Portal Out: Julius Welschof
While we've been waiting out Harbaughwatch 2023, Michigan's depth chart of German mogul skiing factory workers who create incredible 1980s workout videos just took a 100% hit:
Michigan defensive end Julius Welschof is in the transfer portal.
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) January 3, 2023
Welschof was a 2018 prospect who signed with the Wolverines out of Germany. He played sparingly, but is a 6-foot-6 edge player now in the portal.
Welschof, affectionately referred to as "Juice" around these parts, stuck around for five years and tried several roles, ultimately landing on special teams. His largest contributions—and the majority of his 300 career snaps—were as a depth DT during the middle of 2021. He redshirted in 2018 and everybody got 2020 for free, so he has one year left to play.
Recruited as an Anchor prospect, Don Brown tried to turn him into a defensive tackle, and Welschof emerged in early 2020 as a rush specialist at the position. In mid-2021 he passed the walk-ons who'd been supplying regular 3rd string DT snaps. That went better than it had any right to—size was a constant issue and 100% of doubles moved him—because Welschof could spin off or slip through those doubles at any moment.
#96 the DT under the hash mark
#96 the DT on the bottom:
As the season progressed however the DT rotation solidified into Smith/Hinton/Jenkins/Jeter with Mike Morris as a rush guy, and the few snaps left for third stringers went to blooding freshmen Rayshaun Benny. MacDonald tried moving Juice out to Edge later in the season, his most memorable moment there getting edged by Stetson Bennett in the Playoff.
There was some hope, given the position lost Hutchinson and Ojabo in the offseason, that Juice's length and athleticism would translate better outside over an offseason to reshape and learn the position. However in limited 2022 opportunities Welschof never managed to get past even the elementary nuances of the position, and found himself buried behind a 6-man rotation at Edge that included a true freshman and a transfer who arrived after fall practice. He spent 2022 mostly on special teams; when he made the charting it was for blowing contain late against CSU and on Purdue's fake punt.
With everybody returning next year plus Coastal Carolina transfer Josiah Stewart there wasn't much likelihood of Welschof emerging again. In the past such guys were usually given a firm handshake and their careers would be over. Thanks to the portal (and an extra COVID year), Welschof has the opportunity to find somewhere he might have a chance to contribute.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
Sadly the workout video was taken down: https://twitter.com/JuliusWelschof/status/900100381275017217?ref_src=tw…
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
Auf wiedersehen, Juice!
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:54 PM ^
Good Luck to Juice!
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
I’ve always found his story to be interesting. I’m certain he will do well in whatever endeavors he chooses.
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:17 PM ^
Good luck in whatever comes next. I hope he had as great an experience in Ann Arbor as I did!
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:31 PM ^
Welschof was worth the gamble imo. Sometimes it just doesnt work out. Best of luck wherever he lands
January 3rd, 2023 at 2:11 PM ^
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!
January 3rd, 2023 at 9:18 PM ^
Tshuss Juice! Seriously, all the best in your next stop & you'll always be that "german exchange student who can lift 1000 pounds & do reverse dunks" that we always talked about in high school.
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