Former Michigan football RB Zach Charbonnet transfers to UCLA

Former Michigan football star Zach Charbonnet will transfer to the UCLA football program.

After two years playing for Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan football team, running back Zach Charbonnet will transfer to be closer to home, as he will suit up for Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins in 2021.

UCLA football fans should be ecstatic over landing a native son as talented as Charbonnet. While he and the Michigan program had a down season a year ago, Charbonnet had 726 rushing yards on 149 carries for 11 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2019. Because last year did not count toward eligibility, Charbonnet has three years of eligibility left to be used with the Bruins if he so chooses.

What should we make of the mass exodus of talent from Michigan?

After a good, but not great first five years in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh’s team struggled mightily, albeit in the midst of a global pandemic. Quarterbacking issues gave way to defensive issues and Michigan was unable to win a single game at home this season. The Wolverines were arguably the worst team in the Big Ten East last season. They have to get this sinking ship righted fast.

The good news for the Wolverines is Harbaugh massively overhauled his defensive staff. This could give way to a new identity for the Wolverines to win games under. Then again, they barely used a talent like Charbonnet last season and now he goes to an emerging UCLA program with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder. This is a fantastic get for the Bruins and Kelly must be elated.

By landing Charbonnet, the Bruins are poised to make some noise in the Pac-12 South in 2021.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.