Very few players on Michigan’s roster can say they were part of the 2023 national championship team and still matter in a major way heading into 2026. Trey Pierce is one of them, and he’s positioned to be a centerpiece on the defensive front this fall.
That wasn’t the path most expected when he arrived as a three-star recruit ranked No. 550 nationally in the 247Sports composite. But Pierce made an early impression under Jim Harbaugh and earned real playing time fast.
As a true freshman, he broke into a deep interior defensive line rotation, appeared in all 13 games, and logged action in seven games on the defensive line during Michigan’s championship run. He also chipped in on special teams.
Since then, the reps have kept coming. Pierce has played in 26 straight games on the defensive line over the last two seasons, and in 2025 he moved into the starting lineup. His 2025 season brought another step forward: he was named the team’s co-Most Improved Player on defense and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention after finishing with 30 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Now the expectation is that 2026 is the year he really takes off. With Pierce and Enow Etta leading the way, Michigan is finally set to turn the page after years of interior stars like Rayshaun Benny, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Kris Jenkins drawing the spotlight. The belief inside the program is clear that this group can be special.
“I believe we have two of the best defensive tackles in college football right now in Enow Etta and Trey Pierce,” defensive coordinator Jay Hill said on the In the Trenches podcast in February. “Those guys can play. I think they’ve been very well-coached.”
Pierce’s value goes beyond what he does at the line of scrimmage. He’s also a team captain and a locker-room tone-setter, and this spring he pointed to the details as the biggest shift around the program.
“The little things,” Pierce said. “Guys being late for lifts, not being where they’re supposed to be, that’s being enforced more...
We’re waking up earlier, going through that grind together. It puts you in a headspace like we’ve done harder things than this.”
In Other News...
ESPN Just Made An Unforgivable Mistake With A Michigan Legend
ESPNs latest jersey-number feature was meant to be a fun walk through college football history, but it landed with a jolt in Ann Arbor when Michigan fans spotted a glaring mistake involving Anthony Carter. The former Wolverines star, who starred in maize and blue from 1979 to 1982, was the kind of player whose place in program lore is beyond dispute, which made the mix-up stand out immediately.
What makes the error sting a little more is that it is still sitting there uncorrected, leaving a sloppy impression on a player whose Michigan rsum speaks for itself. Carter was one of the defining receivers of his era, piling up 141 catches, 2,681 yards and 31 touchdowns while earning major conference and national honors, so seeing his name mishandled in a national roundup is the sort of oversight that naturally gets noticed around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Suddenly In The Mix For A Massive 2028 TE
Michigan has wasted little time getting involved with the 2028 tight end market, and the early push says plenty about how the staff wants to build the next few classes. Kyle Whittingham has been active on the trail, with the Wolverines already casting a wide net at the position while also trying to keep the momentum going after a strong 2027 cycle. For a program that has long valued tight ends as a central part of its identity, getting in early matters, especially when the class is still young and relationships can still swing things.
Jordan McKinley is one of the names to watch in that group, and Michigan has clearly put itself in the conversation with the four-star prospect. The Wolverines are also in the mix for other top-end options at the position, which gives this pursuit a bigger feel than a simple one-off offer chase. If Michigan can turn those early conversations into real traction, it would be an important sign that the staff is not just filling out a board, but trying to set the tone for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Suddenly Faces A New Reality As Respect Starts To Slip
Michigans offseason suddenly looks a little different after the coaching change that sent Dusty May to the Dallas Mavericks and left Mike Boynton Jr. handling the interim role. The ripple effect showed up quickly in ESPNs latest way-too-early top 25, where the Wolverines slipped from No. 2 to No. 5, a reminder that even a roster with real talent can lose some shine when the bench boss changes.
Michigan still has reasons to believe it can stay in the national picture. The Wolverines are expected to bring back most of their top players and add a strong recruiting class, even after losing several big men and seniors, so the core of the team remains intact. The bigger question now is how much respect the program can hold onto while the staff situation settles, especially with the season still months away. [Read more 🡒]