The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 31 average) and 6 touchdowns. He'll likely be called on to keep defenses off bal- ance with his runs in 2026 as well, with new offensive coordinator Jason Beck employing a run-pass option approach much of the time for his quarterbacks. Whittingham teased Underwood's return shortly before it became official, commenting on the "Wake Up Barstool" program with Michigan super fan Dave Portnoy. "I think Bryce is in a good place right now," Whittingham said. "I think we may be getting an announcement here pretty soon. He seems to really enjoy his time here. He's one of the team leaders. He's a young guy, but he's one of the team lead- ers, by virtue of the position. He is one of the guys we think is going to be a part of what we're doing going forward." Certainly, a key focus for Underwood going forward — as it will be for Michigan overall — involves taking the next step up against the best opponents it faces. The Wolverines went 0-4 versus the best teams it played this year — Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State and Texas. Winning one more out of the first three could have put the Wolverines into the College Foot- ball Playoff, rather than a Citrus Bowl matchup with Texas. Michigan faces arguably a tougher road of top-end foes in 2026, given the pres- ence of Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, Penn State, Oregon and Ohio State on the '26 slate. Underwood and the Wolverines will be looking to be at their best, the former seeking to take the next steps when play- ing very strong defenses. ROOM FOR GROWTH In Michigan's four losses, Underwood went 55-for-108 passing, a completion percentage of just under 51 percent. He averaged 1 touchdown throw and 1.25 interceptions per game, although 3 of them occurred in that fateful fourth quarter against Texas. He did rush for 69 yards against the Longhorns, but only 65 net yards in the four games overall. Beck and the rest of Michigan's staff on offense will be looking to boost Un- derwood's numbers in those showdown games, which of course will ramp up the Wolverines' efforts overall. Whit- tingham sees the talent — the arm, the legs, the dedication to improve and lead in the coming year. Now it's a matter of continuing to hone the fundamentals and put the soon-to-be-sophomore in a place where he and the U-M offense can excel going forward. ❏ UNDERWOOD IN MICHIGAN LOSSES Opponent Comp. Att. Yards TD Int Rush Yards TD Oklahoma 9 24 142 0 0 3 -1 0 USC 15 24 207 2 1 5 -4 0 Ohio State 8 18 63 0 1 6 1 0 Texas 23 42 199 2 3 14 69 1 Subtotal 55 108 611 4 5 28 65 1 Season Total 202 335 2,428 11 9 88 392 6 Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood certainly wasn't the only high-profile Michigan football player who had a decision to make after the Citrus Bowl. These days, it's an absolute free-for-all with players thinking about heading for the transfer portal, which was open Jan. 2-16 this year. Bo Schembechler's challenge that "Those who stay will be cham- pions" faces multilayered tests in college football 2026. Here's a look at several other key performers who have assured they'll be back in a Michigan uniform, or there for the first time. OL Jake Guarnera — The sophomore offensive lineman was reported to be considering the transfer portal, but reversed course and opted to stay in a Michigan uniform. That might prove to be a key decision for the Wolverines' 2026 offensive line, which is personnel thin at the crucial center position. Guarnera finds himself in a strong position to compete for the job of starting center next fall, after starting 11 games at right guard this past season. OL Andrew Sprague — Michigan's sophomore starting right tackle — with three seasons of eligibility remaining — entered the transfer portal, but came back out Jan. 7, noting on social media he's going to "Run it back" with Team 147. Sprague earned honorable mention All-Big Ten this past season, and earned portal interest from Texas, but he'll likely nail down his tackle spot again next fall. OL Andrew Babalola — He's yet to hit the field for Michigan, but news that this five-star recruit is returning this year put smiles on a lot of faces. Babalola, who was competing to start at offensive tackle as a true fresh- man last year, injured a knee during camp and had to sit out all season. It's expected he'll be a prime competitor for a starting job at one of the two starting tackle positions this season. RB Jordan Marshall — A key piece of Michigan's 2026 run game publicly re-upped, when sophomore tailback Jordan Marshall assured he'd be in for another run with the Wolverines. Marshall rushed for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025, with a late-season injury keeping him from becoming a 1,000-yard back for the Wolverines. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry. RB Savion Hiter — The five-star running back, a cornerstone of Michi- gan's latest recruiting class, never made big noise about wavering. But many Michigan fans breathed a sigh of relief when Hiter ignored the late-season drama surrounding Schembechler Hall and went through with his early enrollment to U-M in January. DB Zeke Berry — The senior cornerback did enter the transfer por- tal, before opting to return to Michigan for another year. Berry made second-team All-Big Ten by the media this past season after starting 11 games this year, with 33 tackles, an interception and 10 pass breakups. He'll likely be one of the key factors in the first secondary new defensive coordinator Jay Hill coaches at Michigan. Still TBD — There are a couple of big names — one on each side of the football — that hadn't publicly recommitted as of Jan. 13, three days prior to the transfer portal window closing. Andrew Marsh, the record-setting freshman wide receiver who set a number of rookie records for U-M wideouts in 2025, will return in 2026 according to several reports. But as head coach Kyle Whittingham has stated a number of times since signing on, nothing's official until it is. Marsh racked up a Michigan-record 651 receiving yards this past season on 45 catches, including 4 touchdown grabs. Defensively, making sure junior defensive tackle Trey Pierce is one of Michigan's men up front has to be among the new staff's key retention priorities. Pierce proved arguably Michigan's most effective defensive tackle in 2025, with 30 tackles, one TFL and a pair of quarterback hur- ries. He became one of the most consistent pressure appliers among the Wolverines' inside defensive linemen. — John Borton Those Who Are Staying Give Hope