When Michigan hands out No. 44 in the offensive backfield, the number carries a certain weight. Max Bredeson spent 54 games and more than 1,100 career snaps turning it into a badge of the Wolverines’ fullback identity, a symbol of the program’s hard-nosed style. He was a two-time captain, a central piece of the national championship team, and the kind of player who fit Michigan’s smashmouth image perfectly.
Now Bredeson is moving on to the NFL, and Eli Owens is the next Wolverine wearing that number with a clear model in mind.
"I think he was the best role model, the best mentor I could have ever had, mostly because I want to be the same player that he is," Owens said of Bredeson.
Their connection grew during their lone season together in Ann Arbor in 2025, but Owens had been studying Bredeson long before they shared a locker room. Back in Owens’ sophomore year of high school, Bredeson was a sophomore at Michigan and played in all 14 games. That was enough to make an impression.
Then-tight ends coach Grant Newsome pushed Owens to focus on Bredeson.
"Hey, watch this kid," Newsome told Owens. So every time he turned on Michigan football, he paid close attention to Bredeson.
"I was like, 'Wow, he's really good. I want to be just like him.'
The next year, he's starting on a national championship football team. I was like, 'Wow, I really want to be like him,'" Owens recounted.
"The next year, it's like, holy crap, he's not messed up a single play all season."
Bredeson returned for a fifth season in 2025 and won the LowMan Trophy as college football’s best fullback. For Owens, that year became a chance to learn from him while playing only one game on offense as a true freshman.
"I knew that I could use that as a learning year and really develop my game to be - not [exactly] like him; I do think that we have our differences, and I don't think we're the same exact player, but I know that I can be just as physical as he is at the point of attack," Owens said.
"I know that I can run through somebody's face just like he did every play."
In Other News...
Ohio State Is At The Center Of Another FOX Debate
FOXs Big Noon Kickoff is heading to Ohio Stadium this weekend to preview Illinois against No. 7 Ohio State, and the choice has already stirred up the familiar conversation around how often the network seems to plant its flag in Columbus. Some fans have pointed to the shows coverage of 11 Ohio State games since the start of the 2024 season as evidence that the Buckeyes keep getting the spotlight, especially when other top games are on the schedule.
That frustration is part of why this weekends assignment drew attention beyond the matchup itself, since the show is passing on the No. 20 Oregon vs. No. 12 USC game. For Michigan fans, it is another reminder of how heavily Ohio State sits at the center of the national broadcast conversation, even when the rest of the Big Ten has plenty of intrigue of its own. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Edge Depth Suddenly Faces A Bigger Iowa Test
Michigans edge rotation has picked up an early-week wrinkle with Dom Nichols listed as questionable for the upcoming game against Iowa. Nichols has been part of the Wolverines plan up front, and his status matters even more in a matchup where staying disciplined at the point of attack is going to be essential against an Iowa offense that wants to lean on the run.
If Nichols cant go, or is limited, Michigan may have to turn more heavily to freshmen Tariq Boney and Carter Meadows in the pass-rush mix. That would put a bigger spotlight on the staffs ability to tweak the front and keep pressure coming without losing integrity against Iowas ground game, a challenge that can quickly become central to how the defense holds up over four quarters. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Heads Into Iowa With One Worry Fans Cant Ignore
Michigan heads to Iowa with the usual Big Ten grind in front of it, but the injury report is already shaping the conversation. Michigan has six players ruled out and four more listed as questionable, with defensive end Dom Nichols among the names to watch, while Iowa has one player out and three questionable as the week builds toward kickoff.
For Michigan, the biggest small bit of good news is that running back Jordan Marshall is not listed as injured after leaving the previous game. Even so, the Wolverines are still dealing with enough uncertainty to make availability a major storyline, and Iowas own list of questionables, including running back Kamari Moulton and tight end DJ Vonnahme, only adds to the sense that this one could hinge on who is able to suit up when it matters. [Read more 🡒]