Fall camp is getting rolling in Ann Arbor, and with Michigan set to open its first practice on Wednesday, the Wolverines have already put their 2026 football roster out there for everyone to study. A few of the freshest names jump off the page right away, especially a handful of newcomers who weren’t part of spring ball.
Carter Meadows is the one that really pops. When he signed, the message was clear: he needed to add weight.
He has done exactly that. At 6'7", Meadows is now up to 252 pounds, and Michigan is clearly eyeing him as a serious edge presence.
The room is deep, but the raw talent is obvious, and if he turns heads this fall, there’s a real path to some kind of role this season.
Malakai Lee comes in with his own kind of eye-catching size. The late enrollee is already listed at 359 pounds, and while the odds of him seeing the field this season are slim, his future looks pretty straightforward: learn, develop, and get coached up by Jim Harding. He’s a true tackle, Michigan has plenty of depth there, and a year in the system could set him up for big things in Ann Arbor.
Then there’s tight end Mason Bonner, another big frame with plenty of upside. At 6'7", he has the kind of size that can become a problem for defenses, but he’ll need time to mature before he’s ready for college football.
If he stays at tight end, he’ll have to add bulk. Michigan could also take the JJ Buchanan path and move him around the field.
The roster also confirms two notable absences. WR CJ Charleston and S Taylor Tatum are not on the 2026 roster.
Charleston was pursuing a seventh-year waiver, but it was denied. Tatum, meanwhile, is now focusing on baseball and will play for the Wolverines this season.
Charleston wasn’t projected to make a major impact this year, but Michigan never turns away depth, and his absence opens the door for other freshmen to climb the depth chart. Tatum’s situation is different.
He had been making the move from running back to safety, and the former No. 1 ranked running back in the same class as Jordan Marshall was hoping to contribute on defense. Instead, his attention is now headed to the baseball diamond.
On the smaller side of the roster, five-star freshman and Utah transfer Salesi Moa is listed at 175 pounds, making him the lightest wide receiver on the team. Only two players on the official roster are lighter: freshman cornerback Jamarion Vincent at 170 pounds. Travis Johnson and Jaime French are both listed at 185 pounds, and Michigan is going to want Moa to add some mass if he’s going to handle Big Ten life.
There’s also a jersey change worth noting. Rod Moore has switched again, and after previously wearing No. 19 and No. 9, he is now in No. 1 on the defensive side of the ball.
It’s his final season at Michigan, and he’s looking to remind people he’s still one of the top safeties in the country. A strong fall camp would go a long way.
Finally, former wide receiver I'Marion Stewart has officially made the move to cornerback. That switch had already been reported, but now it’s on the roster. With Michigan deep at receiver and Stewart not getting much of a shot there, the hope is that his speed can help provide more depth on defense.
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Michigan Loses Two Expected Contributors As 2026 Depth Takes A Hit
Michigans offseason depth planning took a couple of hits as wide receiver CJ Charleston and safety Taylor Tatum are no longer with the football program. Both had been viewed as part of the 2026 conversation, with Charleston adding experience at receiver and Tatum giving the staff a look at another option in the defensive backfield after his move from running back to safety.
The timing matters because Michigan was already mapping out how the roster would hold up next season, and now two expected contributors are out of the picture. Charlestons path back to the field was blocked, while Tatums future is shifting in a different direction, leaving the Wolverines with a little less flexibility as they sort through their plans on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
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Position battles are already taking shape at linebacker, backup quarterback, left tackle and along the defensive line, giving the staff a lot to evaluate before the opener. And while football takes center stage, there was another bit of program news on the basketball side too, with Mike Boynton adding former G League coach Dylan Murphy to his staff as he builds toward the upcoming season. [Read more 🡒]