Predicting Michigan Football’s 2026 LB depth chart

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

The Michigan Wolverines have had a lot of success building their 2026 roster, and that is true from both a retention standpoint and also adding talent from the transfer portal. Kyle Whittingham has done a good job bringing in top talent from Utah, and the Wolverines have made big splashes with players from other schools as well. Things are shaping up nicely, but there are still some big question marks at the LB position.

Michigan has brought in four LB transfers so far: Nathaniel Staehling (North Dakota State), Max Alford (BYU), Christian Pierce (Western Illinois) and Aisea Moa (Michigan State). Coming back from last year, the Wolverines will have Troy Bowles, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Chase Taylor, Adam Bazzi, Zach Ludwig and John Weidenbach.

The top players in the LB room are expected to be Troy Bowles, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Nathaniel Staehling, Chase Alford and Chase Taylor. Let’s make some predictions for what this rotation might look like next season.

Predicting the starters at LB

Not everyone is going this route, but my current prediction for Michigan’s top two LBs next season are Nathaniel Staehling and Troy Bowles. Nathaniel-Owusu Boateng is a popular pick to be up there as well, but his lack of experience is why I’m going with these other two players to edge him out.

In this era of college football, it’s all about experience. Bowles and Staehling both have a good playing experience under their belts, and while Staehling only has the 2025 season, it was a big one. He finished with 74 tackles, three interceptions and one sack. Yes, NDSU is in the FCS, but it is one of top programs in the FCS. When the Bison go up against FBS schools, they hang around. I expect his talent to translate over just fine, and he will impress the coaches in the offseason.

Bowles started his career at Georgia and received limited playing time during the 2023 season. He appeared in every game this past season except the Oklahoma game, and he finished with 27 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. He has patiently waited for it to be his turn, and that time will come next season.

Next up

While I expect Staehling and Bowles to be the top players in the unit, there will obviously be others rotating in. That is where Owusu-Boateng, Alford and Taylor come into play. I am especially excited to see Owusu-Boateng play. He was an elite recruit in the 2025 class, and a lot of Michigan fans are excited to see him contribute. It’s hard to tell how quickly a player will adjust to the college game, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he does end up being the best LB on the team.

Alford and Taylor are going to be important contributors as well. Alford is following his defensive coordinator, Jay Hill, to Michigan from BYU, and his experience is intriguing. He was receiving significant playing time back in 2022 at Utah State, so he has been in college for a while now. He finished with 21 tackles and one sack last year.

Lastly, Taylor got his first taste of college playing experience last year, and he should only get better during the 2026 season. He had 10 tackles this past season.

The roster is looking good, but the LB position is certainly the position group that raises the most concern. There is a lot of potential there, however, and it’s no fun spending the offseason thinking about the downside of things. It won’t be easy to replace Jaishawn Barham, Ernest Haussmann, Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan, but there are a lot of talented guys eager to do so.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos