It was somewhat of a fraught situation for a transfer wide receiver who hadn't played in nearly a year: choose a known commodity in Oklahoma or a team that was looking to renew its commitment to the pass game in Michigan? Ultimately, former Indiana quarterback-turned-wideout Donaven McCulley chose to be a Wolverine.The expectation in Ann Arbor was that Mikey Keene would likely open up the season as the starter, allowing true freshman Bryce Underwood some time to get his sea legs. But Keene had a nagging injury, and thus, McCulley had to rely on a first-year player.
Even still, he was clearly the No. 1 target early in the year -- until he wasn't.McCulley appeared in all 13 games for the maize and blue and led most of the season as the top pass catcher. That is, until true freshman Andrew Marsh came on strong, usurping his role, leading the team in the end over McCulley's 39 catches for 588 yards and three touchdowns. It might not have been a shining example of his talent, but it was enough to allow him to be signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins, per MLive's Aaron McMann.#Michigan WR Donaven McCulley is signing with the Miami Dolphins, source tells @MLive.— Aaron McMann | MLive.com (@AaronMcMann) April 25, 2026McCulley was a five-year player who started his career with the Hoosiers, and ultimately played in seven games, where he threw for 475 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, to go along with 135 yards rushing in 2021.
The next year, he transitioned over to the wide receivers room, where he had 16 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown.It was the following year, 2023, when he came on strong, leading IU in catches and yards with 48 receptions for 644 yards and six touchdowns. When Curt Cignetti came in the next season, McCulley appeared in only four games, having just two catches for 21 yards and a touchdown. He was much more productive than that once he came to Ann Arbor, but the promise of the potential of the 6-foot-5 passer-turned-catcher wasn't quite enough to get him to the draft table.In Miami, he will join quite the cadre of former Wolverines, as running back Donovan Edwards, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, edge rusher Josh Uche, and offensive lineman Josh Priebe are all on the Dolphins' roster as of current.This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Donaven McCulley signs with Miami Dolphins