The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 23 verines showed some real spunk to finish with three victories, including beating the eventual national champions for the fourth consecutive year … and followed that up by beating Alabama in the bowl game." Good News: "The passing game is fixed with the addition of top-rated freshman Bryce Underwood and Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene. Transfer wideouts Donaven McCulley (Indiana) and Anthony Simpson (UMass) can be counted on for productive seasons." Bad News: "Michigan replaces two first- round picks on the defensive line — Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant —and the sec- ondary loses multi-year leader Will John- son. Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings take with them 1,527 yards rushing and double-digit touchdowns to the NFL." Our Call: "The only team in college football history to beat USC, Alabama and Ohio State in the same season, the defend- ing national champions still fell short of lofty goals in Sherrone Moore's first season following Jim Harbaugh. Much of their shot at getting back to the playoffs depends on the success of new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey." Key Number: 0, the number of consecutive home games Michigan has in 2025. MVP: S Rod Moore Emerging Star: RB Jordan Mar- shall Top Newcomer: QB Bryce Underwood Lindy's also rated Underwood as having the strongest arm among Big Ten quarter- backs. Phil Steele's 2025 College Football Veteran college football analyst Phil Steele slots Michigan to finish fourth in the conference, calling the Wolverines "back to being a Big Ten title contender," and he has them picked to finish No. 10 nationally. This year, with U-M's veteran offensive line and improved quarterback and wide receivers, Steele's computer is calling for a rebound in production to 362.5 yards and 30.8 points per game, up from averages of 286.2 yards and 22 points, respectively. Steele also loves Michigan's defense, rat- ing each of the three units — defensive line, linebackers and defensive back — as No. 1 in the Big Ten. "Derrick Moore and TJ Guy can wreak edge havoc," Steele wrote. "Rayshaun Benny has big shoes to fill, but he's played well in reserve and is set to explode. … The top two tacklers return from the nation's fifth-ranked run defense (90.7 yards per game). Ernest Hausmann led the way with 89 tackles and 7 TFLs, and Jaishawn Bar- ham is a terrific run stopper with NFL po- tential." With regard to special teams, Michigan has been in the top 20 of Steele's rankings for four straight years, including No. 10 in 2024. "Placekicker Dominic Zvada is a pre- season All-American after hitting 21 of 22 field goals (7-of-7 from 50+!)," he wrote. In Steele's analysis of NCAA experience, Michigan checks in at No. 74 nationally and the 11th-most experienced roster in the Big Ten, based on his proprietary formula that includes data points such as returning se- niors and starters as well as returning statistical production. Among Steele's "Bull Market Teams for 2025," Michigan earned a +6.0 rating, the fourth-highest on the list. According to Steele's math, U-M is set for a dramatic improve- ment in 2025 after performing six wins less than the average of the two seasons prior to 2024. He said the Wolverines are "going up" and gave them an 80 percent chance of reach- ing a better or same record as 2024. ❑ ATHLON 1st 2nd 3rd School Team Team Team Total Penn State 5 * * 5 Ohio State 5 * * 5 Iowa 5 * * 5 Oregon 4 * * 4 Indiana 4 * * 4 Michigan 2 * * 2 Illinois 2 * * 2 Minnesota 1 * * 1 Wisconsin 1 * * 1 Maryland — * * — Michigan State — * * — Nebraska — * * — Northwestern — * * — Purdue — * * — Rutgers — * * — USC — * * — UCLA — * * — Washington — * * — * Athlon only published first-team picks in magazine LINDY'S 1st 2nd 3rd School Team Team Team Total Ohio State 6 2 5 13 Oregon 6 3 2 11 Penn State 5 1 3 9 Michigan 2 5 1 8 Indiana 2 2 2 6 Iowa 1 1 2 4 Illinois 1 3 — 4 Wisconsin — 4 — 4 Minnesota — 1 2 3 Washington — — 3 3 Michigan State 1 1 — 2 USC 1 — 1 2 Northwestern — 1 1 2 Rutgers — 1 1 2 Maryland — — 1 1 Nebraska — — 1 1 Purdue — — — — UCLA — — — — PHIL STEELE 1st 2nd 3rd 4th School Team Team Team Team Total Penn State 4 6 3 2 15 Ohio State 4 3 4 — 11 Oregon 6 5 1 1 13 Iowa 5 3 1 — 9 Michigan 2 2 4 1 9 USC — 2 4 3 9 Indiana 4 1 3 — 8 Illinois 2 2 1 3 8 Minnesota — 1 2 3 6 Rutgers — 1 — 4 5 Washington 1 2 — 1 4 Michigan State 1 — 1 2 4 Wisconsin — — 1 2 4 Nebraska — — 3 — 3 Northwestern — 1 1 — 2 UCLA — — — 2 2 Maryland — — — 1 1 Purdue — — — 1 1 Wolverines On All-Big Ten Teams Pos. Player Athlon* Lindy's Phil Steele K Dominic Zvada 1st 1st 1st LB Jaishawn Barham * 1st 1st DL Derrick Moore 1st — 3rd DL Rayshaun Benny * 2nd 2nd LB Ernest Hausmann * 2nd 2nd DL TJ Guy * 2nd — RB Justice Haynes * 2nd 3rd DB Rod Moore * 2nd 3rd OG Giovanni El-Hadi * — 3rd DB Jyaire Hill * 3rd 4th Preseason All-Big Ten Selections By School