The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
14 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL National Champion: CFP Top Four: Big Ten Championship Game: Michigan Regular-Season Record: Does Michigan Make The CFP?: Most Anticipated U-M Game: Big Ten Team On The Rise: Big Ten Team On The Decline: Offensive Breakout Player: Defensive Breakout Player: Michigan MVP: National Champion: CFP Top Four: Big Ten Championship Game: Michigan Regular-Season Record: Does Michigan Make The CFP?: Most Anticipated U-M Game: Big Ten Team On The Rise: Big Ten Team On The Decline: Offensive Breakout Player: Defensive Breakout Player: Michigan MVP: OFFENSE Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. QB 19 Bryce Underwood 6-4 228 So./3 14 Tommy Carr 6-4 185 Fr./4 RB 23 Jordan Marshall 5-11 216 Jr./3 5 Savion Hiter 6-0 210 Fr./4 WR 3 Andrew Marsh 6-0 190 So./3 10 Jaime Ffrench 6-1 185 So./4 WR 13 JJ Buchanan 6-3 225 So./3 0 Kendrick Bell 6-2 205 Sr./2 WR 12 Salesi Moa 6-2 175 Fr./4 86 Travis Johnson 6-2 185 Fr./4 TE 80 Hogan Hansen 6-5 240 Jr./3 83 Zack Marshall 6-4 245 Sr./2 or 88 Deakon Tonielli 6-5 246 Sr./2 FB 42 Jalen Hoffman 6-3 245 Sr./2 44 Eli Owens 6-1 244 So./4 LT 77 Blake Frazier 6-6 295 Jr./3 65 Andrew Babalola 6-6 315 So./4 LG 71 Evan Link 6-6 324 Sr./2 55 Nathan Efobi 6-3 312 Sr./2 C 53 Jake Guarnera 6-4 311 Jr./3 67 Houston Ka'aha'aina-Torres 6-3 300 So./4 RG 70 Brady Norton 6-4 312 Sr./2 74 Avery Gach 6-5 308 So./4 RT 54 Andrew Sprague 6-8 315 Jr./3 65 Andrew Babalola 6-6 315 So./4 DEFENSE Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. DE 90 John Henry Daley 6-4 255 Sr./2 8 Dominic Nichols 6-5 255 Jr./3 DE 9 Cameron Brandt 6-4 270 Sr./1 88 Lugard Edokpayi 6-7 250 Jr./3 DT 95 Trey Pierce 6-2 310 Sr./1 91 Jonah Lea'ea 6-5 285 Sr./2 DT 17 Enow Etta 6-5 320 Sr./2 54 Deyvid Palepale 6-2 335 Jr./3 LB 29 Chase Taylor 6-2 237 So./3 44 Nathaniel Staehling 6-2 238 Gr./1 LB 18 Troy Bowles 6-0 230 Sr./2 or 12 Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng 6-1 217 So./3 NB 3 Smith Snowden 5-10 185 Sr./1 10 Zeke Berry 5-11 196 Gr./1 CB 0 Jyaire Hill 6-2 190 Sr./2 2 Shamari Earls 6-2 205 So./3 CB 10 Zeke Berry 5-11 196 Gr./1 16 Jo'Ziah Edmond 6-1 185 Jr./3 S 1 Rod Moore 6-0 198 Gr./1 6 Jordan Young 6-0 195 So./3 S 20 Chris Bracy 6-1 195 Jr./2 25 Mason Curtis 6-5 211 Jr./2 SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. K 99 Trey Butkowski 6-0 170 So./3 35 Stuart Blake 6-1 181 Jr./3 P 90 Hudson Hollenbeck 6-2 206 Gr./1 or — Cam Brown 6-2 185 So./3 LS 49 Nico Crawford 6-2 235 Gr./1 46 Gavin Magorien 6-0 202 So./3 KR 3 Andrew Marsh 6-0 190 So./3 3 Smith Snowden 5-10 185 Sr./1 or 12 Salesi Moa 6-2 175 Fr./4 PR 3 Andrew Marsh 6-0 190 So./3 12 Salesi Moa 6-2 175 Fr./4 The Wolverine's Projected 2026 Depth Chart JOHN BORTON, Senior Writer Texas Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon Oregon over Ohio State 9-3 No Ohio State Michigan Michigan State WR JJ Buchanan DE John Henry Daley RB Jordan Marshall CHRIS BALAS, TheWolverine.com Editor Georgia Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Miami Ohio State over Oregon 9-3 No Ohio State UCLA Michigan State WR Andrew Marsh LB Chase Taylor RB Jordan Marshall ANTHONY BROOME, Staff Writer Oregon Oregon, Texas, Indiana, Notre Dame Oregon over Ohio State 9-3 No Ohio State Michigan Illinois QB Bryce Underwood DT Trey Pierce DE John Henry Daley CLAYTON SAYFIE, Staff Writer Oregon Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas Tech Oregon over Ohio State 8-4 No Ohio State Penn State Iowa RB Savion Hiter DT Enow Etta RB Jordan Marshall DREW HALLETT, Columnist Oregon Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas, Georgia Oregon over Ohio State 8-4 No Ohio State Penn State Illinois WR Andrew Marsh S Mason Curtis RB Jordan Marshall DOUG SKENE* Oregon Oregon, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas Oregon over Ohio State 8-4 No Oregon Penn State Wisconsin RB Savion Hiter DB Zeke Berry RB Jordan Marshall * Former U-M All-Big Ten offensive lineman and contributor to TheWolverine.com STAFF PREDICTIONS