Mason Graham transfer portal rumors: 6 best destinations if star DT leaves Michigan

1. USC Trojans are Mason Graham's hometown team now in the Big Ten

If Graham is going to leave Michigan in the transfer portal after much of his coaching staff has departed, the smart money would be on a homecoming of sorts for the Anaheim native. USC is one of four schools joining the Big Ten from the Pac-12. While I don't trust Lincoln Riley at all to separate and elevate in his new league, this is all about his two position coaches: Shaun Nua and D'Anton Lynn.

Nua was his secondary recruiter to Michigan behind only Courtney Morgan, who just followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington to Alabama. I don't know if UCLA had interest in Graham coming out of high school, but USC sure did. At the end of the day, Graham picked Michigan over Oregon State, the other school that he took an official visit to. For various reasons, the Beavers are no longer in play for him.

No, I don't think USC is going to contend for a national title this year, or even make the expanded College Football Playoff out of the Big Ten this season. However, I am bullish on the Lynn hire because he helped make UCLA far more feisty defensively than I expected a season ago. If USC was not located in California, I would not like the fit for Graham, but it is home after all, so that is a possibility.

Graham will probably end up staying put at Michigan, but who says you can't go home to California?