The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
R U N N I N G B A C K S 54 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY JOHN BORTON K yle Whittingham's early words about Michigan football delivered sweet music to the ears of classic Wolverine watchers, offensive line- men and those in the U-M backfield. He talked about toughness. He vowed Michi- gan will be physical, run the football and look to overpower opponents. He praised the man whose statue greets anyone entering Michigan's football for- tress. So, while Whittingham will certainly add a host of new wrinkles to the of- fense — via offensive coordinator Jason Beck and others — the DNA appears very similar. His Utah squad finished second in the nation in running the football last year, averaging 266.3 yards per game, 6.02 yards per carry. Those numbers weren't an anomaly, either. Whittingham didn't roll into Ann Arbor to find the cupboard bare, either. Michi- gan returns junior running back Jordan Marshall, who finished just shy of 1,000 yards to lead the team a year ago. The Wolverines retain senior Bryson Kuzdzal, who stepped in and impressed last season when injuries in the backfield began to pile up. Michigan's rushing attack will of course feature sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, who can tuck it away and take off with the best of them. Those players and other veterans should put the Wolverines on track to match or better the 2,732 yards gained on the ground by the 2025 Wolver- ines. But the biggest buzz in spring practice centered on a newcomer. Freshmen always get a little extra chatter, because of the allure of the unknown. Michigan will feature a rookie making himself known very rapidly in practice and soon on the field. Former five-star recruit Savion Hiter looks nothing like a freshman, the Wol- verines say, almost to a man. He's physi- cally mature (6-0, 210), he can carry the ball with both physicality and elusiveness, he can catch out of the backfield or even split out. He carries himself like a veteran, to the point that insiders are already talk- ing about two-back sets with Marshall. Following the spring game (in which Hiter rushed for 44 yards on 10 carries, second only to fellow frosh QB Tommy Carr), Whittingham brought the rookie into the conversation without prompting. "There were some real bright spots out there," W h i t t i n g h a m sa i d . " I thought Savion Hiter re- ally showed that he's an explosive back. He didn't get loose out in the open, but he's a powerful back that's go- ing to be a big factor for us this fall." Many echoed that message in the spring, building anticipation for what Beck will un- leash come fall. The Wolverines did suffer a set- back in the offensive back- field this spring, incurring the only major injury suffered. Junior running back Micah Ka'apana went down with a lower leg injury and has been ruled out for the 2026 season. Ka'apana would have provided experience and more depth at the position, but the Wol- verines still look to be very strong heading into the summer Marshall Leads The Way Marshall remains the heart of the Michigan rushing at- tack, his 932 yards and 10 touchdowns on 150 carries (6.2 average) leading all U-M rushers and earning him second-team All-Big Ten honors by the me- NEW DYNAMIC IN THE DUO Michigan Backs Feature A New Twist To The Attack Jordan Marshall tied for a team-high 10 rushing touchdowns (with Justice Haynes) last season, including a career-best 3 TDs against Purdue. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Tony Alford (3rd year at U-M) Returning Starter: None Departing Starter: Justice Haynes (7 starts at U-M) Projected New Starter: Jordan Marshall (5) Top Reserves: Savion Hiter, Bryson Kuzdzal (2), Donovan Johnson Newcomers: Jonathan Brown, Hiter Moved In: None Moved Out: Haynes (Georgia Tech), Jasper Parker (Arkansas) Rookie Impact: Hiter Most Improved Player: Marshall Best Pro Prospect: Hiter