Michigan heads to Piscataway on Saturday looking to climb back into the win column, and Rutgers has enough talent on both sides of the ball to make this one tricky - even with a couple of major injury question marks hanging over the Scarlet Knights.
The biggest unknown sits at quarterback. Starting quarterback Sean Lonergan is out, which leaves Rutgers sorting through options under center.
Junior AJ Surace looks like the more seasoned choice. He has completed 40 of 71 passes this season for 539 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Last week against Northwestern, though, he had a rough afternoon, going 7 of 18 for 64 yards with an interception.
Sophomore Sean Ashenfelder is also in the mix, but his résumé is much thinner. He has attempted only 10 passes this year, completing three for 50 yards and throwing one interception. That uncertainty is exactly what makes the quarterback spot such a big focus for Michigan’s defense.
The other major injury note is wide receiver KJ Duff, who is listed as doubtful. That matters because Duff has been Rutgers’ most explosive offensive threat and one of the most productive receivers anywhere in the country.
In seven games, he has 45 catches for 774 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 17.2 yards per reception and 110.6 receiving yards per game. If he suits up, Michigan’s secondary - especially Jyaire Hill - will have its hands full trying to keep him from hitting on big plays.
Rutgers also has some reliable pieces on defense, starting with senior defensive back Bradlee Jones. He has been a steady force in the secondary with 34 total tackles, including 19 solo stops and 15 assists, and he leads the team with two interceptions. His ability to close downhill and help against the run could matter a lot if Michigan leans on its ground game.
On the Rutgers side of the ball, junior running back Antwan Raymond has been one of the most productive weapons available. He has 123 carries for 648 yards and six touchdowns, good for 5.3 yards per attempt, and he has added 13 catches for 128 yards and another score. With the quarterback situation unsettled, Raymond becomes even more important as a way to keep the offense on schedule.
Another key defensive name is linebacker Sean Allison, a graduate transfer from Drake University who arrived ahead of the 2026 season. The 6-0, 235-pound senior was the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 after piling up 126 tackles and two interceptions.
He was also a Buck Buchanan Award finalist and earned Third-Team FCS All-America honors. Rutgers voted him into a captain’s role right away, and he has backed that up with 31 tackles, including 16 solo stops, through seven games this season.
Allison’s experience and command of the defense could be especially valuable against a Michigan offense trying to assert itself physically on the ground.
In Other News...
Bryce Underwood Could Force A Tough Michigan Decision Soon
Bryce Underwoods path at Michigan has already taken an unexpected turn, with the former five-star quarterback recruit getting benched in favor of Tommy Carr after struggling against Penn State. For a program that has spent so much time building around quarterback stability, the situation has quickly become one of the more intriguing personnel questions on the roster, especially with Underwood still carrying the kind of athletic profile that can tempt a staff to find another way to use him.
Michigan has not made any official decision about a position change, and no approach has been set in stone, but the idea is clearly on the table as the Wolverines sort through their quarterback situation. Underwoods future role now feels like one of those early-season decisions that can shape more than just depth-chart order, because if the staff decides his best path is somewhere other than quarterback, it would say plenty about where things stand behind center. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Escaped Rutgers But The Real Frustrations Arent Going Away
Michigan got what it needed against Rutgers, but not in the cleanest way. The Wolverines squeezed out a 28-21 win after letting a late-game lead slip away long enough to make things uncomfortable, even with Tommy Carr turning in a strong night through the air and on the ground. His 266 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns gave Michigan enough punch to survive, but the overall feel of the game was less about control than escape.
For a program that still has bigger ambitions in the 2026 season, the concerns did not disappear with the final whistle. The defense had stretches where Rutgers found room to answer, including the fourth-quarter tie that briefly changed the tone of the night, and the offense again left questions about consistency and coaching direction. A win is a win, but this one did little to quiet the frustration around how Michigan is being put together week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Still Have One Big Question About This Team
Michigans football profile has drawn a mixed bag of reaction lately, with praise from some corners and sharp criticism from others. Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall singled out offensive coordinator Jason Beck for the work being done on that side of the ball, while former Michigan players and analysts have pushed back on Kyle Whittinghams coaching style and the way he has handled his public comments.
Greg Schiano added another layer to the conversation by calling Michigans defense elite and pointing to several of its key players as the reason for that reputation. For fans, the contrast is what makes the bigger question linger: if the defense is playing at that level and the offense is drawing positive notice, why does the overall picture around the program still feel so unsettled? [Read more 🡒]