Michigan’s wide receiver pecking order just got a lot clearer before Week 1, and the surprise name at No. 3 is Channing Goodwin.
That development came Monday night on Inside Michigan Football, when Kyle Whittingham told Jon Jansen that Goodwin had won the WR3 job out of fall camp. The announcement pushes back the expected battle between Jaime Ffrench, JJ Buchanan, Salesi Moa and Travis Johnson, at least for now, and gives Michigan a clearer rotation heading into the opener against Western Michigan.
“Well, we feel our wide receiver No. 1, Andrew Marsh, and wide receiver No.
2, JJ Buchanan, are really potent weapons," Whittingham told Jansen. "Bryce has developed a great rapport with both those guys, has a great deal of confidence in them, and those guys can really make some spectacular catches.
I mean, they're two outstanding receivers.
"Channing Goodwin is a guy that really made progress and made strides in the fall, and right now is our No. 3 guy, and you're going to see Channing out there as well. But Bryce has a great deal of confidence in Andrew and JJ. They're big targets, JJ 6'3, close to 220, and Andrew is over 6 and just about 200 pounds.
"So good size receivers, big play capability, and they both really do a great job with a contested ball up the field, that 50-50 ball that you put up there and let them go make a play.”
Michigan entered camp looking to clean up a receiver room that had 28 dropped passes last season. The Wolverines responded by adding Ffrench from Texas and Buchanan from Utah, then bringing in freshmen Moa, a five-star, and Travis Johnson, a four-star. The expectation had been that Ffrench and Moa would be fighting for the third spot, with the other settling in as WR4 for the Western Michigan game.
Instead, Goodwin forced his way into the conversation. He has been one of the few real standouts of fall camp, even though there wasn’t much buzz around him in spring ball. This is the second straight fall camp in which he has made a strong push, and this time it was enough to earn him a starting role.
That’s a notable turn after what happened last season. Goodwin opened 2025 as a starter alongside Donaven McCulley and Semaj Morgan, but his season went sideways once drops became a problem.
Morgan finished with a team-high eight drops, and Goodwin had four. After Goodwin started the first four games, Sherrone Moore made a change and Goodwin saw limited action the rest of the way.
Now, though, Michigan gets to start fresh. Goodwin’s ability to win the job over both Moa and Ffrench says plenty about how much ground he covered this fall. It also gives the Wolverines seven receivers they believe they can trust.
With Jason Beck expected to use more 11 personnel, there should still be plenty of rotation. Goodwin’s role is secure for now, but he’ll have to keep proving it every week. If he does, Michigan’s receiver room looks a whole lot deeper going into 2026.
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 🡒]
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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 🡒]