5 Michigan Football players Kyle Whittingham believes have stepped up in fall camp

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On Friday afternoon, Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham spoke to reporters at Schembechler Hall and offered his opinion on a few players who have surprised him and stepped up during fall camp.

Here’s a closer look at the players Whittingham singled out and what it could mean for them this season.

WR Channing Goodwin

Goodwin entered the 2025 season as one of Michigan’s starting wide receivers after an impressive spring and summer. His speed and route-running appeared to be among the best on the roster at the time, but drops and the emergence of Andrew Marsh relegated him to the bench for the second half of the season.

On Friday, Whittingham said Goodwin will “be in the rotation” at wide receiver. The drumbeat for Goodwin hasn’t been all that loud this fall, but he’s often been a name that’s come up in the context of someone to “not forget about” even in a receiver room that got a big infusion of talent this offseason. With the versatility of guys like Marsh and JJ Buchanan, there’s still room for Goodwin to go back to operating in the slot where he showed some promise last year, especially if Michigan hopes to ease in freshmen like Salesi Moa and Travis Johnson.

If the drops are a thing of the past, don’t overlook Goodwin and his ability to get open in the passing attack.

TE Mason Bonner

Tight end is easily the biggest wild card on Michigan’s offense. Junior Hogan Hansen is back after an injury-plagued 2025, while senior Zach Marshall is also in the running to be a starter after a mini-breakout last season. However, true freshman Mason Bonner is also someone who should probably be getting more attention than he has been getting to this point.

“As far as the receiving skills that he’s demonstrated, (Bonner is) as good as it gets for a tight end,” Whittingham said of the freshman. He would add that there’s still some work to be done with his blocking, but he trusts that should come with adding more strength and weight to his frame.

Even if it’s not a big role right away, look for Bonner to be on the field at some point so he can put his pass-catching prowess on display.

Edges Nate Marshall, Carter Meadows, and Tariq Boney

We’ll round out our list by talking about three players who could factor into the edge rotation in various forms this season. John Henry Daley has gotten much of the shine over the offseason, and for good reason after being an All-American for Utah in 2025. But behind him there figures to be a big rotation of players who see playing time off the edge.

The oldest of the bunch is sophomore Nate Marshall, a former four-star recruit who played sparingly last season. Of Marshall, Whittingham mentioned he’s “really started to come into his own” during fall camp.

In addition to Marshall, Whittingham also shouted out two freshmen, Carter Meadows and Tariq Boney. Both were late enrollees, but have really caught the eye of the coaching staff in their short time on campus. Meadows is likely the more well-known of the two thanks to his status as a five-star recruit. At 6-foot-7 and 252 pounds, he’s already appropriately sized to make an impact at the college level, especially with lots of speed and bend around the edge.

As for Boney, his recruiting pedigree might not be as high as Meadows’, but he was someone who made a surge late in the recruiting process and could outperform his modest four-star rating. He even beat out Meadows as the District of Columbia’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2025.

“Carter Meadows and Tariq Boney are having an outstanding camp,” Whittingham said. “They happen to be behind a bunch of other good defensive end guys, but they’ve really shown out exceptionally well.”

It does seem like a bit of a stretch for Meadows and Boney to play big roles right away, but it wouldn’t surprise if either get plenty of reps by the middle or later part of the season. Marshall seems like a better bet to jump into the rotation right away thanks to his experience, but he’ll also have to fend off senior Cam Brandt and junior Dom Nichols, who’s reportedly been having a good fall camp of his own.

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