The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 95 W hen he first committed to Georgia, Troy Bowles already had the weight of lofty expec- tations on his shoulders. The son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, an eight-year NFL safety after an outstanding career at Temple, the younger Bowles never doubted his ability to follow his own path and make his own name for himself. That's how confident he was in his ability, a skill set that made him the No. 88 player overall in the 2023 recruiting class per the Rivals Industry Ranking. Bulldogs fans and writers predicted it, too, after watching him excel at Tampa Jesuit High. "The nation's No. 7 LB for 2023 has some clips on his sophomore and junior film that look ready for the next big-budget Hollywood film about high school football," one fan site writer praised, setting the bar for an already insa- tiable fan base extremely high. However, after appearing in only seven games over two sea- sons for the Bulldogs, Bowles entered the transfer portal in 2025 and ended up at Michigan. He got off to a great start in Ann Arbor, and it looked like the change of scenery was going to do him well. He notched an 11- yard sack in his U-M debut, the opener with New Mexico (Aug. 30), and recorded 2 tackles for loss among his 3 tackles in a very good showing. Though his progress slowed a bit — he'd finish the season with 27 tackles, 2 for loss after seeing more time following Ernest Hausmann's sudden departure — he showed glimpses. Now, though, there's no more waiting in the wings. He's a guy they need to step up and live up to his former four-star potential, and he's well aware. "I view my role as a senior leader, bringing the young guys with me, and with the older 'backers making sure we're on the same page," Bowles said. "Whoever is out there, there's no drop- off from the starter. "I feel more comfortable in the building, even though the peo- ple have changed a little bit inside. With my teammates, I feel more comfortable talking to everybody on the team. It doesn't matter what position. It's leading by example. It's meeting with the linebackers often even if it's not about football. Just hanging out with them and maybe showing the younger guys the ropes, how they should prepare." That's something he learned from Jimmy Rolder a year ago, he noted, one of the veterans of the 2025 Michigan linebacker room now with the Detroit Lions as a fourth-round draft pick. Not only did he watch how Rolder carried himself on the field and in practice, but also how he warmed up and how seriously he took everything he did. Like Bowles, Rolder had his moments early in his career, but it wasn't until his senior season that he really took off. Injuries played a part in that, but the point is the same. It's never too late for a breakout season. "I'm just carrying on what Jimmy did, passing it down to the younger guys," Bowles said. "My goal is to definitely start and lead the defense to the national championship. "This spring was definitely easier than it has been in the past. Obviously, coming from a different school, being around nu- merous coaching staffs, applying everything I learned from my past to now has been easier, even with the new playbook."