Fall camp is nearly here for Michigan football, and the first year under new head coach Kyle Whittingham brings a simple mandate: get the most out of this roster.
With the program still dealing with the fallout from the scandals, the Sherrone Moore fiasco, and Warde Manuel stepping down at the end of the year, the focus is finally shifting back to football. Whittingham has won more than 67 percent of his games over his career with Utah, and he’s collected multiple conference titles, including two in the Pac-12. If Michigan wants to be in the Big Ten championship conversation in 2026 or have a shot at the College Football Playoff, that kind of production has to show up in Ann Arbor.
As camp approaches, three players stand out as names that haven’t gotten enough attention.
Deyvid Palepale might be the most important of the bunch. Defensive tackle is one of the spots where Michigan looks a little light, even with Trey Pierce, Enow Etta and Utah transfer Jonah Lea'ea expected to make up the top three.
The Wolverines still need more than that to get through a season. True freshmen Alister Vallejo and Titan Davis have both drawn some positive buzz and could push for rotation snaps, but Palepale is another lineman worth watching closely.
The 6-foot-2, 335-pound tackle played in just two games last season, yet he was named Scout Team Player of the Week on defense twice. He also earned some encouraging notice this spring, and the new staff may be able to unlock more from him.
He’s not expected to bring much as a pass rusher, but he could be exactly the kind of run stuffer Michigan needs after stopping the run was a major issue last season.
Chase Taylor is another player who could end up playing a bigger role than people expect. Michigan explored the transfer portal hard this winter for linebacker help, but the Wolverines may be glad they didn’t force a move.
Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng looks like a star in the making, and Troy Bowles is coming off a season with 27 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Taylor, a 6-foot-2, 237-pound linebacker, appeared in 10 games as a freshman and didn’t overwhelm anyone, but he also didn’t look overmatched.
He was one of the linebackers who stood out this spring and should see plenty of snaps this season. Nathaniel Staehling, the North Dakota State transfer, is another name to file away, but Taylor’s emergence could make this group better than expected.
Then there’s Hogan Hansen, a tight end who feels easy to overlook because of the injuries. He flashed as a freshman with seven catches for 78 yards, then spent 2026 on the injury report week after week and was limited to four games, finishing with six receptions for 74 yards.
The talent has always been obvious. Hansen has 13 catches for 178 yards over the past two seasons and has the kind of mismatch ability that can make him a reliable target for Bryce Underwood.
Zach Marshall likely has the inside track to start after posting 16 receptions for 199 yards last season, but Hansen is the kind of player who can change the picture at the position. He’s healthy again, and if that holds, Michigan could finally get the breakout many expected in 2025.
Whether any of these three ends up starting or not, each should have a real chance to be part of the two-deep.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Took A Costly QB Recruiting Hit For 2028
Michigans recruiting momentum has been strong in the 2027 cycle, but the staff is already shifting its attention to the 2028 quarterback board, where the next wave of targets will shape the classs ceiling. That makes the latest development sting a little more than a routine miss, especially with the Wolverines trying to stay ahead of the curve at the sports most important position.
Lukas Prock had been one of the names tied closely to Michigan early in the process, and his decision to head elsewhere forces the Wolverines to keep moving. The good news is that the board is still populated with options, including Donald Tabron, Kamden Lopati, Carter Zingelmann and Kaden Craft, but the early loss means Michigan has to be sharper about where it pushes next and how quickly it can settle on a new priority. [Read more 🡒]
Cass Techs Star QB Is At The Center Of A Big Debate
A familiar summer ritual has turned into a statewide quarterback debate, with the Detroit Free Press opening a public vote for the Buffalo Wild Wings Best Quarterback for 2026 and a long list of Michigan high school passers in the mix. For Michigan fans, the name that jumps out is Cass Techs star, who enters the conversation after a season that put him firmly among the states most productive young quarterbacks and kept the Technicians rolling for most of the year.
He threw for 2,819 yards and 35 touchdowns last season, numbers that help explain why his profile has grown so quickly beyond Detroit. Cass Tech also spent most of the year unbeaten before the streak ended in the state title game against Catholic Central, which only adds to the sense that this vote is measuring more than just raw production. Voting remains open until 3 p.m. Thursday, July 23, and the race has the feel of one that could say as much about reputation as it does about last seasons box scores. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Already Pushing Hard For A Quarterback Fans Will Watch Closely
Michigans quarterback search is already moving well beyond the usual early-summer groundwork, and Kaden Craft has become one of the names worth tracking. The North Carolina prospect has the kind of physical profile and playmaking ability that fits what the Wolverines want under offensive coordinator Jason Beck, which is why Beck and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. have been active in his recruitment.
Craft has drawn attention from several other programs, but Michigan has made a clear push and is leaning into the relationship-building part of the process. His time in Ann Arbor gave Beck and Detmer Jr. a chance to make their case in person, and for a staff trying to establish itself with a new offensive identity, landing a quarterback like Craft would be a meaningful early win. [Read more 🡒]