Klatt cites Whittingham staff roster retention in Michigan top 10 case

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After 8-5 and 9-4 seasons in Ann Arbor, it would make sense if people were down on Michigan football entering 2026. Yet, as outlets release their too-early preseason rankings, many see the Wolverines as a potential surging team.

One big difference, of course, is new head coach Kyle Whittingham.

Among those you can count as a believer is Fox Sports' premier college football analyst Joel Klatt. This week, Klatt revealed his top teams entering 2026, and he has the maize and blue coming within his top 10.

"At No. 9, there was some debate in these spots here, but at No. 9, I'm going to go Michigan," Klatt said. "Michigan's had a really good offseason, guys, even after the wild exit for Sherrone Moore. I understand that it's been wild, but you talk about solidifying what went on or what's going on in Ann Arbor since that point. The maize and blue have only come out better, I think, since that point where Sherrone Moore exited the program. Kyle Whittingham's one of the better coaches in America, and now he comes into Michigan. That, in and of itself, you talk about a foundational coach that is built on toughness, winning, defense, running the football — that's exactly what Michigan wants, needs, and is their identity. That's their blueprint. 

"They got a guy that's immediately in their blueprint. I think he put together a really good staff. Jason Beck is going to be the offensive coordinator. He did a tremendous job at Utah. Jay Hill comes in from BYU, but has a long history with Whittingham. Jim Harding, the offensive line coach at Utah, has done one of the great jobs in college football with the offensive line at Utah for a number of years. He's going to come over and coach the offensive line at Michigan.Then Michigan did a really good job of retaining some of their players that flirted with and even entered the transfer portal and bringing them back out. Zeke Berry is one of those guys. 

"I think Jason Beck's looks like a great match for this Michigan team and what Bryce Underwood could be at quarterback. Now, clearly, he's going to need to take a step forward. There's no doubt, but they're also bringing in a quarterback-specific coach for him in Koy Detmer Jr., who came from Utah. I think that's going to be big for Bryce Underwood. He also has Andrew Marsh on the outside. That's huge for them. Jordan Marshall comes back at running back. That's big for them. They also got a couple of great running backs that are coming in as commits. One, a true freshman, Hiter. He comes in as the No. 1 back in the country. Tatum, a back that was the No. 1 back in the country a couple of years ago, has been at Oklahoma for a couple of years, is now coming into Michigan. They should be able to run the football. I think Andrew Marsh is an incredible player. If Jaime Ffrench can do anything on the other side, a former top 50 recruit, comes in as a transfer from Texas, then that offense should be pretty good. 

"Jay Hill as defensive coordinator, I like that. Jay Hill is a really good coach. They bring in John Henry Daley from Utah. He's a terrific player. Smith Snowden, one of the best nickels that we've got in college football. He comes in, and so it comes down to schedule. Home games against OU, Indiana, Penn State, and Iowa. Road games against Oregon and Ohio State. Not an easy schedule for this Michigan team. This Wolverine team is going to have to take care of their home field and then try to knock off Oregon or Ohio State on the road. It's going to be difficult. There's no doubt, but I think Michigan is going to be a really good team. They're No. 9."

The schedule, as he mentions, is brutal. The Wolverines face three teams that are also in Klatt's top 10, including No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Indiana, and No. 4 Ohio State — with two of them being on the road. Michigan also will play Oklahoma, Penn State, and Iowa, as Klatt mentions, though those three will all play the Wolverines at The Big House.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Joel Klatt ranks Michigan No. 9 in early 2026 college football outlook

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