Michigan is sitting in that tricky spot every college football watcher loves: loaded with enough talent to dream big, but still mysterious enough to make you squint at the depth chart. The Wolverines are ranked 16th in the Coaches Poll, and the questions around them start right at quarterback with former five-star Bryce Underwood.
Underwood didn’t exactly deliver on the hype last season, but he wasn’t a total wash, either. There were flashes, moments where the pieces looked like they might finally click.
Now the expectation is that they have to. And Michigan is trying to help him get there.
New head coach Kyle Whittingham brought in Jason Beck as offensive coordinator, a move aimed squarely at maximizing the quarterback position. Beck has a track record of getting production out of his passers, including Devon Dampier at Utah.
Whittingham, meanwhile, enters a job that will leave him under constant scrutiny. After his Ohio State comments, there’s no mistaking that Michigan is a different level of pressure.
Every call and every quote is going to get picked apart.
Still, the playoff case is real enough that On3’s Andy Staples laid it out earlier this week on the Brandon Walker Show.
“What drugs were you on that made you put Michigan in the playoffs?" - @BFW @AndyStaples pic.twitter.com/IIy9lEoJII
- Brandon Walker College Football Show (@BFWshow) August 14, 2026
Walker’s challenge was blunt. Staples’ answer was just as direct: he pointed to a Michigan team that went 9-3 with a freshman quarterback, no QB coach, a head coach whose mind clearly wasn’t on football, and plenty of distractions around the program.
Even with all that, the Wolverines still won nine games and started six freshman or redshirt freshman on offense. They also would have had a strong playoff case with a win over Ohio State, even though the Buckeyes controlled “The Game.”
That’s where the optimism comes from. A more seasoned Underwood and a healthy Jordan Marshall could change the picture fast.
Michigan also brings back a lot around them. The offense returns five offensive linemen who started games last season, plus the top recruit in program history on the offensive line.
Alongside Underwood, Marshall, and Andrew Marsh, there’s real continuity there. The defense has a projected All-American at EDGE, intriguing defensive tackles, and more five-star talent off the edge.
At linebacker, the one obvious question mark, Nathaniel Staehling has emerged as a possible playmaker, and former five-star Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng is back as well.
The schedule gives Michigan a path, too. Ohio State is on the road, and so is Oregon.
But Oklahoma, Indiana, Penn State, and Iowa all come to Ann Arbor. Split those games and stay clear of the upset trap, and 10-2 is right there.
Whittingham has said his goal is to get to Columbus with a chance to win the Big Ten championship. That doesn’t sound like a wild idea. And if that’s in play, the bigger question follows naturally: is it really crazy to think Michigan can reach the College Football Playoff?
In Other News...
Michigan Just Added To An Uncomfortable In-State QB Debate
Michigan had already spent time in the mix for Donald Tabron, one of the top quarterbacks in the 2028 class, before the in-state debate around elite passers got a little more uncomfortable. The highly ranked recruit is now committed to Texas A&M, and Michigans change on the coaching side played a role in slowing the momentum it had built with him. For a program that has plenty of eyes on its quarterback pipeline, it was a reminder that even early recruiting battles can shift quickly.
The Wolverines are still operating from a position of depth at the position, which gives them some breathing room as they recalibrate. Rather than chase one name too hard, Michigan is turning its attention to other quarterback targets in the 2027 and 2028 classes while continuing to pursue other key recruits in 2028. It is not a crisis, but it does add another layer to an already tricky in-state conversation about which quarterbacks the program can realistically land next. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Offensive Line Thinks It Finally Found A Needed Edge
Michigans offensive line spent the offseason trying to build more than size and technique. In fall camp, right tackle Andrew Sprague said the group is carrying a sharper mindset and better conditioning, with strength coach Doug Elisaia and offensive line coach Jim Harding pushing that process along. Sprague also pointed to his own physical transformation, while crediting center Jake Guarnera and quarterback Bryce Underwood for the way they have developed alongside the rest of the offense.
The emphasis now is on stamina and pass protection, two areas Michigan believes can make a real difference when games start to tighten late. Spragues comments suggested the line is not just chasing cleaner reps in camp, but trying to create an edge that shows up in the final drives and the fourth quarter. For a unit that knows how important consistency is up front, the question is whether that work holds when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have Two Early Storylines Worth Watching Closely
Michigans fall calendar is already carrying a little extra intrigue on multiple fronts, with recruiting and roster development both nudging their way into the conversation. On the basketball side, five-star 2028 recruit Brady Pettigrew has lined up five official visits, and Michigan is first on the list when he comes to campus on September 12. For a program that is always watching the next wave of talent, getting the opening shot in a visit sequence is the kind of early marker fans tend to track closely.
On the football side, Utah transfer wide receiver JJ Buchanan has been drawing strong praise from Kyle Whittingham, who has pointed to the receivers complete skill set and his ability to be difficult to cover. Michigan will be paying attention to how that evaluation translates once the season gets rolling, especially with the rest of the athletic department already in motion as volleyball opens its schedule and womens soccer has started with a tie against Utah Valley. There is no shortage of small-but-interesting early signs to watch, and Buchanans role may end up being one of the more telling ones. [Read more 🡒]