Week Eight: Michigan Wolverines
Date & Time: Saturday, October 24 at TBA
Venue: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
TV: TBA
Wolverines at a Glance
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham
Entering his 1st season as Michigan’s head coach, Entering 22nd Season overall
Record at Michigan: 0-0
Overall Record: 177-88
Last Season: 11-2 (7-2 in Big XII) with Utah (Did not coach Las Vegas Bowl win)
Series History vs. Indiana
Record: 62-11
Last Meeting: Indiana won 20-15 in 2024
Indiana has not won in Ann Arbor since 1967
Wolverines Returning Leaders
Passing: Bryce Underwood (202-335, 2,428 yards, 11 TDs 9 INTs, 392 Rush Yards, 6 TDs)
Rushing: Jordan Marshall (150 rushes, 932 yards 10 TDs)
Receiving: Andrew Marsh (45 catches, 651 yards 4 TDs)
Tackles: Jyaire Hill (36 tackles, 2 TFLs, 5 PBUs, 1 INT)
Wolverines Names to Know
Bryce Underwood, Quarterback
Andrew Marsh, Wide Receiver
John Henry Daley, Defensive Line
Savion Hiter, Running Back
Wolverines Preseason Predictions
Athlon: 4th in the Big Ten, Citrus Bowl Projection
Lindy’s: 5th in the Big Ten
Phil Steele: T-5th in the Big Ten
Sporting News: 5th in the Big Ten
SP+: 14th Nationally
Impact Newcomers for the Wolverines
Savion Hiter, Running Back (Freshman)
John Henry Daley, Defensive Line (Transfer from Utah)
JJ Buchanan, Wide Receiver (Transfer from Utah)
Biggest Questions Facing the Wolverines
1. Can Bryce Underwood take a step forward in his development at quarterback?
2. How big of a coaching upgrade is Kyle Wittingham from Sheronne Moore?
3. Can the Wolverines block out all the noise surrounding the program?
Michigan Program Preview
Michigan enters the 2026 season with possibly the best hire of the offseason in former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. However, the circumstances surrounding the program and why the job opened in the first place could take the shine off the hire.
The Wolverines have dealt with scandal after scandal off the field that came to a head with the firing of Sherrone Moore after it was announced he had an affair with a female staffer and was arrested. Earlier this summer, athletic director Warde Manuel announced he was stepping down at the end of the calendar year. It’s been a wild ride the last few years in Ann Arbor and they need nothing more than to just focus on football.
However, Whittingham may have stepped in it already after not seeming hateful enough to rival Ohio State. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood also downplayed the rivalry. So, instead of talking about how Michigan got one of the sport’s best coaches, it’s been more about off-the-field nonsense.
On the field, Michigan should be upgraded from where they were a year ago all over the field. However, it will come down to how much Bryce Underwood has improved under the new staff. Whittingham’s teams are always tough, always good on special teams and usually have a solid offense. People often forget that he took over Utah from Urban Meyer, he was there that long.
While Whittingham may not be the long term answer at Michigan, he’s there to get them back to playing the way it needs to play to compete for Big Ten and national titles.
Offensive Preview
Michigan’s success will come down to one thing: how much has quarterback Bryce Underwood improved?
Underwood was the nation’s top recruit in the 2025 class and got a reported eight-figure NIL deal to go to Michigan. As a true freshman, he looked overwhelmed against top competition. In four games against ranked opponents, Underwood completed just 50.9% of his passes with just four touchdowns and five interceptions.
In the spring game, Underwood went viral for his terrible performance. However, the reports out of camp are that he looks improved. If Underwood struggles, Michigan could turn to freshman Tommy Carr to take the reins. However, if Whittingham and his staff can get Underwood on the right path, the Wolverines can be a playoff contender.
Michigan has plenty of weapons to get the ball to as well. The running back room brings back Jordan Marshall who led the team in rushing as a sophomore with 932 yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago. His usage should go up with Justice Haynes off to Georgia Tech. Marshall churned out positive plays with the occasional explosive play. He rarely got tackled in the backfield.
Savion Hiter comes to Ann Arbor as the number one running back recruit in the 2026 class and expectations for him are high. While he still needs to learn the nuances of college football, Hiter is relentless in his preparation and looks physically ready to be in the rotation from day one. Under their new offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, Michigan could deploy two-running back sets.
The wide receiver corps is led by Andrew Marsh, who has missed some time in fall camp. Marsh is a six-foot, 200-pound sophomore who is quick and elusive in space. JJ Buchanan is another sophomore, 6’3”, who cut his teeth last season. He played tight end at Utah and appeared in all 13 games last season. He’s an excellent pass catcher and will move to the outside for the Wolverines.
Michigan will likely deploy a two tight end base look on offense. Zach Marshall has played in 28 games with 14 starts in his career. Marshall is more of a blocker, but has the ability to catch the ball as well. Jalen Hoffman will be the other tight end and he will stay ing and block more.
The Wolverine offensive line ranked 47th nationally in sacks allowed, but there has been a renewed focus on toughness at the position. Center Jake Guarnera is back after 11 starts and 18 games over the past two seasons. Last year he four pressures and one sack. He’ll be flanked to the right by Brady Norton who started three games and played in just seven for the Wolverines last season after transferring from Cal Poly. 18-game starter Evan Link will be the left guard.
Veteran Andrew Sprague has started 13 games over the last two seasons, is penciled in at right tackle while the Wolverines will break in a new left tackle with second-year player Andrew Babalola.
Defensive Preview
Michigan’s defense will have new pieces added from Utah and joining other pieces returning from injury. The Wolverines welcome Jay Hill as their new defensive coordinator; he held the same position at BYU from 2023-25 and was the head coach at Weber State before that. He runs a 4-2-5 defense like most of college football.
Hill will have some weapons at his disposal, especially up front. John Henry Daley comes in from Utah, but is working his way back from an achilles injury suffered in November. He’s had 12.5 sacks the last two seasons for the Utes. If there is no setbacks, he should start at defensive end.
Opposite Daley will be Dominic Nichols who will be moving into a full-time starting role after playing in 17 games the last two seasons. Nichols had 4.5 tackles for loss in a rotational roll last season.
In the middle of the defensive line, Enow Etta is a 6’5”, 320-pound boulder. He played in all 13 games last season and recorded 15 tackles. While Etta plays the nose tackle, Trey Pierce will play the three-technique tackle position. The 6’2”, 310-pound senior has 39 games (14 starts) under his belt. He made 30 tackles a season ago.
The linebacker position will be manned by Chase Taylor at the Will spot and Trey Bowles at the Mike. Neither has a ton of experience, but are solid underclassmen who can grow into their spots.
The secondary is the strength of this defense on paper as familiar faces Zeke Berry returns to his nickel position and safety Rod Moore returns from injury. Both have been excellent in their careers and should play at the next level. 22-game starter Jyaire Hill will start at corner. He’s been excellent with 13 pass breakups in his career. He will be joined by Smith Snowden who comes over after three years with Utah. He made 92 tackles, four interceptions and 19 pass breakups with the Utes. Memphis transfer Chris Bracy will be the boundary safety. He had 81 tackles including 9.5 tackles for loss and eight pass breakups last year.
Special Teams Preview
The Michigan kicking game will look different as they bring in transfers at both the place kicking and punting positions. There actually could be a battle for the starting punter job as well.
The Wolverines hit the portal to bring in former Pittsburgh kicker Troy Butkoski who was 20-23 on field goals last season with a long of 47 yards.
At punter it’ll come down to UNLV transfer Cameron Brown who averaged 44 yards per kick last season and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 15 times. Hudson Hollenbeck also returns, but he only had a net average of 38.2 yards per punt. Either can win the job, but it’ll probably go to Brown.
Andrew Marsh handled both kick and punt return duties in 2025, but he has been banged up in fall camp, so those duties could go to other players, potentially a running back.
Kyle Whittingham always has great special teams play, so it will not be a surprise if this is one of the better special teams units in the nation in 2026.
2026 FIRST GLANCE PREVIEWS
Week Six: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Week Seven: Ohio State Buckeyes
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