Michigan’s captaincy tradition just took a sharp turn.
Earlier this week, the Wolverines announced four team captains for the 2026 season: graduate student safety Rod Moore, senior defensive tackle Trey Pierce, junior running back Jordan Marshall, and sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood. The team also added an additional leadership council.
That last part is the headline. For years, Michigan’s captains were almost always seniors, and this group breaks that pattern in a big way.
Moore and Pierce fit the more familiar mold. Marshall does not, and Underwood really does not.
Marshall is only entering his third season of college football, while Underwood is a true sophomore. Under the old Michigan standard, that would have been enough to keep them out of the captaincy conversation.
But college football has changed, and so has the age of the players who actually drive winning. With the NFL’s three-year rule, the sport’s best players often leave after their junior season, which means seniors are not always the most prominent names on a roster anymore. That leaves the real question: should captains be the most accomplished players, or the clearest leaders?
Michigan’s history leans hard toward the older model. From Jake Long to David Molk to Blake Corum and others, the program has traditionally handed captain status to seniors. This year, though, head coach Kyle Whittingham has a different approach in mind.
So the debate is open. Do you have a problem with non-seniors wearing the captain label? More specifically, should Underwood and Marshall be captains of the 2026 Michigan Wolverines, or would other senior offensive options like Zack Marshall or Nathan Efobi have made more sense?
In Other News...
Michigan Team Pays Heartbreaking Tribute After Teammates Sudden Death
The Traverse City Central boys soccer team opened its season carrying a grief no scoreboard can measure, honoring junior Wilder Seeburger after his death following a car crash that remains under investigation by the Grand Traverse County Sheriffs Office. Seeburger, 17, was remembered before the match with his jersey hanging from a goal post, a simple but powerful gesture that turned the field into a place of mourning as much as competition.
His No. 33 was also retired as the team marked the start of a season now defined in part by loss. A visitation for Seeburger is scheduled at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, giving family, classmates and teammates another chance to gather around a young life gone too soon and a program still trying to find its footing in the aftermath. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Offense Still Has One Big Camp Question Behind Bryce Underwood
Bryce Underwoods summer surge has been one of the clearer developments in Michigans fall camp, and offensive coordinator Jason Beck said the freshman has made real strides with his consistency and footwork. Even with that progress, there is still plenty for the staff to sort through around him, from the offensive line to a receiver room that is still taking shape as camp moves along.
Behind Underwood, the quarterback battle is still tight between Tommy Carr and Brady Smigiel, which keeps a little more intrigue in the room than the starter spot alone would suggest. Michigan is also trying to build chemistry across the offense while leaning into its depth at running back and wide receiver, so the next few weeks should go a long way toward showing how much of the unit is ready to settle and how much remains open. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Backup QB Battle Could Matter More Than Fans Realize
Michigans quarterback depth chart is taking shape behind Bryce Underwood, but the decision on his primary backup could loom larger than it first appears. Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi brings college experience and a strong arm, while true freshman Tommy Carr offered a different look in the spring game with his mobility and playmaking ability.
The competition is still ongoing as Michigan moves toward its season opener, and the staffs choice may say plenty about how it wants to protect itself if the unexpected happens. It is a familiar spring-to-fall storyline, but for a team built around a young starter, getting the No. 2 spot right can matter just as much as the headline name at the top. [Read more 🡒]