1 player from every Big Ten team we’d want on Michigan Football in 2026

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Talking ball with my friends last Saturday, somewhere between the appetizer and beer three, someone brings up the hypothetical, “If you could add one player to Michigan this year, who would that be?”

Immediately, my mind is racing. Do we add a more proven commodity at quarterback? A veteran leader at center? A stalwart nose tackler? A complementary pass rushing piece to support John Henry Daley? 

Expanding on this idea, let’s add one player from each Big Ten team to the Wolverines for this season. And to make it more interesting, and challenging, let’s add one player per position.

Illinois – S Xavier Scott

Similar to Rod Moore, Xavier Scott is a forgotten superstar who is returning from an injury this season. Just two years ago, Scott was an all-conference player with 49 tackles and four interceptions, including an all-planet performance against Kansas where he finished with eight tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, two interceptions and one pick-six. If he can recover from his season-ending ankle injury, he will be one of the best players in the Big Ten.

Indiana – LT Carter Smith 

Carter Smith is the best left tackle in the country and it’s not particularly close. A consensus All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year last season, Smith is a three-year starter and one of the few Tom Allen holdovers in Bloomington. Giving him to Jim Harding would be like giving Dusty May a transfer big man, or Sydney Sweeney a bad script. It always works.

Iowa – C Kade Pieper 

This is slightly cheating since Kade Pieper is only kicking into center this season. However, as strictly as an interior lineman, there is no one better. He was a first-team All American last year and helped the Hawkeyes win the Joe Moore Award. He is now a frontrunner for the Rimington Award and a likely first-round pick.

Maryland – CB Jamare Glasker 

Jamare Glasker is a 6-foot-1 playmaker at the corner position with five career interceptions, 10 pass breakups and one pick-six. Glasker would afford Michigan some much needed depth and add another veteran to an already experienced secondary.

Michigan State – LB Jordan Hall

If we must add a Spartan, linebacker Jordan Hall is the choice. He is a soon-to-be two-time team captain and has racked up 179 career tackles (91 solo, 88 assists), 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception in 35 career games. The only stat he hasn’t stuffed is winning. In three seasons, Hall has only won 13 games, four if you factor out those that were vacated. It’s time to bring him to the right side of the rivalry.

Minnesota – DE Anthony Smith 

Raise your hand if you knew Anthony Smith led the Big Ten in sacks last year? “There are dozens of us,” echoed from the west. Smith finished with 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss, with the latter being second in the Big Ten. Surprisingly, Minnesota had several good options to choose from — running back Darius Taylor, linebacker Maverick Baranowski, and the league leader in interceptions, John Nestor, would all bring value to Michigan. But none more so than Smith lining up opposite of Daley.

Nebraska – PR Jacory Barney

A year after watching Semaj Morgan average 2.3 yards per punt return — just a little more than six feet, which was the second worst nationally among qualified players — it’s time for a major upgrade. Jacory Barney averaged more than 12 yards per return last season, and his 270 return yards were the most by a Cornhusker since 2014. This would allow Michigan to protect Andrew Marsh and still provide an electric option for the return game.

Northwestern – G Ezomo Oratokhai

Similar to Pieper, Ezomo Oratokhai is kicking into center this season, but he’s staying guard for Michigan in this scenario. Oratokhai was a freshman All-American last season and did not allow a single sack or pressure over the final 12 games last year. A short and long-term answer on the interior, Oratokhai is among the most valuable players on this list.

Ohio State – WR Jeremiah Smith

Is there any other choice? Jeremiah Smith is the best football player in the country and has been the latest and greatest in a long line of decorated Ohio State receivers. The pairing next to Marsh would form the best tandem in the country, and I am done saying nice things about a Buckeye.

Oregon – QB Dante Moore

Dante Moore could be the top overall pick in one of the best NFL Draft classes of all time next spring. A pure passer in every sense, he completed nearly 72 percent of his attempts for 3.565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. Moore doesn’t bring crazy juice with his legs, but with Michigan’s stable of ball carriers, Jason Beck would have no problem building a system around his ability to sling the pill all over the field.

Penn State – K Ryan Barker

Barker was the most accurate kicker in the country last season, knocking home 18-of-19 field goals (94.7 percent). Despite not having a big leg, Barker is deadly accurate inside of 50 yards. In two seasons, he has only missed two kicks from less than 50 yards out, and zero from less than 40 yards out. After the Dominic Zvada experience, any type of consistency is welcome.

Purdue – P Dylan Drennan

Back-to-back specialists! Dylan Drennan comes to Purdue via Buffalo where he was second team All-MAC in 2025. Drennan was top-25 nationally in yards per punt (44.8), pinned 25 punts inside the 20, and booted 16 punts more than 50 yards, including a 76-yard nuke against Eastern Michigan. A specialist so good he could have saved J.B. Brown’s job. Just kidding, he’s a punter not a miracle worker.

Rutgers – RB Antwan Raymond

Antwan Raymond was quietly third in the Big Ten in rushing last season with more than 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns. Entering his third season, Raymond would be a great luxury add to Michigan’s running back room with each of the top three a threat to be the guy on any given Saturday.

UCLA – KR Wayne Knight

No not Newman, although the image of that is hilarious. No, this is the stud James Madison running back transfer who had more than 2,000 all-purpose yards last season. Very few were from kick-offs, but we have to round out the team here and help keep Marsh healthy. Knight will be one of the most productive backs in the country this season for UCLA and we can only hope the first time he met his new quarterback he introduced himself with a loud, “HELLO, NICO!”

USC – DT Jahkeem Stewart

Jahkeem Stewart is a popular breakout candidate entering his sophomore year. At 6-foot-6, he is a mountain of a man who had 18 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one interception last year. Now, he will be coached by one of the greatest defensive minds in the history of the sport in new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson. If Stewart were on Michigan, he would force Enow Etta to join Ndi on the sideline while he formed a one-man run wall on the interior.

Washington – TE Dekker DeGraaf

Dekker DeGraaf is an all-around tight end piece that could unlock Michigan’s full 12-personnel effectiveness. Alongside Zack Marshall, the duo would provide Beck’s attack with the ultimate run/pass versatility.

Wisconsin – LS James Roe

You want long snapper stats? You got ‘em! James Roe was a freshman All-American last season with Toledo and helped the Rockets go perfect on extra punts and unblocked on punts. A former 4.5-star prospect via Kohl’s Snapping, he is a valuable add for the most forgotten, vital position on the team.

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