Big Ten Media Days have barely gotten rolling in Chicago, and the early projections already say plenty about where Michigan sits in the league’s pecking order. The Wolverines were picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten, trailing Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, and USC. USA Today’s All-Big Ten forecast was even colder, naming just one Michigan player - EDGE John Henry Daley - on its list.
That kind of skepticism makes sense with so much change around the program over the last seven months. Still, there are a few Wolverines who look built to crash those preseason expectations by the end of the year.
Jordan Marshall is the clearest case.
The running back was electric after Justice Haynes went down with injuries last season. In the four complete games he started, Marshall piled up 570 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Stretch that production across a 12-game season, and you’re talking about roughly 1,700 yards and 21 scores. He also ran for 61 yards on seven carries against Ohio State before leaving injured.
Yet Marshall was left off USA Today’s list in favor of Ohio State’s Bo Jackson, Rutgers’ Antwan Raymond, and UCLA’s Wayne Knight, who was listed as all-purpose. Marshall actually posted more yards per carry than Jackson and Raymond, and he scored more touchdowns than Jackson and Knight.
He also finished within 450 rushing yards of all three, even though he spent most of the season in a backup role. This year, he’ll share work with Savion Hiter and Bryson Kuzdzal, but as the lead back he should still have every chance to put up big numbers.
Leaving him off the preseason list feels shaky.
Jyaire Hill belongs in the conversation too.
Michigan’s cornerback room does not have much depth, which only makes Hill more important. The tools are obvious: he’s 6-foot-2 and reportedly runs a sub-4.40 40-yard dash. That’s the kind of profile that gets coaches excited because it can turn into a true lockdown corner.
Hill flashed last season, including an interception on Ohio State’s first offensive possession. But the consistency just wasn’t there.
Some of that traces back to coaching, though how much is hard to say. What isn’t hard to see is the talent.
He’s going to be challenged plenty in the Big Ten, but if Michigan’s defense performs the way people expect, Hill has the ability to turn that into an All-Big Ten season.
Rod Moore is the wild card.
It’s easy to understand why preseason voters would hesitate here. Moore has basically missed two seasons.
But when he’s healthy, he changes everything for Michigan on defense. Even last season, the difference was noticeable when he was able to lead the unit.
His value isn’t just in what he does individually; it’s in how the whole defense functions around him.
And the individual talent is still there. Moore has a real instinct for finding the ball, and Michigan fans know he tends to shine when the stakes are highest. A healthy version of him could swing a game from a loss to a win.
No one should pretend Moore is guaranteed to return at the same physical level he had before the injuries. But his biggest strength has always been his mind.
After spending the last two seasons studying film, he may be the most mature and smartest version of Rod Moore yet. If he stays healthy and starts piling up interceptions, he should get serious All-Big Ten consideration.
In Other News...
Familiar Michigan Coach Is Staying In The Big Ten Spotlight
Biff Poggi is staying in the Big Ten spotlight, just in a different role than the one Michigan fans got used to. The Big Ten Network announced that the former Wolverines associate head coach will join its broadcasting team in 2026, adding another familiar voice to a lineup that will also feature other former players as game analysts.
Poggis path to the booth comes after a long coaching career that included recent stops at Michigan and Charlotte, and his next chapter keeps him close to the league that has long been part of his professional footprint. The move also follows a recent Michigan departure that made clear his coaching future in Ann Arbor had shifted, even as his presence around the conference is set to continue. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Suddenly In The Middle Of Another Massive Receiver Battle
Dakota Guerrants commitment to Oregon for the 2027 class gave the Ducks another major win on the recruiting trail, but it did not exactly close the book on his recruitment. The Harper Woods, Michigan, wideout is still viewed as one of the most coveted pass catchers in the country, and Oregon has built a loaded receiver group around him, continuing a run of five-star additions under Dan Lanning that has become hard to ignore.
For Michigan, the intrigue is obvious. Guerrant is the kind of in-state talent the Wolverines always want to keep home, and LSU is also expected to stay in the mix as he lines up multiple game-day visits. Even with Oregon holding the commitment, this looks more like a long recruiting fight than a finished decision, and the next round of visits could tell a lot about where the pressure is coming from. [Read more 🡒]