5 Questions Michigan Can Answer in Its Season Opener vs. Western Michigan

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Michigan should learn quite a bit about itself Saturday night without needing the final score to provide all the answers.

The No. 16 Wolverines open the Kyle Whittingham era against Western Michigan at 7:30 p.m. ET at Michigan Stadium, with Oklahoma waiting one week later. That makes this less about proving Michigan can beat a MAC opponent and more about getting our first real evidence on several preseason storylines.

Camp reports are nice. Depth-chart conversations are nice.

Football tends to settle these things rather quickly.

1. How Much Savion Hiter Actually Plays

We already know Michigan loves Savion Hiter.

The freshman generated enough buzz during camp that the conversation shifted from whether he would play to how large his role might become. We recently examined how Hiter was already forcing his way into Michigan’s plans alongside returning starter Jordan Marshall.

Now we get numbers.

Not necessarily rushing yards. Snaps and touches are more interesting Saturday.

Does Hiter get six carries? Twelve? Does Michigan use Marshall and Hiter together? Is the freshman involved on third down? Does he return kicks?

Michigan’s backfield should remain Marshall’s to lead, but Hiter has a chance to turn a two-running-back plan from preseason theory into something opposing defensive coordinators actually have to prepare for. Michigan’s own preview material points toward a rushing attack that should remain a major part of the offense.

If Hiter is heavily involved immediately, believe what Michigan has been telling us.

2. Does Bryce Underwood Look Like a Different Quarterback?

This one matters more than everything else combined.

Bryce Underwood’s freshman season gave us flashes of exactly why he was the country’s most celebrated quarterback recruit, but it also gave us the mistakes you’d expect from an 18-year-old starting in the Big Ten.

He finished 2025 with 2,428 passing yards, and Michigan spent the offseason restructuring the offense around his development. Whittingham has been extremely bullish about that progress, even giving Underwood an A-plus early in camp, something we covered when Whittingham evaluated Underwood’s development.

Forget whether Underwood throws for 300 yards against Western Michigan.

Watch his feet.

Watch how quickly the ball comes out.

Watch what happens after his first read disappears.

Watch whether he takes the easy completion instead of trying to create something spectacular.

Michigan doesn’t need Underwood to prove Saturday that he’s a finished product. It needs him to look noticeably less like a freshman.

3. How Michigan Handles Rod Moore

Seeing Rod Moore on the field again will be one of the best moments of Michigan’s opener.

What happens after that will be more instructive.

Moore is available after spending much of the last two seasons battling serious knee issues, but reports entering the opener indicate he is not yet completely back to full strength. Michigan has no reason to be reckless with him against Western Michigan, especially with Oklahoma coming next.

That’s why I’d watch Moore’s snap count closely.

Is he out there for nearly every meaningful defensive possession? Does Michigan rotate him more than it normally would? Is he moving confidently in space? Does the staff remove him once the game is under control?

Moore’s decision to return to Michigan for a sixth season was one of the biggest developments of the offseason because a healthy Moore changes the ceiling of Michigan’s secondary.

Saturday begins the process of finding out how close Michigan is to having that Rod Moore again.

4. John Henry Daley Finally Gets to Hit Somebody

There may not be a newcomer on Michigan’s defense I’m more interested in watching.

John Henry Daley was a monster for Utah last season, producing 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss before an Achilles injury ended his season after 11 games. Michigan then landed him in the transfer portal, a move we called a potential defense-changing addition at the time.

Now comes the important part.

Daley has progressed from a fall-camp pitch count to taking full starter reps without limitations, according to Whittingham.

That’s encouraging. It is not the same as chasing a quarterback in a real game.

I want to see his first step. I want to see whether he trusts the repaired leg when bending around the corner. Most importantly, I want to see whether Michigan treats him like a fully recovered All-American or somebody still working his way back.

If Daley looks like the Utah version immediately, Michigan’s pass rush becomes considerably more interesting.

5. Is Channing Goodwin Really WR3?

This may be the sneaky one.

Whittingham has identified Channing Goodwin as Michigan’s No. 3 receiver behind Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan after a strong fall camp. Goodwin caught 12 passes for 148 yards last season, but reports from inside the program have emphasized his improved route running and overall development.

Now let’s see what WR3 actually means.

Is Goodwin on the field when Michigan opens in three-receiver sets? Does Underwood look for him? Is he functioning primarily from the slot? And perhaps most importantly, does Michigan really have three receivers it trusts, or will players such as Jaime Ffrench and Salesi Moa turn that third spot into a rotation?

Michigan’s passing game has spent two years feeling like something the offense survived rather than something defenses feared.

If Goodwin is legitimately another reliable target for Underwood, that starts to change the math.

Western Michigan won’t answer every question Michigan has entering 2026. It shouldn’t.

But by the time the Wolverines leave the field Saturday night, we should know considerably more about Hiter’s role, Underwood’s growth, Moore’s recovery, Daley’s explosiveness and whether Michigan finally has legitimate depth at receiver.

And with Oklahoma coming to Ann Arbor next Saturday, Michigan doesn’t have much time for mysteries.

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