JJ Buchanan’s path to Michigan Football, outlook for 2026
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The Michigan Wolverines are going to look a lot different than last year’s squad from both a player and coach standpoint. The coaching staff is now completely different, and one player following new head coach Kyle Whittingham to Michigan is wide receiver JJ Buchanan. Let’s take a look back at his career so far and talk about expectations for the 2026 season.
The story so far
Buchanan attended Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada as a 2025 class member, making him a perfect target for the nearby Utah Utes. Buchanan was a four-star recruit and he was listed as an athlete. He committed to play for Whittingham and the Utes in June 2024, and he played a hybrid wide receiver-tight end role for Utah last season.
Most freshmen don’t see the field much, but that was not the case for Buchanan. His 6-foot-4, 208-pound frame was too big to keep on the bench, and he earned a big role on offense right away. Last season was an extremely promising one for Buchanan, as he finished with 26 receptions for 427 yards and five touchdowns.
One thing that stands out while looking at Buchanan’s freshman campaign is his consistency. It’s not like he racked up all of his stats in just a few games and was a non-factor at times. Buchanan had at least one reception in every game and continued to get better as the season went on.
After Michigan hired Whittingham, Buchanan decided to enter the transfer portal so he could follow his head coach to Ann Arbor. Now, he is getting ready to provide the Michigan offense with a much-needed boost in the passing game.
Outlook for 2026
Buchanan has the frame of a tight end with the athleticism of a wide receiver. Because of that, he was one of the biggest portal wins of the offseason and he seems poised to be a top contributor this year.
As we all know, the passing game has been an issue the last couple years. But now that the coaching staff is completely different, and there are a few guys with high end talent int he wide receiver room, fans have some reasons for optimism. The talent is there with receivers like Buchanan, Andrew Marsh and Jaime Ffrench, and the coaching staff seems to be coming in with a much-needed fresh energy and mindset surrounding this offense.
Marsh is expected to be WR1 this season, but Buchanan seems poised to be right behind him. Marsh, Ffrench and Buchanan are expected to be the top three receivers on the team. It also helps that Buchanan has experience in this offense, so he should take a nice stride with another offseason under his belt.
The offense needs to take a big leap this season, and after what we saw Beck, Whittingham and Buchanan do together last year, there is a lot of reason for optimism. If this staff can get Bryce Underwood to reach his full potential, this offense can be scary and Buchanan can have a huge year.
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