The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 31 fer, one with All-America potential. He didn't drive the Broncos into the ground, statistically, in the opener, with 3 tack- les and a quarterback hurry. But he's still getting fully up to speed from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for much of the offseason. Whittingham noted he ought to get bet- ter and better as the season progresses. "I thought John Henry played well," Whittingham said of Daley's first game in a Michigan uniform. "He's not at the peak of his game yet. He's still ramping up, but he played 51 snaps, which is a pretty heavy load coming off the injury that he did. But he was effective." He's as experienced as it gets for some- one making a debut for the Wolverines. His savvy and his talent are what elevate him this highly in the newcomer impact rankings. He'll be expected to assert him- self more and more into the upcoming Big Ten campaign. Daley showed flashes of strong efforts to come in the win over Oklahoma, as- serting himself in a big way. He racked up a sack and 3 tackles for loss among his 8 stops and put big-time pressure on Soon- ers quarterback John Mateer. 3. GRAD LB NATHANIEL STAEHLING Michigan's greatest position of need coming into the season — in terms of both talent and experience — involved its line- backers. All of the starters from a year ago were gone when the 2026 season rolled around. Staehling's transfer from North Dakota State should prove extremely beneficial to the Wolverines throughout the year. The grad transfer posted 75 tackles for NDSU a year ago, with 6 for loss, 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, 4 pass breakups and 3 intercep- tions. He's moved into the starting lineup for the Wolverines and picked up where he left off, registering 9 tackles in Michigan's season-opening victory. Against Oklahoma, Staehling contrib- uted 7 more tackles, including half a tackle for loss. He's playing at the very heart of a defense that yielded 3 touchdowns through the first 12 quarters of the season, so he's doing something right. 4. SOPHOMORE P CAM BROWN Sophomore punter Cam Brown, out of Coolangatta, Australia, got a workout in Michigan's first two games of the season. In the opener, the transfer from UNLV punted 6 times, averaging 44.7 yards per attempt. He proved efficient at getting the Wolverines out of some tight spots against Western Michigan, forcing 5 fair catches and pinning a pair of punts inside WMU's 20-yard line. Versus a tough Oklahoma crew, Brown punted 7 times, averaging 42.3 yards per attempt. More important, Brown pinned Oklahoma inside its own 20-yard line with 6 of his punts, Sooners coach Brent Venables commenting that it felt like his team was backed near its own goal line for most of the contest. Michigan is looking for its offense to grow and get better throughout the sea- son. But in games that come down to staunch efforts by the U-M defense and the ability to punt the football well, Brown's ability to boom it out from the back and handcuff an opposition's field position looms large. 5. JUNIOR S CHRIS BRACY Michigan coaches fairly well raved about this newcomer's efforts in fall camp. The transfer junior safety came up from Memphis, where he recorded 81 tackles a year ago, defended 10 passes, picked off one, forced a fumble and recovered an- other. He made his mark in Michigan's opener as well, tying for second on the team with 9 tackles. The following week against Oklahoma, Bracy made a half-dozen stops, forcing 1 fumble and no doubt loos- ening some dental work with several big hits. The Wolverines already figured to be very solid in the secondary. Bracy firmed that up even more, giving Michigan more competition and competence among its last line of defense. 6. SOPHOMORE PK TREY BUTKOWSKI Butkowski wasn't called upon to kick a field goal in the opener and had just 2 attempts through three games, both of which he nailed. But he'll certainly have plenty of opportunity to make an impact. On a team featuring a defense that can force tight, low-scoring games, Butkowski will no doubt be called on in critical situa- tions more than once this season. ❑ A Trio That Could Break Through Here are three other names that certainly could make their way into the top six impact newcomers by the end of the season. Two of them made it onto the field in the opening pair of games, while another finds himself one play away from taking a hugely prominent role. The trio that could rise includes … • Senior CB Smith Snowden — Snowden held up very well in the early going, making 7 tackles and adding a pass breakup during Michigan's 3-0 start. He's yet another highly ex- perienced defensive back in a secondary that has asserted itself firmly early on. • Freshman RB Savion Hiter — Hiter's numbers remained modest early on. He carried 24 times for 83 yards and caught 4 passes for 40. The numbers will grow and so will Hiter, who has been on the verge of making big plays. • Freshman QB Tommy Carr — Carr's name certainly came up when sophomore quarter- back Bryce Underwood struggled in the opener. Even if Underwood keeps a stranglehold on the position, should he get nicked up and have to go out for a series (or more), Carr would be under center. He'll be getting some run to make certain he's ready. — John Borton Graduate linebacker Nathaniel Staehling has been a stellar addition to the Wolverines' defense in 2026. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL