Michigan football could be a Big Ten sleeper, analyst says

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Michigan football, with Kyle Whittingham leading the charge, is getting some quiet publicity, but is still flying quite under the radar. Everyone is focused on the other brand names that had bigger and better years last season, and because of that, there isn't much hype surrounding the Wolverines.

But ESPN analyst Greg McElroy says don't let that fool you — this could be one of the better teams in the Big Ten, if not the country.

Of course, there's a lot that has to go right for the maize and blue, but given the resurgence of talent and coaching on the offensive side of the ball, McElroy thinks this could be a top-level unit. He shared more on his podcast, Always College Football:

"Let's talk about the quarterback because Bryce Underwood, he's been in the spotlight this year," McElroy said. "He was in the spotlight last year. I thought he handled it pretty well. He continues to be one of the most hyped up young players in the country. And if you listen to Whittingham, comparing him favorably to Cam Newton in terms of physical gifts and his ability to create with his legs, that's a pretty good place to start, right? 

"Jason Beck is the OC, and he's installing a system that will rely on a lot of speedy personnel, some really athletic weapons at wide receiver, talented running backs, maybe not as many multiple-tight-end sets. So this is going to be an offense — it's really going to suit Underwood really well. Very encouraged by seeing the technical refinements that he might make to become a slightly more consistent passer. Because I look at this receiver room, I think this group's got a chance to be stacked. We know Marsh is the clear No. 1, right? That's understood. But you also have Buchanan. You have Ffrench. You bring kind of a mix of physicality, mix of explosiveness. So a lot to like about what you're seeing from the receiver corps. You're also hearing the name Salesi Moa, who's been drawing some early buzz as a guy that could potentially contribute early in his career."

Oddly enough, the defensive side of the ball is the one that's getting more scrutiny this offseason. Though that's usually where the Wolverines are most dependable, there are more question marks, personnel-wise, on defense.

Part of that is because of injuries that should be resolved by the time the season rolls around. But right now, during spring ball, it's difficult to ascertain just what this unit will be in the upcoming year.

"Utah transfer John Henry Daley, he's hoping to anchor that group, but he's currently injured and is targeting a return later this summer," McElroy said. "So right now, as Michigan practices, they're not going to have their most important edge rusher, which might be beneficial because you can develop some real depth. So there's some names that we're hoping to see take a step, like a Nate Marshall or a Dominic Nichols, a Cameron Brandt. So there's names, but maybe not a ton of proven on the field in college football consistency. 

"You also have your captain, Rod Moore, who's one of the most respected guys in the program, a little bit banged up, not currently getting a lot of live reps. So the fact that he was named a captain, though, tells you all you need to know about his leadership, but he's not out there right now.

"The linebacker room, also a little bit of a question mark, you lose some of your top guys from a year ago, leaning on some guys coming in, lean on some guys, step up to bring in four portal linebackers to create some competition. This needs to be a room, though, that can produce. And based on what people are saying, after observing the first week of practice, sounds like things are OK at the linebacker spot. They're not concerned about the linebacker spot, which I think is great as well."

Even with the places where there's excitement, hope, or questions, McElroy notes that there's one big part of the new-look Wolverines that could make them dangerous. And that's Whittingham reestablishing the standard that was set by former head coach Jim Harbaugh: dominating in the trenches while being detail-oriented.

The buzz this spring has indicated that it looks closer to vintage Michigan in that regard. And if the personnel issues work themselves out, and the team is back to being the aggressive, more physical squad in any game, McElroy is confident that the Wolverines will be right back to where they had been in the latter Harbaugh years.

"Now, the story of the spring for Michigan, not done just yet, but if you listen to what people are saying and what players are saying, some people are saying that Whittingham staff has some similarities to the type of physicality, the accountability, the culture, just the physical practices that they're going through, saying that this Whittingham staff, they tried to kind of create that same physical edge that Jim Harbaugh staff was able to create," McElroy said. "So that's a pretty big endorsement from some of the players that are actually saying it, that are going through it right now. So we'll see what happens. Can they find some answers on defense? Can they find some questions, and they kind of close some question marks there at linebacker before September? If they can do all that and Underwood takes a big step, there's no reason to believe that Michigan can't be a Big Ten sleeper here in 2026."

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football could be a Big Ten sleeper in 2026, Greg McElroy says

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