The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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30 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2026 BY JOHN BORTON T hese are days of rapid change on college football rosters. It's not just the freshman class anymore, along with a trans- fer or two who'd been sidelined by NCAA rules for a year. Now it's show up and play. Michigan features no lack of new per- formers, from frosh to veterans under a new coaching staff. Here are the early re- turns (with some projections figured in) on the top six impact newcomers in maize and blue. 1. SOPHOMORE WR JJ BUCHANAN It certainly didn't take long for Bu- chanan, a standout freshman for Utah last year, to become a super sophomore for the Wolverines. An opener featuring 6 catches, 126 receiving yards, and a spec- tacular, soaring, last-second Hail Mary grab in a 13-12 win certainly didn't hurt. It fairly screamed what Michigan coaches had been stating in matter-of-fact tones for weeks. Buchanan is special. Head coach Kyle Whittingham insisted he looked "un- guardable" at times during fall camp. Western Michigan's defensive secondary would likely agree. "JJ made a phenomenal catch," Michi- gan coach Kyle Whittingham said of the WMU game-winner. "It doesn't surprise me. That's who he is. I see him make con- tested catches every day in practice." So did Michigan football radio play-by- play man Doug Karsch, in one of the fall practices leading up to the season. "As far as Buchanan is concerned, I kept saying leading into this game that you're going to love this kid," Karsch said. "He goes and gets the football. There was one play at practice, when I was there a couple of weeks ago, where [sophomore quarter- back] Bryce [Underwood] threw a deep ball down the sideline. The cornerback was completely in phase, great coverage. JJ went up, twisted his body back towards the quarterback, high pointed the football and pulled it in for a big gain down the sideline. "I've seen him make that catch in prac- tice, but this was a completely different, jump-ball, Hail Mary situation. Buchanan was incredible." He remained solid in Michigan's show- down against Oklahoma. With the Soon- ers hawking him all afternoon, Buchanan still pulled in a pair of catches for a team- leading 48 yards receiving, including a 36- yard grab to set up a touchdown. 2. SENIOR DE JOHN HENRY DALEY Daley represents another Utah trans- THE SPLENDID SIX JJ Buchanan led Michigan in receiving yards through three games with 266 on 15 catches. That total included the game- winning 47-yard TD reception in the opener. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Michigan's Top Half-Dozen Additions Making A Difference In 2026