Michigan football parts ways with Tatum, Charleston before camp

Michigan is down two players ahead of the start of preseason camp on Wednesday.

>Taylor Tatum, the No. 1 running back in the 2024 recruiting class who transferred from Oklahoma in January with the intention of playing football and baseball for the Wolverines, and veteran receiver C.J. Charleston are no longer with the football program, according to UM football spokesman Dave Ablauf.

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>Ablauf said Tatum is “focusing on baseball” while Charleston did not receive an extra year of eligibility. It is unclear whether Tatum is remaining with Michigan baseball. Michigan baseball coach Tracy Smith and Tatum did not return requests for comment to The Detroit News on Tuesday.

>Tatum had moved to safety after arriving at Michigan and told The News in an interview in January he was willing to play any position. Because of eligibility rules, he cannot play baseball until 2027, but Smith told The News a locker room was set up for Tatum in the baseball facility.

>The outfielder had been two-time first-team all-district in Texas.

>“He’s a potential high-round (MLB draft) pick,” Smith told The News in January.  “He's got a good arm, good bat, but truth be told, baseball is not something that's easy to sit out for a year and a half and then pick it up. So we'll know more, but he's a really good athlete. He's a good kid and a hard worker, so he'll fit in.”

>achengelis@detroitnews.com

>@chengelis

>This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan football parts ways with Tatum, Charleston before camp