Tradition is at the heart of college football, and college football is at the heart of the Milia family.
Rocco Milia, a fifth-year linebacker who spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Columbia, is a third-generation football player. Both his grandfather, Donald Kolcheff, and his father, Dr. Marc Milia (who is a veteran of three Rose Bowls), played at Michigan.
This summer, Rocco Milia decided to follow in his grandfather's and father's footsteps.
CBS national college football reporter Matt Zenitz reported on Friday that Michigan had acquired Rocco Milia from the transfer portal, further bolstering its linebacker room ahead of the 2025 season. The move came just one day after running back CJ Hester entered the transfer portal, according to a report from On3's Pete Nakos, after transferring from Massachusetts earlier in the offseason.
Rocco Milia started eight games for the Lions last season, logging 49 tackles, four tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and three pass breakups. The year before, he was a starter in 10 games, making 54 tackles (including 3.5 tackles for loss) and intercepting three passes.
A native of Bloomington, Michigan, Rocco Milia is also a graduate of Birmingham Brother Rice High School, where he played three years of varsity football. While with the Warriors, he was once a candidate for the Mr. Michigan Football award, making him a top-10 player in the state.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker will wear the No. 40 jersey for the Wolverines this season, according to Rocco Milia's official roster page on the University of Michigan Athletics website.