The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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28 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2026 "We've played a little bit of musical chairs, but who in the country hasn't, I guess, at least at some positions," Whit- tingham said before the Penn State game. "But we've had a few different lineups. If you look at [line coach Jim Harding's] track record, he puts together an offen- sive line, and once he's been in place for a couple years, then it goes like that. "He's a guy that I have a lot of faith in. His players love him. I think if you asked all the O-linemen, they'd tell you the same thing. It doesn't happen over- night." Nevertheless, the entire unit made great progress against Penn State. "The offensive line played their best football in the second half of that game, of the whole season … they were coming off the ball," Whittingham said. "Their blocking combinations were outstand- ing, and they came out with a purpose in that second half." TIGHT ENDS: D- The only reason this unit doesn't get a failing grade is because they weren't be- ing used all that much in the offense. At the same time, we expected this unit to collectively be better blockers and hold up more at the point of attack than it had shown through six games. It didn't help that junior Hogan Han- sen missed the first several games due to an undisclosed injury. He came back with a big 22-yard reception from Carr in the second half against Penn State. We've been waiting for Hansen to emerge as a receiving threat for a few years, so that was at least a start. "Hogan Hansen is starting to come around, and he was missing for three or four weeks with an injury," Whittingham said. "But now he's back, and we think he can really help us down the stretch here." The U-M coaches also like freshman Mason Bonner and his 6-foot-7 frame, but he needs to get stronger and is still a work in progress. All in all, the fact that the tight ends as a group hadn't caught 100 yards in passes combined through six games — and that senior Zack Marshall had zero — is quite the indictment on this position group. WIDE RECEIVERS: B- This was the bright spot of the offense in the first several weeks, though they tapered off in the last few with some drops and weak routes. We suggested JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh would be the Wolverines' best top-end duo since the early 2000s, and that's been the case (though Marsh, who appeared to be a bit banged up, had dropped a few passes in addition to a couple punts, and needs his body language to improve a bit after things go awry). Buchanan led the way at the halfway mark with 482 yards, 4 touchdowns and 17.9 yards per reception as WR1-A, and Marsh was at 289 yards with a 10.3 aver- age as WR1-B. The real problem is this: no third op- tion has emerged. Freshman Salesi Moa had a nice touchdown grab from Carr against UTEP in mop-up duty but hasn't contributed much. Ditto fellow freshman Travis Johnson and veteran Channing Goodwin, the latter of whom had been a fall camp success story. We will see if they can develop some depth in the last half of the season at this position, because Michigan will defi- nitely need it. DEFENSIVE LINE: B The Michigan coaches told us in the spring this would be one of the strengths of the team, and while many didn't be- lieve it, the prediction proved accurate. The defensive end rotation made an im- pact in just about every one of the first few games, came through huge in a 17-10 victory over Oklahoma, and benefited from the bye week that allowed senior edges John Henry Daley and Dominic Nichols to heal from minor injuries. Se- nior defensive tackles Trey Pierce and Enow Etta have been very solid on the interior, while backup Bobby Kanka is coming into his own. Minnesota's offensive line was a bit tough on this unit via the run game, and Penn State had some early success run- ning the ball as well. Overall, though, it's hard to complain about a group that's been on the field far too long this year thanks to an anemic offense too often preventing complementary football. They've been good, though the pass rush had tapered off over the last few games. "I thought our pass rush [against Penn State], if there's something that we need to get back in high gear, it is [that]," Whittingham said. "And we did bring a bunch of pressure. It's not like we just relied on a four-man rush. We brought pressure a good portion of the time, so that is something that we need to get better at." LINEBACKERS: B Led by senior Troy Bowles, assistant coach Alex Whittingham's crew was one of the team's pleasant surprises through six games. Bowles was outstanding in leading the team in tackles (50, includ- ing 5 for loss), while transfer Nathaniel Staehling also was very solid en route to ranking second on the defense with 34 stops. Staehling's 79-yard pick six was the only reason the Wolverines had a chance to win at Minnesota during a 20-14 loss in which the offense largely spun its wheels. Young linebackers Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng continue to improve, and even BYU transfer Aisea Moa has given the Wolverines some solid play at times. This group needs to get better in pass coverage, but overall, it was plenty good enough. "I think they're playing beyond what Transfer JJ Buchanan hauled in 482 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns through six games en route to becoming the top target among Michigan receivers. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL