Michigan’s fall camp is about to put three familiar names back in the spotlight, and the biggest question is who takes the next step first.
With camp opening this week and the 2026 season officially getting underway, every player at Michigan is back in prove-it mode. That creates opportunity, and a few guys on this roster look primed to turn summer buzz into something real. Andrew Babalola, Dominic Nichols and Bryce Underwood stand out as the clearest breakout candidates.
Babalola is the swing-for-the-fences pick, but the upside is obvious. A 5-star recruit in the class of 2025 and the No. 10 overall player in the country according to 247 Sports, he arrived with elite talent and the kind of frame that jumps off the page: 6-foot-6 and now listed at 315 pounds.
What separates him isn’t just size, though. It’s the way he moves for it.
The feet are quick, the balance is strong and the length gives him a real edge.
He was in the mix for the starting left tackle job last fall as a true freshman before tearing his ACL and missing the entire season. Now he’s healthy again, and the path is open for him to jump right back into that battle. He could absolutely win the left tackle job over more experienced options.
Kyle Whittingham was openly impressed with him at Big Ten media days, saying, "He's a big-time prospect," Whittingham said. "He's 6-6, about 320, 315, and just has great feet, great balance.
And he was not there in spring, but Jim's excited about him. Looks like he's going to be in the in the hunt for that left tackle spot."
"I think he's a natural tackle, and his upside is really high," Whittingham said. "We just had, like I mentioned, two first rounders [from Utah], and he reminds me exactly of those guys."
That kind of praise before he’s even been seen at full speed in camp says plenty. If Jim Harding and Kyle Whittingham are that high on him already, Babalola is clearly on the fast track.
Nichols is another player who feels ready for more. He has already flashed as an edge defender in limited action, but now he finally gets a real shot to turn that into a starting role. This fall is his best chance yet to seize one.
His 2025 season was solid in a rotational role, and PFF ranked him as Michigan’s No. 7 returner for 2026. The stat line was modest - 19 total tackles and one sack - but the expectation is a much bigger leap this time around.
Whittingham also singled him out at Big Ten media days, saying, "Dom Nichols had a great spring and really is coming into his own."
That matters, because Michigan needs someone to step up opposite John Henry Daley on the defensive line. Nichols has the look of the player ready to answer that call.
Then there’s Bryce Underwood, the name that draws the most attention and the one with the most pressure attached to it. The former 5-star recruit came into college with comparisons to Vince Young and Cam Newton thanks to his physical traits at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, and he was thrown right into the fire at Michigan.
His freshman season produced 2,428 passing yards, a 60.3% completion rate, 11 passing touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also ran for 392 yards and 6 scores. That wasn’t the dream debut Michigan fans wanted, but it was still a lot to ask of a true freshman at a major program.
The comparison to Dante Moore is hard to ignore. Moore posted 1,610 passing yards, a 53.5% completion rate, 11 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions in his true freshman season at UCLA. By that standard, Underwood actually came out better.
The bigger point is that Underwood now has a chance to leave that first year behind. He also enters a better setup, since he didn’t have a dedicated position coach last season and the offense under Jason Beck should fit him better. Beck’s offense last year helped Devon Dampier throw for 2,490 yards with a 63.5% completion rate, 24 passing touchdowns and 9 interceptions, while also adding 835 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
That usage matters for a quarterback like Underwood, who brings the same kind of mobility. Beck was willing to use Dampier that way, and the expectation is he’ll do the same with Underwood.
The tools are still all there. Michigan has a chance to see Underwood turn the page quickly, and fall camp could be where he starts reminding everyone why he was such a highly rated recruit in the first place.
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