Michigan wasn't going to be immune to the portal as thick depth charts calcify and paths to reps and playing time close. That seems to be the case for CJ Stokes, who looked like a promising Karan Higdon type as a true freshman when Corum and Edwards were hurt, with 55 carries, 273 yards (5 YPC) and 1 TD. His best game was an 8-carry/68-yard slow blowout of Nebraska in '22, but his signature moment in a Michigan uniform was the moment that wasn't, when he tripped on a cutback that would have added to the 2022 blowout of Ohio State. Stokes makes the cut, but he stumbles — tripped up by the turf monster or by Colston Loveland’s legs. He falls forward for a gain of two and pops back up to his feet with a gesture of frustration in recognition of the squandered opportunity. “That run against Ohio State was the biggest disappointment for me,” CJ Stokes told The Michigan Insider. “If I would’ve broke that run, I would’ve been a household name. Because there was nobody there! After the D-line, the linebackers weren’t there. “It was the perfect play. I just slipped in the backfield and didn’t make the play. … I’ve watched that run so many times.” Same. Stokes only got one more carry against OSU as one-handed Edwards took over, and Mullings moved over for the bowl. Stokes then struggled to find ways to contribute in a crowded 2023 backfield, finding a couple of carries that went nowhere late against ECU and UNLV. Technically he began the season behind Donovan Edwards for the "Donovan Edwards" position, but redshirting Cole Cabana seemed to move ahead when he got healthy later this year. If Edwards were to leave for the NFL, Stokes was going to have to Cabana for that shrinking role, and was going to have a tough time battling Mullings, super-promising Benjamin Hall, 2021 RB Tavierre Dunlap, and two well-regarded recruits in Jordan Marshall and Micah Kaapana next year. It was time to move on, possibly back to hometown South Carolina. There is no content after the jump.