The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 39 out of the receivers for this offense to also reach its potential. The pieces are in place for improvement on the outside with [sophomore] JJ Buchanan (Utah) and Jaime Ffrench (Texas) joining from the portal to team with rising star Andrew Marsh. The offensive line should be a top-10 group na- tionally, and the one-two punch of Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter forms a top tan- dem in the backfield. In addition to Underwood's development and the overall production out of the pass- ing attack, Michigan needs to generate a few more big plays and do a better job in the red zone at scoring touchdowns. Those factors likely determine where this unit stacks up in the Big Ten. With Beck, I think the Wolver- ines have upgraded at coordinator and the personnel is all in place for a step forward on the stat sheet. It might not be the No. 1 offense in the conference, but Michigan should be better on this side of the ball -— largely due to Underwood's growth. Jay Hill had a stellar run at BYU before Kyle Whittingham poached him to run Michigan's defense. Your thoughts on the hire? Bender: The Cougars allowed close to 30 points in Hill's first season in 2023, but that number dropped below 20 points per game each of the last two years. The Wol- verines were right at that number (20.4) last season. Hill's defense features disrup- tive linebackers who can generate tackles for loss. The pass rush is solid. Michigan has enjoyed a good run of defensive coor- dinators from the Harbaugh tree with NFL backgrounds. Hill is a different branch, but it will produce the same steady production. Fornelli: Love the hire. I love Jay Hill. Honestly, it won't be all that different than what Michigan fans are used to see- ing scheme-wise. It may look different, but fundamentally the principles will be largely the same as what's been the norm in Ann Arbor. Michigan defenses have been tough, physical and disciplined for years, and those are all hallmarks of what Jay Hill preaches, too. Lassan: Similar to Jason Beck, Hill is one of the top coordinator hires in the Big Ten. He took over the play-calling duties for BYU in '23, and after a transition year to the Big 12 that fall, he produced back- to-back units that ranked near the top of the conference. The Cougars allowed fewer than 20 points a game over the last two seasons. The play of the defense was a big reason why BYU nearly made the playoff in back-to-back years. In addition to just having overall famil- iarity with Whittingham, Hill isn't going to run a defense that's drastically different from the one [former U-M coordinator] Wink Martindale led last year. An attacking unit with a four-man front that's physical and well-coached seems about as seamless of a transition as possible. Also, similar to what Whittingham did at Utah, Hill con- sistently got the most out of his roster. I like the Wolverines to have one of the Big Ten's top defenses in '26. How will Michigan's defense fare? Bender: BYU had 39 interceptions the last two seasons with Hill, and the second- ary will be a strength with [senior] Jyaire Hill, [graduate] Zeke Berry and the return of sixth-year safety Rod Moore. [Senior] Utah transfer Smith Snowden also should make an impact. Will [senior defensive end] John Henry Daley — another Utes transfer who had 11.5 sacks last season be- fore an Achilles injury — be at 100 percent in the fall? The defense allowed an average of 443 total yards in losses to Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State and Texas last season. The Wolverines had just 2 sacks in those losses. It was ordinary at best. That has to improve with Hill. Fornelli: The Michigan defense will be a Michigan defense. The hallmarks will not change. How it's dressed pre-snap might be. In the end, it will be a top- five defense in the Big Ten, and I'd lean more toward the top three than fourth or fifth. Lassan: This defense should be one of the better groups in the Big Ten. Not only is the talent in place, but the collective staff braintrust is elite, featuring Whittingham as a defensive-minded coach alongside Hill's success and scheme from BYU. Despite having only three returning starters, I would not be surprised to see the '26 unit rank higher on the stat sheet than last year's version. Assuming he's back to full strength from an Achilles tear, end John Henry Daley will be among the nation's top pass rushers and fill a key need for the Wolverines up front. Also, the combination of returning players like Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry, along with safety Rod Moore com- ing back from injury and transfers Smith Snowden and [junior] Chris Bracy, form the makings of one of the Big Ten's top de- fensive backfields. The linebacker unit is the biggest concern, but I suspect it won't take long for Hill and Whittingham to find a few answers. ❑ Senior Jyaire Hill gives Michigan a lockdown cover corner, and he will help anchor what is expected to be another strong defensive unit this year. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL