdown.
Staehling redshirted in 2022, was a backup in 2023, and only played in five games in 2024 while dealing with a shoulder injury. Blake Engebretson with 247Sports’ Bison Report said he was the eighth starter NDSU lost in the portal this winter.
Linebacker has been perhaps the biggest position of need for the Wolverines, as Jimmy Rolder and Jaishawn Barham declared for the NFL Draft, Ernest Hausmann retired from the sport, and Cole Sullivan entered the portal and committed to Oklahoma. It’s unclear what Staehling’s role will be with the Wolverines, but he’s got plenty of experience and can hopefully lean on that as he navigates the complications of Big Ten defense.
Staehling will have one year of eligibility left.
