⚡ CFB Dashboard

- Kyle Whittingham said Bryce Underwood is markedly ahead of his spring form in footwork, timing, decision-making, command and read progression, although Michigan protected him from live contact throughout camp. - Freshman Tommy Carr won Michigan's backup quarterback job over Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who brought 28 career starts into the competition. - Jordan Marshall is Michigan's clear RB1 after producing 932 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns primarily as a backup last season. - Five-star freshman Savion Hiter is Michigan's No. 2 back after a promising camp, while experienced Bryson Kuzdzal is third in what Whittingham called a stacked room. - Walk-on Tomas O'Meara has seized Michigan's fourth running-back spot because Micah Ka'apana suffered a season-ending spring injury.

- Bryce Underwood absorbed Michigan's new terminology and scheme quickly enough that the staff could devote more offseason work to his mechanics, fundamentals and situation-specific execution. - Underwood's improved drop depth and quieter base have produced better pocket presence, progression timing and arm mechanics entering his sophomore season. - Michigan has installed quarterback runs as a regular offensive component, with daily coaching devoted to helping Underwood gain productive yards while avoiding unnecessary contact. - Freshman Tommy Carr won Michigan's No. 2 quarterback job over Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi through consistent spring and camp play, and the staff can retain most of the same run-pass scheme if Carr enters. - Michigan's quarterback order behind Underwood is Carr, Fowler-Nicolosi, Brady Smigiel and Chase Herbstreit, with Carr's opener snaps dependent on the first-team offense creating a comfortable margin.

- Michigan projects UNLV transfer Cameron Brown at punter after his 40.6-yard net average ranked 43rd nationally, a meaningful upgrade target for a unit that finished 97th at 38.5 yards last season. - Trey Butkowski is expected to replace Dominic Zvada at kicker after making 19 of 22 attempts for Pittsburgh, offering strong short- and intermediate-range consistency without Zvada's demonstrated 50-yard range. - Starting receiver Andrew Marsh and starting corner Smith Snowden have taken substantial kick- and punt-return reps, while freshman running back Savion Hiter has also worked on kickoff returns. - Marsh is the projected lead returner after averaging 23.6 yards on 16 kickoffs and 11.3 yards on four punts last season, although Michigan must balance that upside against his central offensive role. - Kyle Whittingham's Utah teams were generally conservative about returning kickoffs, so Michigan's willingness to give Marsh and its other starters a green light remains the largest unresolved special-teams strategy question.

- Kyle Whittingham named Channing Goodwin Michigan's No. 3 receiver after a strong fall, while Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan remain Bryce Underwood's primary downfield targets. - Michigan plans to expand Underwood's rushing role with designed quarterback runs and read-zone keeps, but Whittingham said the staff must limit his workload and avoid unnecessary open-field contact. - Jordan Marshall enters the opener as Michigan's lead running back, with freshman Savion Hiter earning an immediate No. 2 role through his pass protection, receiving ability and acceleration. - Freshman tight end Mason Bonner is expected to contribute as a receiving option in 2026, although his 229-pound frame leaves his in-line blocking development behind his pass-catching role. - Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry and Smith Snowden will start across Michigan's corner and nickel positions, but Shamari Earls has played well enough to earn substantial snaps in the rotation.

- Michigan's offense is otherwise healthy for Western Michigan, but Ace Hamilton is out for the season and Andrew Babalola is expected to miss the opener after a minor setback. - Channing Goodwin reclaimed the WR3 role after missing spring, although Michigan expects five receivers beyond Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan to rotate according to personnel package. - Evan Link, Nathan Efobi and Brady Norton will receive roughly similar Week 1 snaps at the two guard spots because the competition has not produced meaningful separation. - True freshman Savion Hiter is considered a package starter at running back and will enter whenever Michigan calls the personnel groups built around him. - Freshman Tommy Carr won the QB2 job over Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi through faster mastery of the offense and added scramble value, but live game performance remains his principal unknown.

- Michigan's interior defensive line is built to control the run, and a run-stop-to-missed-tackle ratio above 8.0 would signal that the group is an asset; the 2025 unit finished at 7.0. - The edge room generated pressure on 12.7% of pass-rush snaps last season; roughly 13.5% is the benchmark for the group to return to the level of Michigan's stronger recent units. - Linebacker is the defense's least proven layer, making reliable tackling the immediate requirement; Nathaniel Staehling and Troy Bowles bring encouraging efficiency, while Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and Chase Taylor must improve after freshman missed-tackle issues. - Michigan returns three experienced corners with different strengths, but the ceiling depends on Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill and Smith Snowden converting disruption into stronger overall passer-rating results. - Explosive-pass prevention is the central safety concern: Mason Curtis, Chris Bracy and Jordan Young all allowed elevated yards per reception in 2025, while Rod Moore is still working to regain his prior movement and athleticism.

- Enow Etta enters 2026 as Michigan's highest-upside defensive tackle after producing 13 pressures in limited 2025 work, although missed tackles and consistency remain concerns. - True freshman Carter Meadows has grown to more than 252 pounds and is expected to add length, bend and disruption to Michigan's edge rotation even if he is not ready to start. - North Dakota State transfer Nathaniel Staehling is a candidate to become Michigan's green-dot middle linebacker, but his offseason injury and move from the FCS leave coverage and pass-rush translation uncertain. - Sophomore corner Shamari Earls is healthy after an injury-limited freshman year and gives Michigan elite athletic upside behind three established starting cornerbacks. - Mason Curtis is locked into a featured safety role after Michigan lost its other three leading safeties to the portal, and his late-2025 improvement supports a potential junior breakout.

- Michigan needs Bryce Underwood to improve a passing-efficiency profile that ranked 96th nationally, especially after his interception rate climbed to 5.1 percent over his final five starts. - Jordan Marshall already averaged 3.93 yards after contact in 2025, and Michigan will judge its Marshall-Savion Hiter backfield by whether that physical efficiency holds against six projected ranked opponents. - Michigan wants its receivers to raise their collective yards per target from 8.17 toward 9.0, with Andrew Marsh's 10.9 mark showing the separation the offense needs from more of the room. - The tight end room must earn a role in a less tight-end-dependent offense, with a 35 percent first-down rate and 90 combined targets identified as benchmarks for meaningful involvement. - Michigan averaged only 1.63 yards before contact between the tackles against ranked opponents last season, making improvement from its older and stronger offensive line essential to a playoff return.