Michigan’s edge-rusher room has plenty of names worth watching heading into 2026, but Kyle Whittingham thinks Nate Marshall may end up standing out from the crowd.
The group already includes John Henry Daley, who came over from Utah, along with Dominic Nichols, Cameron Brandt, Lugard Edopayi, Carter Meadows and Tariq Boney. That’s a lot of bodies and a lot of promise. Still, Whittingham pointed to Marshall as the player with the most natural juice off the edge.
“He has really grown up in the last eight months,” Whittingham said. “Knock on wood.
Hopefully, he can stay on that trajectory. He’s one of the best pass rushers on the team, if not the best pure pass rusher.
He’s got a real talent for bending the edge and getting his hips turned, and getting to the QB.”
Marshall, a top 50 recruit in the class of 2025, checks in at 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds. If Whittingham’s read is right, Michigan may have one of the season’s biggest breakout defenders on its hands.
That’s especially notable with Daley in the same room. He posted 11.5 sacks, and the source notes he could be Michigan’s best pass rusher since Aidan Hutchinson. For Marshall to draw that kind of praise alongside him says plenty about how highly Whittingham views the young defensive end.
Whittingham also made clear that Marshall’s biggest growth hasn’t just been physical. The mental side of the game appears to have been the key area of progress this offseason, and Whittingham was quick to praise how he’s handled it.
“He’s a very emotional guy, but he’s really harnessed that and really become a really good teammate,” Whittingham said. “He needs to be commended.
Because the first few months were kind of rocky with Nate, but he’s really settled in and proud of how far he’s come. If he can stay on the track he’s on right now, he’s got a very bright future.”
In Other News...
Michigan Freshman QB Rise Just Made The Opener More Interesting
Tommy Carrs climb up Michigans quarterback pecking order has quietly become one of the more interesting developments of camp. The true freshman has earned the QB2 job for the season opener, moving ahead of Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi after what coaches viewed as a steady spring and fall. Carrs mobility and knack for extending plays stood out, giving the Wolverines a backup option whose style adds a different layer to the offense.
Fowler-Nicolosi brought experience and a strong arm into the competition, but his late arrival to campus made the race tougher from the start, especially with Carr already building momentum. For Michigan, the backup spot matters more than just insurance - it can shape how the offense looks if the starter has to come out, and it also says plenty about how quickly Carr has earned trust. The opener should still answer the biggest questions, but this one leaves a little more intrigue than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Defense Gets A Needed Boost Ahead Of Week 1
Michigan heads into the 2026 season with a mostly clean bill of health, and that matters especially on a side of the ball that needs to set the tone early. The only major injury in camp is to freshman offensive lineman Ace Hamilton, while the defense appears to be getting some welcome stability with veteran Chris Bracy expected back in the mix and Rod Moore also slated to play as the opener approaches.
Moores return comes with a measured approach after a two-year absence, but the bigger boost may be the presence of edge rusher John Henry Daley, who is fully recovered from his Achilles injury and already working his way into the defense. Kyle Whittingham has pointed to Daleys readiness and explosiveness, the kind of development that can matter immediately for a unit looking to open the season with more depth and a little more bite. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Lost A Freshman Its Rotation Was Counting On
Brandon McCoy Jr. had already carved out a significant place in Michigans plans before the regular season even arrived, starting all three exhibition games on the Wolverines foreign tour. For a freshman expected to play a major role right away, those early reps suggested he was quickly becoming part of the rotation the staff was counting on heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
Instead, Michigan now has to move forward without him after McCoy Jr. suffered an ACL injury during the exhibition trip and will miss the entire season. The Wolverines said they will continue to share updates on his recovery as more information becomes available, but the immediate concern is clear: a young piece the program was banking on will be on the sideline just as the year begins. [Read more 🡒]