The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 19 — juniors Jake Guarnera (6-foot-3, 315 pounds) at center and Andrew Sprague (6-7, 310) at right tackle. The other start- ing spots were still up for grabs in the early going of fall camp, with contestants rang- ing from increasingly savvy veterans to extremely talented younger players. The battle at left tackle features both. Junior Blake Frazier (6-6, 302) could be a returning starter, but both senior Evan Link (6-6, 313) and former five-star soph- omore Andrew Babalola (6-6, 305) are seeing snaps as well. "Babalola is doing a nice job out there," Whittingham said. "Evan Link is taking some reps out there, and of course, Blake Frazier. It's really those three guys getting the majority of the reps out there." Link could move inside to play left guard, while right guard features two seniors — Nathan Efobi (6-4, 303) and Brady Norton (6-4, 310) — locked in a fight for the starting spot. Sophomore Avery Gach (6-4, 302) will challenge both inside and at the Rhino position — a sixth offensive line spot em- ployed by Beck that could be manned by an offensive or defensive lineman. "The offensive line's starting to shape up," Whittingham said. "We still have a lot of unanswered questions: who the best five are, and that's again, as I mentioned last time to the media, we're going to get the best five out there regardless of what posi- tion they may be labeled at. We've got to get the best five football players out there." Or six, in some cases. WIDE RECEIVER There's a clear top two pass-catchers entering the 2026 season: sophomore Andrew Marsh, a freshman sensation last year, and sophomore transfer JJ Buchanan from Utah. Michigan fans have already witnessed the record-setting Marsh in action, but Whittingham's recent com- ments about Buchanan opened some eyes early in camp. "Buchanan is a special receiver," Whit- tingham said. "He's at times un-guard- able in practice with the 50/50 ball and the contested catch up the field. He's as good as anybody I've ever been around. He's got size (6-4, 218). He can run, he can jump, he's tough, he'll block. He's a complete receiver in all aspects." The presence of Marsh and Buchanan means Underwood starts with a pair of top targets heading into the season. But Whit- tingham confirms those two are not alone. "[Freshman transfer from Utah] Salesi Moa is doing a really nice job," Whitting- ham said. "[Sophomore transfer from Texas] Jaime Ffrench is starting to come into his own — he was figuring things out in spring, but he has really settled in and is playing some good football. [Junior] Channing Goodwin is another guy that's emerged that is a guy that's going to be in that mix. "When all is said and done, we want about seven guys that we feel confident we can put in the game. We're probably about 5 or 5.5 right now." Other contenders include freshman Travis Johnson, senior Kendrick Bell and sophomore Jamar Browder. TIGHT END This group features a pair of big pass catchers in junior Hogan Hansen (6-6, 240) and senior Deakon Tonielli (6-6, 240), a pair of bust-it-up blockers in se- nior Jalen Hoffman (6-3, 247) and soph- omore Eli Owens (6-1, 247), and senior Zack Marshall (6-5, 245), whom Beck de- scribes as a nice blend between the two. "They're going to be out there," Beck said. "They've got to do a lot of things to help. Tight end is that unique position that's really involved in the run game and really involved in the pass game at a high level. "Tight end is a strong group. Several of those guys played last year and got ex- perience. And then the other guy that's interesting will be [6-7, 229, freshman] Mason Bonner. He just showed up here, so it will be interesting to see what he can do. He's kind of that tight end/JJ Buchanan type. So all those guys can have a role and contribute and help in everything — the run game, the pass game. Yeah, do it all." RUNNING BACK This one's been locked down since spring, or even before: Junior Jordan Marshall, freshman Savion Hiter and se- nior Bryson Kuzdzal will carry the load. Marshall and Hiter will likely appear in the backfield at the same time, and Hiter will potentially split out at slot receiver. Marshall remains a potential 1,000-yard rusher and leader, Hiter is a freshman who doesn't look like one, and Kuzdzal is a seasoned, tough, hard-running insurance policy. They'll combine with Underwood to provide a rushing attack that could well be the Big Ten's best. Whittingham has consistently insisted the Wolverines' rushing attack will be a major strong point, and Beck recently noted Hiter will provide a significant boost. "What stands out about Savion is he just works so hard all the time," Beck said. "There's no such thing as not full speed with that kid. It's just full-speed effort all the time. And so he makes a splash from Day 1 because he's not easing his way in there. He's not dipping the toe in and tak- ing one step in the pool. He just cannon- balls in, and it's full go." ❏ Offense At A Glance TOP THREE STORYLINES 1. How High For Underwood — Good to great for the Wolverines in 2026 rides on the quar- terback — with help, of course. If sophomore Bryce Underwood can deliver in the big games, this becomes a College Football Playoff team. 2. Big Gains For The Big Uglies — Head coach Kyle Whittingham insists Underwood's pass protection should be better. If an increasingly seasoned line with younger talent mixing in makes life easier for Underwood, look out. 3. Ready To Receive — The catching end of that passing game has significantly improved. Sophomores Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan have a chance to become the Big Ten's best duo. TOP THREE PLAYERS 1. RB Jordan Marshall — Leader, captain and glue. He should enjoy his best year yet. 2. WR Andrew Marsh — Building on a record-setting freshman season, he'll be explosive. 3. QB Bryce Underwood — The tools are there, from head to toe, and they're better prepared this year to be unleashed. NEWCOMER(S) TO WATCH 1. WR JJ Buchanan and RB Savion Hiter — No way to break this tie. Whittingham says Bu- chanan can be "un-guardable," and Hiter has been a sensation since hitting campus. — John Borton