Michigan football had such a strong 2022 season, only for it to end in disappointment. The Wolverines bulldozed their way through the regular season, defeating rival Ohio State and winning the Big Ten for the second straight year. However, the Wolverines lost to TCU in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, ending their national championship hopes.

As much as the loss stings, Michigan has another shot in 2023. The Wolverines retain many of their key players from 2022, most notably superstar running back Blake Corum. Head coach Jim Harbaugh also returns after flirting with NFL jobs once again, bringing even more continuity to the team.

Additionally, Michigan has made some key additions to its already strong roster. The Wolverines did fairly well in recruiting, finishing with the 18th-best high school class by pulling in 10 four-star players. They did even better in the transfer portal, currently sitting at 13th with five four-stars and two three-stars.

The two big stars in Michigan's transfer class are former Nebraska linebacker Ernest Hausman and former Arizona State offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson. According to 247Sports, Hausman is the second-best transfer in the entire country, and Henderson isn't far behind at 16th.

However, that doesn't mean the other transfers are any less important. Football is a team game after all, and everyone has to contribute in order for a team to win. While these transfers may not have the star power of the big two, they are just as crucial to the team's success. One of these players in particular may be a star in his own right by the end of the season.

Without further ado, let's meet this potential star player.

Michigan football's sneakiest transfer portal move: EDGE Josaiah Stewart

Formely at Coastal Carolina, Josaiah Stewart is a four-star transfer who ranks as the 58th-best transfer in the class. With Coastal Carolina being a smaller Group of Five school, Stewart may have flown under the radar to many college football fans. That doesn't mean he isn't a great player, because he absolutely is. In fact, if he can replicate his past production for Michigan, the Wolverines will have found themselves a star.

Stewart had a monster freshman season in 2021, racking up 43 tackles, 15.5 TFL and 12.5 sacks in 13 games. He took a bit of a step back in 2022, though, with 36 tackles, 10 TFL and three sacks. Those are still solid numbers, but definitely a noticeable drop from the year before. With Chanticleers head coach Jamey Chadwell departing this offseason, it made sense to seek a fresh start.

Stewart received a plethora of offers and narrowed his final three down to LSU, Michigan and USC. In the end, he decided to take his talents up north to Ann Arbor. If the fit ends up being as good as it seems, this is a match made in heaven.

The Wolverines may return a lot of production from 2022, but that isn't the case at edge rusher. Mike Morris, Eyabi Okie and Michael Barrett, three of the Wolverines' four 2022 sack leaders and all edge rushers, are not returning in 2023. The returning player with the most sacks in 2022 is Jaylen Harrell, who tied with Barrett for third on the team with 3.5.

With that in mind, Stewart is a huge addition for the Wolverines. As it stands now, Stewart projects to be a second-string edge rusher behind Harrell and Braiden McGregor (2.5 sacks in 2022). However, there is plenty of time for Stewart to work his way up the depth chart, and he can still be effective in a rotational role.

Additionally, Stewart will only be entering his junior season in 2023. This means that he still has at least two years of eligibility remaining, so he could stick around for the 2024 season as well.

Obviously, Stewart will face much tougher competition playing for Michigan football in the Big Ten compared to the Sun Belt. If he can adjust to that tougher competition quickly, though, the rest of the Big Ten needs to watch out.