ESPN analyst picks Michigan as a surprise contender

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Though expected to be ranked, not many are thinking much about Michigan football at this time of the year. Eerily similar to 2021, when a Jim Harbaugh-led team had zero offseason buzz before shocking the college football world, all is quiet on the Western front as it pertains to the maize and blue.

But one ESPN personality thinks that the Wolverines could end up shocking the world.

Dan Wetzel is local to Michigan, and as the ESPN College Football podcast panel did a brief preview of the Big Ten in 2026, and though Michigan football wasn't spoken of much, Wetzel asked: why not the team in Ann Arbor?

"I think that the program that could totally surprise, because I don't think anyone's much of them, is Michigan," Wetzel said. "I don't think there's a lot of discussion, but how are they with a coach, like how good can Kyle Whittingham get them? There's a lot of talent at Michigan; it's a very high-priced roster still. Can Kyle Whittingham step right in and kind of revive that program quickly?"

If Jason Beck gets his offense going and Jay Hill manages to do a good job with the defense, it wouldn't surprise if the Wolverines are better than anticipated. However, the schedule is a bear, so there will need to be some surprise wins there if Michigan is going to find its way to a better postseason berth than the previous two years.

However, with Kyle Whittingham leading the charge, it's not outside of the realm of possibility. Many of the preseason previews surrounding the maize and blue do not take much of the coaching change into account, mostly looking at the Wolverines as a continuation of the Sherrone Moore era compared to the potential that Whittingham may bring as someone who historically has done more with less.

Whittingham is set to have his turn at Big Ten media days on Thursday in Chicago, with fall camp set to start shortly after.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: ESPN analyst picks Michigan as a surprise contender

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