The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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6 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL BY CLAYTON SAYFIE A sense of belief comes with working or playing for Kyle Whittingham, Mich- igan's 22nd head coach. In the days follow- ing his hiring, one by one, coaches with whom he has a past relationship jumped on board the Wolverine staff. Transfers com- mitted, including four from Utah. Michigan players in the portal withdrew. Months later, those in Schembechler Hall are glad they did. If there's anything Whittingham knows how to do after 21 years as the head coach at Utah, it's build and run a successful program. That includes in today's era, evi- denced by the Utes winning 11 games in 2025. "What's exciting to me is the alignment of this team," junior running back Jordan Marshall said. "Last year, I don't think we were so aligned — we could be in different spots last year — and we went 9-3 [in the regular season]. What happens when we're all aligned, going in the same direction?" That's the big question for everyone on the outside that's curious about how Whit- tingham will do. For now, they're working. Michigan players didn't realize how much the level of discipline and accountability had slipped under Sherrone Moore until they saw what a high standard really looked like again. Early-morning workouts that are tougher than ever, requirements of arriving early to meetings and penalties for skipping class are all aspects Whittingham and his staff have brought. "I would say it's kind of similar to [for- mer head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh's regi- men," said graduate safety Rod Moore, who's entering his sixth season at U-M. "It's a lot stricter than the past two years, and the weight room has been a night-and- day difference. We feel a lot stronger, a lot more progress. "Something new that we have now is that whenever we start meetings, there's a loud air horn that goes off throughout the whole building. We've already started our meetings. The past two years, we would start the meeting at 2:30, but now we start the meeting at 2:25, even though it's a 2:30 meeting. Everyone is five minutes early. The coaches are holding everyone account- able in the meetings and about going to class. There's a lot more accountability of going to class. Just the little things that make a team great, not just the big, broad things that everyone sees." The 147th Michigan football team is proving that, even in 2026, players want to be pushed to reach a high bar, not coddled. "We will not become you. You will be- come us and do things the way that we do things," Whittingham said of his approach to player buy-in. "It's something, obviously, I've been a little used to, but to see him introduce it to a whole new team like this — I think it's going well, and it's cool to see," said senior defensive tackle Jonah Lea'ea, one of the transfers from Utah. "There's been a posi- tive response. Something that Coach Whitt is emphasizing is accountability, and that's something the past players asked for. It's showing up, and I think everyone is han- dling it pretty well." "It's been a smooth process, actu- ally," added senior defensive back Smith Snowden, another Utah transfer. "Coach Whitt has been doing it for so long, and he has a good hang of it. Everyone on the team is getting a taste of the culture, the sched- ule and what it's supposed to look like. "Everyone is bought in. This is a team of competitors — guys who want to win and compete at the highest level." The advice Snowden has given team- mates about playing for Whittingham: "Work hard." However, it hasn't borne re- peating very often, because the returning players have fully embraced the culture. Through hard work, and some recre- ational time like an early-June retreat in Charlevoix, Mich., they're forming strong bonds. "We went through a lot, but I think we're going to be more player-led this season. I feel like we are more of a team now," sopho- more quarterback Bryce Underwood said. A Detroit native, Underwood has 13 starts under his belt and has become one of the top leaders on the team. He also has a group of leaders around him, including the Utah transfers, Marshall, Rod Moore, who has the chance to be the program's first- ever three-time captain, and others. "I guess I look at it as a test run," Under- wood said of his freshman year. "I knew I had a lot to learn and that there would be ups and downs. "I'm just glad the team welcomed me in and helped me grow as a leader. I knew overall they believed in me, and that helped me never lose belief in what I was doing. I looked at it as we were building together, and we're going to keep building." The last coach wasn't fired due to on- field performance. Whittingham didn't come to Ann Arbor for a complete rebuild. The Wolverines have one of the most tal- ented rosters in the Big Ten, and they ex- pect to win right away. "I love pressure. I thrive on it," Whit- tingham said. "Doesn't bother me a bit. If you don't like the pressure or can't handle it, you're in the wrong profession." ❑ Michigan's Team 147 Embraces Culture Under Kyle Whittingham MICHIGAN FOOTBALL MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Whittingham's culture-building efforts include greater accountability and a work ethic that per- vades the entire program. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL