The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 17 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL A total of 29 states and two foreign countries, Germany and Australia, are represented on the 2026 Michigan roster of scholarship players. Here's a breakdown of states with the most repre- sentation and the key players from each. Illinois (10) The senior class includes tight end Deakon Tonielli (Oswego), offensive line- men Brooks Bahr (Lake Forest) and Trey Pierce (Chicago) and cornerback Jyaire Hill (Kankakee). Junior defensive back I'Marion Stewart (Chicago) and sopho- more defensive end Nate Marshall (Oak Park) and linebacker Christian Pierce (Chicago) fill out the next two classes. Three freshmen enter the program from Illinois in defensive end McHale Blade (Chicago), offensive lineman Tommy Fraumann (Wilmette) and long snapper Jack Treutelaar (Libertyville). Texas (10) U-M's contingent from the Lone Star State includes grad transfer quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (Aledo) and se- nior defensive tackle Enow Etta (Keller). Defensive back transfer Taylor Tatum (Longview) joins the fold as a junior, along with offensive tackle Blake Frazier (Austin). Sophomore wide receiver An- drew Marsh (Katy) may be the best of the bunch. The freshman haul from the state includes safety Jordan Deck (Little Elm), defensive end Ndi Etta (Keller), wide re- ceiver Jaylen Pile (Grapevine), defensive tackle Alister Valejo (Liberty Hill) and cornerback Jamarion Vincent (Waco). Ohio (9) Grad transfer long snapper Nico Craw- ford (Dublin), wide receiver C.J. Charles- ton (Gates Mills) and sixth-year safety Rod Moore (Clayton) lead the way in terms of experience from south of the state line. Junior representation on this year's roster includes running back Jor- dan Marshall (Cincinnati), offensive line- men Luke Hamilton (Avon) and defen- sive lineman Ted Hammond (Cincinnati). Quarterback Chase Herbstreit (Cincin- nati) is the lone sophomore, while run- ning back Jonathan Brown (Columbus) and linebacker Aden Reeder (Cincinnati) round out the freshman class. California (8) Roster representation from California is headlined by graduate defensive back Zeke Berry (Pittsburg). Tight end Zack Marshall (Carlsbad), offensive lineman Brady Norton (Mission Viejo), defensive lineman Cameron Brandt (Chatsworth) and defensive tackle transfer Jonah Lea'ea (San Mateo) represent the seniors on the team, along with long snapper Trent Middleton (Fullerton). Freshmen from California are safety Ernest Nunley (Carson) and quarterback Brady Smigiel (Thousand Oaks). Michigan (7) Michigan led with 15 players on last year's roster, many of whom have moved on. Senior running back Bryson Kuz- dzal (Ada) and punter Hunter Robertson (Huntington Woods), along with junior safety Jacob Oden (Detroit) are the re- turning upperclassmen. Starting quar- terback Bryce Underwood (Belleville), offensive lineman Avery Gach (Frank- lin) and defensive lineman Bobby Kanka (Howell) return as sophomores. The state's freshman representation comes via quarterback Tommy Carr (Saline). Virginia (6) Offensive lineman Evan Link (Burke) and tight end Jalen Hoffman (Burke) lead the Virginia contingent as seniors this season. Sophomore Shamari Earls (Ches- ter) is back, while three freshmen join, including five-star running back Savion Hiter (Louisa), wide receiver Travis John- son (Chesapeake) and linebacker Markel Dabney (Chesterfield). Maryland (6) Junior defensive ends Dominic Nichols (Frederick) and Lugard Edokpayi (Bowie) lead the way as the most experienced from their home state. The sophomore class includes linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (Hyattsville) and defen- sive back Kainoa Winston (Montgomery Village), and two freshmen join in defen- sive end Carter Meadows (Bethesda), a five-star recruit, and offensive lineman Ace Hamilton (Clinton). — Anthony Broome Illinois, Texas, Ohio Lead The Way On 2026 Roster Senior tight end Deakon Tonielli is one of 10 scholarship players from Illinois. He caught 8 passes for 72 yards in 13 games played last season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL