How Michigan’s improved WR room can help QB Bryce Underwood in 2026

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From 2021-23, the Michigan offense made its money on the ground thanks to an offensive line and running back stable that could impose its will. In the two years that followed, the Wolverines continued to rely on their ground game, but it was more so out of necessity with quarterback and wide receiver play that was below the standard of most Power 4 programs.

With Kyle Whittingham taking over and Jason Beck leading the offense, there might be more of a shift to the passing attack being a true asset, not just a changeup that’s used to keep opponents honest. One of the main reasons for this line of thinking is that for the first time in a long time, Michigan has a group of pass-catchers that’s not only deep, but is also complementary and can attack defenses in a variety of ways.

Looking back to 2024, there wasn’t ever much optimism for Michigan’s passing attack primarily due to a lack of experience for all players not named Colston Loveland. As the season progressed, it became apparent there wasn’t really ever going to be much improvement thanks to the redundancy in its players and their skillsets.

Semaj Morgan, Tyler Morris and Fred Moore were all smaller receivers built to make plays over the middle, the area where Loveland was already operating most of the time. The team had no one capable of stretching defenses vertically, even if it had a quarterback that was capable of throwing downfield.

In 2025, there was another problem with Andrew Marsh and Donaven McCulley being the only reliable wide receivers on the team. Both did the best they could with their opportunities and showed flashes of great play, but it was just too inconsistent in trying to help out a young quarterback.

Now, Michigan has a room that brings back Marsh, brought in two transfers and three true freshmen, and also returns a handful of players, offering hope the whole group can help out its quarterback.

Marsh is the leader of the bunch, and while he was “just” getting his feet under himself as a freshman, he paced the Wolverines in yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns. He undoubtedly will enter the season as one of the top receivers in the Big Ten, and showed to be a jack-of-all-trades in 2025. In other words, thanks to Marsh’s ability to line up anywhere and make plays in a variety of ways, the Wolverines had some freedom with how to build out the rest of the receiving room this offseason.

With that freedom, Michigan brought in sophomore Jaime Ffrench from Texas, a 6-foot-1 former four-star recruit who was actually rated higher as a recruit than Marsh was. Ffrench is similarly someone that could play a variety of roles in the passing attack, but showed an ability to gain separation vertically as a high schooler and might get more targets down the field at Michigan.

Michigan also landed J.J. Buchanan from the portal, another sophomore that impressed at Utah in 2025. He showed an ability to run after the catch and make plays over the middle like you might expect from an athletic tight end, but he also could make contested catches outside the numbers like an X-receiver.

True freshman Salesi Moa should also play a decently sized role this season, but he’ll likely start out as Michigan’s primary “gadget” receiver making plays close to the line of scrimmage. So with Marsh, Ffrench, Buchanan and Moa as the top four, the Wolverines already have a group of players that slot nicely into defined roles in an offense that will likely be more spread out than what traditional Michigan offenses have looked like.

The Wolverines also have the ability to incorporate other players into the mix that similarly can win in their own unique areas. Players like Jamar Browder and Kendrick Bell can stretch the field and be red-zone threats; Channing Goodwin can be an over-the-middle option; true freshmen Jaylen Pile and Travis Johnson can develop their crafts without the pressures of needing to play a big role right away.

Many believe Marsh can be good enough to help the offense take a big step forward this year. Even if he’s merely the same player from last season, the Wolverines are more poised to attack opposing defenses through the air thanks to their depth and distinct skillsets, allowing sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood to improve his own game as well.

Rather than trying to fit square pegs into round holes like the team tried to do in 2024, or just simply not having enough quality options like last season, the players making up Michigan’s passing attack are now paired up with a strong offensive mind that should be able to take the offense to heights it hasn’t reached since 2023.

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