Michigan Football: 2026 Wolverines Season Preview and Prediction
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The cupboard is far from bare for new coach Kyle Whittingham, who makes the jump to Michigan after more than 30 years at Utah, the final 21 as head coach. Whittingham and his staff used the portal to help fill some holes, though concerns with depth and a difficult schedule could make for some growing pains. A 9-3 season might be the ceiling for this team.
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Michigan Football: 2026 Wolverines Season Preview and Prediction
Previewing Michigan’s Offense for 2026
Michigan’s 68th-ranked scoring offense gets a boost from a new face running the show and plenty of returning production. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck follows new head coach Kyle Whittingham from Utah, and Beck hopes to unlock quarterback Bryce Underwood after a disappointing freshman season. Look for the Wolverines to run more spread and to use Underwood more frequently in the run game.
Running back Jordan Marshall (932 yards, 10 TDs) returns and has some help in 5-star freshman Savion Hiter. Freshman star receiver Andrew Marsh (651 receiving yards, four TDs) elected to return, and Michigan dipped into the transfer portal to land JJ Buchanan (Utah) and Jaime Ffrench (Texas) for more passing targets.
With four starters back and more depth than last year, Michigan’s offensive line is primed to make a jump as well.
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Previewing Michigan’s Defense for 2026
Jay Hill from BYU takes over as defensive coordinator and wants to replicate the 2023 Michigan national title unit. That means varied looks, simulated blitzes, a mix of zone and man-coverage — all in the name of confusing opponents and forcing turnovers.
All-America defensive end John Henry Daley (11.5 sacks) follows the staff from Utah and will be an anchor up front, while Michigan is bullish on defensive tackles Trey Pierce and Enow Etta.
Linebacker is thin, but the Wolverines’ secondary is seasoned and full of playmakers. Starting cornerbacks Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry are back, along with a healthy Rod Moore at safety. Michigan added All-Big 12 defensive back Smith Snowden from Utah and Memphis safety Chris Bracy, a disruptive playmaker. If the unit can stay healthy, Michigan’s defense has the ability to become a top unit in college football.
Previewing Michigan’s Specialists for 2026
Veteran assistant Kerry Coombs takes over a special teams unit that struggled with fundamentals in 2025 and used the transfer portal to restock. Cameron Brown from UNLV is the favorite to win the punting job, while Pitt’s Trey Butkowski was 20-of-23 on field-goal attempts as a freshman. Marsh made some explosive plays in the return game last year and is a front-runner to handle the job again this fall. Fellow wideouts Salesi Moa and Ffrench could be in the mix there as well.
National Ranking: 13
Big Ten Prediction: 4
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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