Michigan football’s second week of fall camp has brought a clear theme: some players are moving up fast.
The buzz around Ann Arbor has been strong since the Big Ten Network wrapped up its annual training camp stop, and the Wolverines have looked sharper than they did in the spring. Kyle Whittingham has drawn praise for how the program has been operating, and the overall feel around the team is different.
Bryce Underwood has been one of the headliners, with Whittingham giving him an A+ for what he has done so far. Andrew Marsh, JJ Buchanan, the offensive line and the defensive line have all gotten plenty of attention, too.
But if you go past the obvious names, three Wolverines keep coming up as stock risers.
Dominic Nichols is one of them, and his name has been echoing through camp more than you might expect. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound EDGE played in 12 games last season, finishing with 19 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack. He logged real experience as a sophomore, and that background looks like it is starting to matter now.
Carter Meadows and Nate Marshall have brought plenty of excitement from the last two recruiting classes, but Nichols keeps surfacing in conversations with coaches and players. Cameron Brandt is also expected to have a role at EDGE and defensive end, and Lugard Edokpayi is another player to watch.
Still, Nichols feels like someone who could be tough to keep off the field. If that happens, he could end up being one of Michigan’s better pass rushers.
Brady Norton is another player whose profile is climbing. He’s been easy to overlook at times, but the offensive line picture is starting to make his path a lot clearer.
Norton played in seven games last season and made three starts, then moved inside from tackle to right guard this offseason. So far, he has been steady there.
That matters because the rest of the line is still sorting itself out. Evan Link has moved inside and is also battling at left tackle with Blake Frazier and Andrew Babalola.
Frazier has had a strong offseason and may have a slight edge on Babalola. If that holds, a possible starting five could be Frazier, Link, Jake Guarnera, Norton and Andrew Sprague, with Babalola and Nathan Efobi still in the mix.
Norton has started 15 games in his college career and handled himself well in the Citrus Bowl last season. Even if he doesn’t open the year as a starter, he looks like one of the top six or seven linemen on the roster.
Then there’s Chris Bracy, who might be the most underrated portal addition Michigan made this offseason. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety spent two seasons at UAB, then started 11 games for Memphis last season.
In 2025, he played all 13 games for the Tigers and put together a big stat line: 81 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups. He also produced three turnover plays with an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Bracy’s arrival has already drawn notice. Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider said Michigan may have found “another difference-maker in the secondary” in Bracy, and Bracy said, “I feel like we can really be dangerous.” He also joins a secondary that has a chance to be loaded if the camp buzz holds.
Rod Moore has reportedly had a strong camp and is said to be back to 100 percent. The cornerback group has plenty of talent, too, with Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry and Smith Snowden each earning some kind of postseason recognition from the Big Ten or Big 12. Shamari Earls is also drawing positive attention.
Put Moore and Bracy together with that cornerback group, and the back end starts to look formidable. Add in Jay Hill, who coached a BYU defense over the past two seasons that produced 39 interceptions, and the ingredients are there for a dangerous secondary.
That may be the clearest sign yet of how much Michigan’s camp stock has risen: if the defensive line is supposed to be the strength, the secondary might be close to elite. Bracy is a big reason why.
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Michigan Fall Camp Buzz Centers On Two Names Fans Arent Watching
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Sprague also brought up Jonah Lealea, the Utah transfer working at defensive tackle, as another player drawing notice on the practice field. Michigan likes when newcomers settle in quickly, especially up front, and Lealeas early buzz suggests he may be closer to a meaningful role than the casual observer might assume. The staff still has time to sort out how those pieces fit, but the early signs have put both names on the list of players to watch as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
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Michigan Fall Camp Is Heating Up Around A Few Crucial Starting Battles
The second week of fall camp is already sorting through a handful of Michigans most important jobs, and the competition has a way of making every practice rep feel a little bigger. Savion Hiter, JJ Buchanan, Channing Goodwin and Travis Johnson are among the players drawing attention as coaches sort out who can handle bigger roles this season, while Andrew Babalola, John Henry Daley, Cameron Brandt and Dominic Nichols are all part of the larger mix of linemen and edge players trying to carve out steady spots.
For Michigan, the appeal is obvious: these are the kinds of battles that can shape both the depth chart and the tone of the season before August is even over. Some of the evaluations are still unfolding, with coaches praising what certain players can do and leaving the final answer open, which is exactly what makes camp worth watching this time of year. [Read more 🡒]