Todd Blackledge predicts 'solid' Michigan season

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Todd Blackledge, NBC's primary college football color commentator, visited Ann Arbor this spring and got a bit of a sneak preview of what Michigan football might be this season. And now that he's digested much of what he's seen, not just with the Wolverines but also with other teams, he has a feeling that the maize and blue might be better than anticipated.

He had some thoughts on Bryce Underwood's potential emergence as a star player in college football, but he also thinks that some of the players around him are going to help the team quite a bit in 2026.

Appearing on the Y-Option podcast with Yogi Roth, Blackledge broke down the state of the offense outside of Underwood, noting that there are a lot more playmakers wearing winged helmets this year than in the previous few seasons.

"Well, I think they're going to be good, OK. And you know, now how good? I don't know, but I think they're going to be good," Blackledge said. "I think they're going to be solid. I think they're going to run the football. You know, they've got an offensive line coming back with four or five guys that have a lot of experience, starting experience. They're better at run blocking than they are at pass blocking. But I think the running back position is going to be one of the real strengths, with the return of Jordan Marshall. And then Savion Hiter is a true freshman who looks like a grown man. I mean, they are going to be really solid at the running back position. 

"Wide receiver is a position I think is going to be a strength this year. Andrew Marsh was their best guy coming back. They've also got Kendrick Bell, Channing Goodwin that are returners, but they brought in a couple transfers. Jaime Ffrench from Texas, JJ Buchanan came from Utah. So I think that's going to be a really solid position for them.

"Tight end is not as strong as it's been in the past. But still some guys. But I think this offensively, this is a team that is going to be able to run the football and utilize the skill set of Bryce Underwood. And I really like when you watch what Jason Beck does offensively in his playcalling. They put a lot of pressure on you because they're going to always try to read somebody. There's always going to be a quarterback run tied in, you know, backside of something they're running frontside. They use a lot of multiple-personnel groups. They'll use six offensive linemen, sometimes seven offensive linemen. So they're really giving you a lot of different looks to run the football. And again, the numbers at Utah last year and at New Mexico the years before that, as good as anybody in college football in terms of total offense."

That's the offense, but Kyle Whittingham has been insistent that the defense is the stronger unit, led by the defensive line. That was evident in the annual spring game, as the defense held the offense, on both teams, to just 13 points.

And with that, Blackledge thinks not enough people are giving credit to Whittingham for bringing Jay Hill over after having spent the past four seasons in Provo.

"I really enjoyed visiting with Jay Hill, the defensive coordinator," Blackledge said. "Jay came from BYU. But he played for Kyle at Utah, you know, so he's got ties with both schools. But they, he is an aggressive guy. They're gonna be more man-to-man coverage. They already had Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill coming back at corner.

"And you mentioned John Henry Daley coming, one of the best edge guys in college football. Smith Snowden was another key guy who came from Utah, because they're gonna play a lot of three cornerbacks. And that gives them three guys that are really capable of playing a lot of man coverage. So it'll be an aggressive, attacking kind of defense under Jay Hill with a lot of man coverage."

Blackledge got the early, first look at the maize and blue, and he'll get the first real look in the season, as well. He'll be on the call for Michigan's season opener against Western Michigan on September 5, as the game will be broadcast ta 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBC.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Todd Blackledge sees potential in Michigan football

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