5 Michigan Football newcomers we’re excited about this spring

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Spring practice is underway for the Michigan Wolverines, and we can’t wait to hear more about how some of the new players are fitting into the program. Head coach Kyle Whittingham and company brought in several players from the transfer portal and did a pretty good job retaining some of Michigan’s top recruits in this year’s class.

Of all the new players on the team, here are five newcomers we can’t wait to hear more about this spring.

RB Savion Hiter – Freshman

Tony Alford’s work with the running backs has been impressive since he’s been in Ann Arbor, and it looks like he’s found another potentially great player in Savion Hiter. Hiter was a five-star and was among the best overall players in the 2026 class. Pair that with what Alford has been able to do with the running backs over the years, and we might have a pretty great backfield in the fall. When you get a player with this much talent, it’s tough not to get excited about what’s being said about him in the spring.

WR JJ Buchanan – Transfer from Utah

Michigan has a great duo returning in Underwood and wide receiver Andrew Marsh, but the Wolverines have also added another player to the mix. While JJ Buchanan was listed as a tight end at Utah, he’s officially on the roster as a wide receiver. He had 26 catches for 427 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman last year. His talent is clear when you watch his highlights, and it’ll be exciting to hear more about how he and Underwood are connecting on and off the field. This might be the first time in a while that the offense seems like it could be a bigger threat than the defense in some time.

WR Salesi Moa – Freshman

While Salesi Moa is technically a transfer, he entered the portal quickly after enrolling at Utah to follow Whittingham to Michigan. The former four-star recruit was the No. 1 player in Utah and played both ways at a high level in high school. There are a lot of bodies in the secondary right now, so his best chance at seeing the field early is at wide receiver. Whittingham has already named him one of the top-four wide receivers on the team, which is only going to amplify the hype that was already around him.

DT Jonah Lea’ea – Transfer from Utah

Michigan’s defensive line needs to improve in 2026. The Wolverines will have a much harder schedule and if they can’t win at the line of scrimmage, we’re going to be in for a long season. Getting defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea to transfer in is pretty huge. He made his first start last season and finished with 38 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. While there’s hope he’ll come away with a few more sacks in 2026, it’s still good to add that experience at a position of need. Let’s hope we hear some positive things from the coaching staff in the weeks ahead about him.

CB Smith Snowden – Transfer from Utah

While the Wolverines are bringing back guys like Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry, cornerback Smith Snowden will also play a huge role this year. The coaching staff have him listed as a corner on the roster, but he’s also made plays on offense and special teams. Snowden had 37 tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass breakups last year. It’ll be nice to hear more about him this spring and see what he can do on April 18 during the spring game.

Who are some of the newcomers you’re most looking forward to hearing more about? Let us know in the comments below!

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