The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546232
16 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2026 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL NUMBERS AND QUOTES BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Now that he's been through the grind, been through the starts, you would expect tremendous improve- ment the second year." — College football expert Phil Steele on sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood My conclusion is right now [fresh- man guard] Brandon McCoy [Jr.] is a world-class athlete, does things on the court that no one else can do and can become a major star. Be pa- tient with him; he's going to get better and better, and I have a feeling that by the time March rolls around, he is going to be a huge impact player for Michi- gan. He is as good as advertised." — Former Michigan player Tim McCormick sharing his summer practice impressions on the "Go Blue Hoops" podcast The only reason there are mixed reviews, and that they're not talk- ing about him still being young, is because of the expectations coming out of re- cruiting. We've really put a bull's-eye on a lot of these kids because of the exorbitant amount that they're paying them." — Anonymous opposing coach to ESPN about sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood 16th Is where the Maize and Blue checked in on the preseason coaches poll, behind No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Indiana, No. 7 Miami (Fla.), No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 11 Alabama, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 1 3 LSU, No. 14 USC and No. 15 BYU. 15 Pounds of weight gain for sophomore defen- sive tackle T R AV I S MOTEN from last season to this fall, marking the biggest on the team among returning players. Conversely, junior defensive tackle Ted Hammond underwent the biggest weight loss on the squad, down from 294 to 270 pounds. No. 10 Is where FOX analyst Joel Klatt placed Mich- igan in his preseason top 25. "I believe in Kyle Whittingham," Klatt said on his podcast. "You guys know the way I've talked about Utah over the years. I used to say, 'Death, taxes and Utah football.' I should say, 'Death, taxes and Kyle Whittingham.' "I believe in this guy's structure. I believe in what he believes in. He believes in the fun- damental traits to go and be a great football team. They will be physical. They will play great defense. They will run the football. That is a great blueprint for Michigan. We saw that blueprint win the national championship for Michigan just a couple of years ago." 5th I s w h e r e M i c h i g a n sophomore quarterback B R YC E U N D E R W O O D ranked in On3 host Josh Pate's list of the top 10 quarterbacks in the Big Ten for the 2026 season. He trails Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Oregon's Dante Moore, USC's Jayden Maiava and Indiana's Josh Hoover. 3 Jersey number changes for Mich- igan football players from spring practices to fall camp: Junior safety Chris Bracy (from 20 to 7), fresh- man wide receiver Travis Johnson (from 86 to 13) and sophomore wide receiver JJ Buchanan (from 13 to 6). PHOTO BY PATRICK BARRON