One day prior to the team starting fall camp, the Michigan Wolverines saw two players leave the program, including one that entered the program this offseason.
Maize n Brew confirmed with program spokesman Dave Ablauf that safety Taylor Tatum and wide receiver CJ Charleston are both no longer with the program.
“CJ did not receive an extra year of eligibility and Taylor is focusing on baseball,” Ablauf said.
Tatum’s departure is the more notable of the two. He was the No. 1 ranked running back in the 2024
recruiting class and signed with the Oklahoma Sooners. After two years there, Tatum transferred to Michigan this offseason, where he has since transitioned to the safety position.
Now, Tatum will shift his full focus to baseball at Michigan, closing the book on his short football career with the Wolverines.
Meanwhile, Charleston transferred to Michigan from Youngstown State in 2024 and was never expected to play a significant role in the program. He caught one pass for 22 yards in 2024 and did not record any stats in 2025. With his NCAA eligibility now exhausted, his time with the Wolverines comes to a natural conclusion.
Neither departure carries significant roster implications at this stage of the offseason, with fall camp beginning today. The timing is notable — any roster move the day before fall camp opens naturally draws a little bit of attention — but the straightforward explanation we got suggests these are routine departures rather than anything more dramatic.
Michigan will open fall camp on Wednesday, with its eyes on the season opener against Western Michigan at The Big House at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 5.
