The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542067
26 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 Graduate wide receiver Donaven Mc- Culley was steady throughout. One of the reasons why the Wolverines brought in the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Indiana transfer was because of his ability to come up with jump balls, and he did re- cord 7 contested catches on 12 attempts — nearly half of the number U-M had as a team in 2024 (15). Hauling in 35 grabs for 534 yards and 3 touchdowns, McCulley didn't quite live up to the legacy of the iconic No. 1 jersey —which was sported by Anthony Carter, Greg McMurty, Derrick Alexander, David Terrell, Braylon Edwards and others —but he was more than a worthwhile addition. And then there were the drops. Ac- cording to Sports Info Solutions, the Maize and Blue mishandled 24 passes, the 25th-most in the country and sec- ond-highest amount in the Big Ten. Junior slot receiver Semaj Morgan was responsible for 8, per PFF, one of the reasons why he was phased out of the lineup at the end of the year before go- ing down with an apparent injury that held him out of the last two games. That third wideout spot was a bit of a liability much of the season. Overall, the Wolverines made some strides at the receiver position from 2024 to 2025, but it was hard to have a passing game as rough as it was in the former. TIGHT ENDS: C+ (Midterm grade: B-) A tight end leading the team in receiv- ing isn't typically a recipe for a potent passing attack (see: Colston Loveland in 2024). However, the Wolverines never got consistent production through the air at this position, due in part to injuries. Sophomore Hogan Hansen showed promise as a freshman but was limited to only three appearances due to injury this season. Senior Marlin Klein, too, missed two games, was less than 100 percent for others and an overall disap- pointment after a strong opener. Versus New Mexico, he caught 6 passes for 93 yards and a score. The rest of the sea- son, he had just 14 receptions for 116 yards and no touchdowns. Michigan used all sorts of different tight end combinations, using juniors Zack Marshall (15 receptions for 195 yards and 1 touchdown) and Deakon Tonielli (6 grabs for 52 yards) more than expected. The Wolverines used multiple tight ends on 37.7 percent of pass plays, down from 45.8 percent a season ago, and the position was targeted on 24.5 percent of throws. Position coach and co-offensive coordinator Steve Casula said in Novem- ber that, despite those numbers, Michi- gan has used that position effectively. "You look at the box score, and it's easy. It's a production position, and you want to evaluate performance based upon that," Casula noted. "A huge part of what we do is running routes and catching the ball. "But the most important things we do probably aren't that, and that's not to di- minish that part of the game. It's a huge part of our game here. It's a huge part of our history. Coming into this season, the tight ends at Michigan, not including 2020, had caught more passes than any team in the country since 2015." That's where graduate Max Bredeson and junior Jalen Hoffman come in. Both playing the H-back/fullback role helped pave the way in the run game. The Wol- verines used at least two tight ends on 43.3 percent of their run plays and ranked 16th in the nation at 213.8 yards per contest. Bredeson, who missed the Ohio State game with an injury, ranks No. 1 in the nation with an 83.9 PFF run-blocking grade among tight ends with 15-plus such snaps. DEFENSIVE LINE: B- (Midterm grade: B-) Michigan's defensive line wasn't the best in the country that it was believed to have the potential to be coming into the season, but it was a good unit. The Wol- verines notched 28 sacks (tied 41st na- tionally) and 72 tackles for loss (tied 50th). Stopping the run was the strong suit. Ten of 12 opponents were held to 138 rushing yards or fewer, including seven under 80 yards. There were some ex- ceptions, with USC rushing 36 times for 224 yards and Ohio State going for 186 yards on 47 attempts, but they were the aberrations, not the norm. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood had an up-and-down season, completing 179 of 293 passes for 2,229 yards with only 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He added 323 yards rushing and 5 scores on 74 carries. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL