Michigan’s bye week is arriving at a good time, and not just because the Wolverines are sitting at 3-2 and trying to steady themselves before Penn State. It’s also a chance to rethink who’s getting on the field and who ought to be getting more run once play resumes next week.
The most obvious place to start is up front on defense, where Michigan has leaned on Dom Nichols and John Henry Daley. Both edge rushers have been productive early, but both entered the bye week dealing with injuries. That opens the door for Tariq Boney to take on a bigger role.
Boney was Michigan’s highest graded defensive lineman on PFF heading into conference play. Through five weeks, he has six solo tackles and two sacks, and he’s already shown he can bother offenses in a real way. Even after a quiet outing against Minnesota, he looks like the kind of player who can keep Nichols and Daley fresher as games move deeper into the fourth quarter.
There’s also a clear path for Michigan to get more creative with its pass rush. Boney’s usage could resemble Chase Winovich in 2016 as a designated pass rusher. It’s not a perfect comparison, but the idea is simple: more defensive ends on the field in obvious passing situations, especially when Jay Hill decides to rush four.
On offense, the answer is less about one player and more about somebody, anybody, emerging. Michigan’s tight ends have been invisible to start the season, and their blocking hasn’t been enough to make up for the lack of production in the passing game. The run game has been brutal early, and if the tight ends aren’t opening lanes on the ground, the offense can’t afford the drop-off they’ve brought as receivers.
That leaves the Wolverines searching for a dependable third wideout behind JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh, who have carried the passing game through the first five weeks. Salesi Moa, Jaime Ffrench, Channing Goodwin, and Travis Johnson are all in the mix, but someone has to earn consistent snaps. Michigan’s formations have too often made them easy to defend with Buchanan and Marsh lined up on the same side, and another legitimate threat would stretch things out and help both the run and the pass.
Eventually, Michigan has to get the tight ends involved again, even if none of the current options have done much to build confidence. Jalen Hoffman, Eli Owens, Zack Marshall, and Hogan Hansen haven’t shown enough yet as threats in either phase of the offense.
That’s part of why true freshman Mason Bonner stands out. He’s raw, but his 6-foot-7 frame gives Bryce Underwood a different kind of target in the middle of the field.
Bonner nearly made a big play against Oklahoma, but he hasn’t been on the field much since. Michigan needs offense, and at this point in the season, that matters more than ideal polish. He may not be the best blocker right now, but the Wolverines are short on answers.
The final name to watch is Shamari Earls. Michigan’s secondary has been excellent, which makes it harder to carve out more snaps for a true sophomore, but Earls has looked ready whenever he’s played. With the program expected to lose all of its starting corners to the pro level after the 2026 season, the future has to matter too.
Earls has the kind of ball skills and sticky coverage that make it difficult to keep him parked on the sideline. Jay Hill could use him on the boundary and move Smith Snowden inside to the slot, or even roll out a dime look with all four of the top defensive backs on the field. However it’s done, Earls is making the case for more playing time.
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Michigan Gets One Chance To Reset Before A Huge Home Test
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Penn State waits next, and it will be a major measuring stick when Michigan returns to Michigan Stadium on Oct. 17. The game will air live on the Big Ten Network and stream on Fubo, giving the Wolverines a chance to reset at home before a matchup that could say a lot about where this season is headed. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge now is balancing added responsibility with the same collective approach that made Michigan so difficult to beat. Cadeau and McKenney are not being framed as solo answers so much as key pieces in a backcourt that has to lead by example, communicate well and keep everyone engaged. If Michigan is going to stay near the top of the sport, it will need those two to grow into bigger roles without losing the team-first feel that helped bring a championship back to Ann Arbor. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Herbstreit Has A Michigan Tie Wolverines Fans Can't Ignore
Kirk Herbstreit has spent years as one of college footballs most recognizable voices, and for Michigan fans, there is now a family connection that is hard to miss. The longtime ESPN analyst and former Ohio State quarterback and his wife, Alison, have four sons who all played college football, and their youngest, Chase Herbstreit, committed to Michigan as a quarterback in the 2025 class before settling in as a sophomore backup.
Herbstreits family life has been in the spotlight for another reason lately, after he announced the death of Ben, the family dog who often appeared alongside him on broadcasts. With homes in Nashville and Cincinnati, the Herbstreits have plenty of ties across the sport, but Chases place in Ann Arbor gives Wolverines fans an added reason to watch a household that has already been part of college footballs orbit for years. [Read more 🡒]