Michigan football’s fall camp opens August 4, and for a few Wolverines, it’s not just about getting ready for Week 1. It’s about forcing their way into the picture.
Kyle Whittingham called this team a Christmas present because, as he put it, you just don’t know what you are going to get. That uncertainty hangs over a roster that won nine games last season and could be viewed as top-10 - or at least top-15 - talent-wise. And while Bryce Underwood will draw plenty of attention, there are several other players with real opportunities to cash in during camp.
Andrew Babalola has the clearest path to a payoff: the left tackle job. The former five-star is 6-foot-6 and 314 pounds, and Whittingham praised him Thursday while also saying he doesn’t see Babalola sliding inside to guard.
He’s back to 100 percent after an ACL injury last fall, and with Blake Frazier having finished the 2025 season at left tackle, this spot is there for the taking. Whittingham hinted Frazier could move inside, but that only matters if Babalola steps up and claims the job.
As the highest-ranked offensive line recruit in program history, he has the kind of talent that could make him the Week 1 starter if he looks the part.
Tommy Carr is in a different kind of battle, but the stakes are still high. Whittingham said at Big Ten Media Days that Carr was the clear backup quarterback, and the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr looked sharp in the spring.
He’s an accurate thrower who can move, and he showed plenty of moxy. Still, Michigan also has Braden Nicolosi, a veteran with a pile of starts from Colorado State.
That gives the Wolverines options, but Carr’s mobility could make him the better fit behind Underwood - and even earn him a few extra snaps as a runner.
On defense, Benny Patterson is one of the more intriguing names to watch. The 6-foot-2, 270-pound defensive end barely saw the field as a freshman, but his offseason buzz has only grown. Trey Pierce added to it at Big Ten Media Days when he called Patterson a "freak,"
“The young guy that sticks out to me the most in the weight room is Benny Patterson. The kid is a freak show.
It’s actually ridiculous. He’s probably the biggest bench and squat of the whole D-line - D-tackles and EDGEs.
Yeah, freak show," Pierce said.
That kind of strength won’t automatically translate on Saturdays, and Patterson doesn’t have ideal size for a true EDGE. But this staff has a track record of making things work, and with John Henry Daley in the mix, the door is open. Cameron Brandt, Nate Marshall and Carter Meadows are also part of the conversation, but Patterson has a real chance to become a pass-rush threat this season.
Nathaniel Staehling is another player with a lane to carve out. Linebacker is still a concern for Michigan heading into camp, even with some quality options already in place.
More depth is needed, and that’s where the former North Dakota State linebacker enters the picture. Staehling had three interceptions last season for the Bison and comes in at 6-foot-2, 238 pounds.
Whittingham spoke highly of him Thursday, and Michigan is looking for more proven bodies in that room. If Staehling can deliver this fall, he could lock down a role as one of the top contributors at inside linebacker.
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A court ruling from Judge Charlotte Sweeney created the opening for players in the 2022 class to get an extra year of eligibility, and Gayle is among the names affected by it after finishing four college seasons. He helped stoke the speculation himself with an Instagram meme suggesting he might be thinking about a fifth year, which would be a notable development for a Michigan team that could use another proven guard in the mix. [Read more 🡒]