Michigan football offense remade through transfer portal
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The NCAA football transfer portal window is officially closed for 2026.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be some movement – anybody already in the national database is free to return to their old program or switch to a new school – but for anybody whose name is not already in the portal, they’re locked into their team for 2026 (baring a coaching change).
Michigan football kept busy remaking its roster underneath almost an entirely new staff, led by coach Kyle Whittingham. He replaced every assistant on the roster but three – Tony Alford (running backs), Lou Esposito (defensive line) and special teams (Kerry Coombs) – and they got to work prioritizing players to keep and those to add.
How did they do? We won't be certain of that until Michigan takes the field Sept. 5 against Western Michigan, but for now, we can analyze the moves.
Let's go through the offense to assess the key additions, key losses, important keeps and grade the overall effect on the talent: upgrade, downgrade or neutral.
Quarterback: Modest upgrade
Returners: Bryce Underwood.
Departures: Davis Warren (Stanford), Jadyn Davis (East Tennessee), Mikey Keene (TBD), Jake Garcia (TBD).
Addition: Colin Hurley (LSU), Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (Colorado State), Brady Smigiel and Tommy Carr (high school signees).
Synopsis: The Wolverines lost some veteran arms, but none were past or future contributors. Neither Keene or Garcia took an in-game snap in Ann Arbor; Davis threw just two passes in two years (and one of those was picked off); and Warren started in 2024 but spent 2025 rehabbing a torn ACL.
Underwood is without question, the guy, but Michigan wanted to bring in some experience behind him that was a bit more dynamic. Fowler-Nicolosi provides that, having thrown for 6,938 yards and 38 touchdowns in 28 careet starts. Hurley, meanwhile, is a wild card: He arrived at LSU as a four-star recruit, didn't play a snap for Brian Kelly. But even with the additions and departures, this entirely hinges on Underwood, his fit in the new system and his development in the offseason. If he improves, Michigan's offense will too, and most QBs do exactly that between their first and second year as starters.
Running backs: Neutral
Returners: Jordan Marshall.
Additions: Savion Hiter (high school signee), Taylor Tatum (Oklahoma).
Departures: Justice Haynes (Georgia Tech), Bryson Kuzdzal (TBD).
Synopsis: The backfield should still be a strength, as Marshall proved in 2025 he can be a workhorse back, leading the team with 150 carries for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns despite a shoulder injury late in the season. Yes, losing Justice Haynes, one of the most dynamic backs in the nation is a big loss, but with expected growth from Marshall and supplements elsewhere, Michigan shouldn't miss a step on the ground.
The Wolverines held on to Hiter, the No. 1 running back in his class, thanks to keeping Alford on staff. Even behind Marshall, Hiter could have a big Year 1 impact; last year's No. 1 prep recruit, Harlem Berry, had more than 520 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the SEC – and Hiter is seen as a dynamic back who already has collegiate size.
Behind him, U-M brought in Taylor Tatum from Oklahoma. His career has been waylaid by injury – he had just one touch in 2025 – but, like Hiter, he was the No. 1 high school running back in his senior class. Remember, Kuzdzal was the No. 3 in 2025 and even he had a game topping 100 yards and three touchdowns. The room is in good shape under Alford.
Wide receivers: Major upgrade
Returners: Andrew Marsh, Channing Goodwin, Jamar Browder.
Additions: Jamie Ffrench Jr. (Texas), JJ Buchanan (Utah) and Salesi Moa, Travis Johnson (high school commits).
Departures: Donaven McCulley (graduation), Semaj Morgan (UCLA).
Synopsis: Marsh was the No. 2 priority, behind only Underwood. The freshman All-American led U-M with 45 receptions for 651 yards and four touchdowns – and he didn't start until October. There's a good chance he could be U-M's first 1,000-yard receiver in more than a dozen years in 2026. But every bit as important, Michigan added high-end talent around him. Buchanan had 427 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman at Utah, though he started out as a tight end in Salt Lake City. Ffrench barely played at Texas, but at 6 feet 1 and 185 pounds, he has good size and twitch ability – it's why he was a top-100 recruit in the class of 2025. Moa, meanwhile, was top 50 in the class of 2026 and could break into the rotation right away. Johnson was considered the jewel of U-M's incoming wideouts; now he's likely to battle for a role as the fifth or sixth wide receiver. For years, U-M hasn't had the requisite talent at the position. Now, it has it in spades – at least in theory.
Tight end: Moderate downgrade
Returners: Hogan Hansen, Zack Marshall, Deakon Tonielli.
Additions: None.
Departures: Marlin Klein (graduation), Max Bredeson (graduaton), Brady Prieskorn (Ole Miss).
Synopsis: Klein was U-M's most well-rounded TE while Bredeson was the team's heart, even as a fullback. There's a lack of depth here, but Whittingham has said the base personnel will be "11" – one tight end on field at a time. Historically, U-M has run a lot of "12" and at times "13" personnel – multiple tight ends on the field at a time. Michigan may no longer be "Tight End U.," but Freddie Whittingham (Kyle's brother and the new TE coach) has a history of churning out talent at the position at Utah, so he should get the most out of the three talented players returning. Still, less depth is, well, less.
Offensive line: Moderate upgrade
Returners: Blake Frazier, Andrew Babalola, Jake Guarnera, Andrew Sprague, Evan Link, Nate Efobi, Brady Norton.
Additions: Houston Ka'aha'aina-Torres (Nebraska).
Departures: Gio El-Hadi and Greg Crippen (graduation), Kaden Strayhorn (Alabama), Ty Haywood (Alabama).
Synopsis: Michigan loses two starters off its interior line in Crippen and El-Hadi (who was a captain, to boot), but the vast majority of its unit returns, including six players with starting experience. The seventh who doesn't have any experience might be the highest upside of the bunch, too, in Babalola – a top recruit in last year's class who missed all of 2025 with an injury. The line appears to be a strength with Frazier, Babalola and Sprague likely to battle for the two starting tackle spots. Link moved to guard for bowl prep and it seems likely U-M will want to keep him there, as Efobi and Norton will likely battle for the other starting job along with Ka'aha'ainia-Torres (whose sister, Saige, is a pro volleyball player in Grand Rapids). Guarnera is the likely center. Though U-M lost Haywood and Strayhorn (the only two with remaining eligibility to depart), one of the best parts of Michigan's portal haul was bringing Sprague and Guarnera and Sprague back from an extended stay in the database. Now led by Jim Harding, this group could be among the best in the Big Ten in 2026.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football grades for transfer portal additions on offense
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