2025 Season Countdown: #76-80

 

Brady Prieskorn

80. DE Lugard Edokpayi (RS Fr.): The long, lanky Edokpayi was listed at 6'7" and 232 lbs. on the spring roster, and looking at him on the field in the spring, that seems about right. There's probably not going to be much opportunity for him to see the field in important moments until he adds some bulk, and he gets stalemated too easily by offensive tackles right now. We're probably looking at another season of development for him. Last year's rank: #93.

79. DT Deyvid Palepale (RS Fr.): We haven't heard too much about Palepale since he arrived on campus, and that's not too surprising. Listed at 6'2", 335 lbs. this spring, he's likely exclusively a nose tackle and Michigan has a few guys who can play the nose now that they brought in Tre Williams from Clemson and Damon Payne from Alabama. Palepale could be a plugger down the road, but 2025 probably won't be a breakout for him. Last year's rank: #62.

78. OT Ben Roebuck (RS Fr.): Roebuck is an interesting offensive line guy, someone who was gargantuan in high school and then leaned out, presumably in an attempt to rebuild his body. At 6'7" he has a massive frame to work with, but there were times where I think he looked too heavy in high school. After dropping down into the high 200s, he's now listed at 305 lbs. I don't think Roebuck will break into the top eight or so linemen this fall, so he's a deep bench option for now. Last year's rank: #92.

77. TE Brady Prieskorn (RS Fr.): I thought Prieskorn would play quite a bit more last season, but he was behind fellow freshman Hogan Hansen and then suffered a leg injury during pre-game warmups. He ended up redshirting. Michigan lost starter Colston Loveland, but I think we'll see a little less tight end usage under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsay. Hansen, Marlin Klein, Max Bredeson, and Jalen Hoffman all seem like viable options to get a good chunk of snaps, and it becomes questionable after that. Last year's rank: #47b.

76. WR I'Marion Stewart (RS Fr.): Stewart is still listed at 5'11", 180 lbs. on the spring roster. He won Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week for preparing the defense for USC, presumably for playing the role of Zachariah Branch (or maybe Makai Lemon). There's a possibility that he could factor in on kickoff or punt returns, but as for playing the receiver position, it seems like he will need some more time to break into the rotation. Last year's rank:#90.

2025 Season Countdown: #81-85

 

Jamar Browder

85. CB Tevis Metcalf (So.): Metcalf is listed at 5'10", 192 lbs. after transferring from Arkansas this off-season with his brother T.J. He played in twelve games last season with the Razorbacks, all of them on special teams and two of them on defense. I think the defensive adjustment may be significant and there's a good amount of competition to get on the field at cornerback, but he's a good addition for the coming years.

84. WR Jamar Browder (Fr.): Browder (3-star, #82 WR, #540 overall) is a 6'5", 208 lb. freshman receiver who enrolled early over the winter. The coaching staff has mentioned wanting to add size at the receiver position, and Browder brings that element, along with Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley. I think hands and route running are going to be an issue early for Browder, but the coaches seem to like him and his size maybe advantageous enough in certain situations or games to put him out on the field.

83. S Max Reyes (RS Jr.): Reyes is a redshirt junior that many fans might not know, but he's a "sleeper" pick of mine to be a key special teams contributor. He was a solid high school baseball player and a backup quarterback to Quinn Ewers in high school, a football powerhouse at Southlake Carroll. Split squad caveats apply, but he has played quite a bit in his spring game opportunities and seems like a solid tackler. I think he might end up playing quite a bit on coverage units this fall. Last year's rank: #99.

82. RB Bryson Kuzdzal (RS So.): Kuzdzal is a third-year player who had a good spring game and burst on to the scene, making his name known for the first time to many fans. He ran for 1,378 yards and scored 26 total touchdowns as a senior in the class of 2023, and he set personal record times of 10.99 in the 100 meters and 22.20 in the 200 meters during the spring of his senior year. With Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes virtually cemented in as the top two backs for this season, it will be a battle for the third spot between Kuzdzal, Princeton transfer John Volker, UMass transfer C.J. Hester, and redshirt freshman Micah Ka'apana. Last year's rank: #127.

81. DE Chibi Anwunah (RS Jr.): Anwunah is a former walk-on who is now listed at 6'5" and 278 pounds after bouncing around a little bit between tight end and defensive end. He played in two games last season and presumably moves up the ranks a little bit after Michigan lost Josaiah Stewart to the NFL and didn't bring in any transfers. He's still behind several guys and perhaps some young players like Devon Baxter, Lugard Edokpayi, and Nate Marshall will pass him up, but Anwunah's 278 pounds might give him a leg up over some of the lighter, more athletic options. Last year's rank: #95.

2025 Season Countdown: #86-90

 

Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng

90. WR Jacob Washington (Fr.): Washington (4-star, #28 WR, #200 overall) hails from Louisiana and is a 6'3", 180 lb. wideout. Michigan is in need of some bigger targets at receiver, and now they have some in the pipeline with Washington, fellow freshman Jamar Browder, and transfer Donaven McCulley. Washington has probably put on some weight in the meantime, but his route running and strength need some work, so I would expect him to redshirt this fall.

89. WR Jasper Parker (Fr.): Parker (4-star, #19 RB, #284 overall) is a 6'0", 189 lb. freshman who was a teammate of Washington in high school. He ran for 1,464 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior in 2024. Parker has some elements to be a good back, as I like his patience and his ability to sink his hips and make some sharp cuts. I gave him a TTB Rating of 68 when he committed, but that's because of the running back depth chart and the nature of the transfer portal these days. I could easily see him outplaying that rating. Regardless, he's probably headed for a redshirt this season, but I could see him getting more playing time than fellow freshman back Donovan Johnson.

88. LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (Fr.): Owusu-Boateng is a 6'1", 203 lb. linebacker who ranked as a 4-star, the #14 linebacker, and #145 overall. The Michigan coaches apparently love what he brings to the table, but he's still very light. Enrolling early might help him, but he's probably more of a special teams player than a linebacker for this season.

87. CB Jayden Sanders (Fr.): The lanky Texan cornerback was listed at 6'2", 172 lbs. as a recruit, but there are some reports that he's probably 6'3" after hitting a bit of a growth spurt. Sanders (4-star, #24 CB, #229 overall) could play a backup role on a unit that doesn't have much proven depth, but he's a likely redshirt candidate. Classmate Shamari Earls is more physically ready to contribute this season.

86. OG Luke Hamilton (RS Fr.): Hamilton is listed at 6'5", 315 lbs. in his second year of college after not playing at all in 2024. That's about 25 pounds heavier than he was listed as a recruit. There is room for some new contributions on the interior offensive line after a few interior guys left after the 2024 season, but Michigan also brought in players like Ferris State's Lawrence Hattar and Cal Poly's Brady Norton. It will probably be another year of backup duty for Hamilton. Last year's rank: #114.

2025 Season Countdown: #91-95

 

Manuel Beigel

95. DT Manuel Beigel (RS Fr.): Beigel is a 6'5", 300 lb. German native who spent one season playing football in America as a senior in the fall of 2023 and then took a redshirt in 2024 after playing in just one game. We haven't heard much about him since he arrived at Michigan, but scouts raved about his athleticism when he was a recruit. If we're judging from other international prospects like Luiji Vilain (Canada), Julius Welschof (Germany), and Aymeric Koumba (France), it will take some time before Beigel is ready to contribute. With the depth on Michigan's defensive line, I don't expect Beigel to play much of a role in 2025. Last year's rank: #128.

94. RB Donovan Johnson (Fr.): Johnson (3-star, #39 RB, #477 overall) has had some injury issues in the past, which deflated his recruitment. He ran just 48 times for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in seven games as a senior after missing his junior season due to injury. Now up to a listed 6'0", 213 lbs. on MGoBlue.com, he's going to be swimming upstream against a pretty deep backfield. Aside from surefire contributors Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes, the Wolverines brought in C.J. Hester from UMass and John Volker from Princeton. It always seems like a freshman sneaks in for a pretty sizable backup role, but that will be a tall task in 2025.

93. OT Daniel Taraboi (RS Jr.): The 6'7", 328 lb. mammoth former walk-on played in one game last year, making an appearance on special teams against Northwestern. That's probably his best opportunity for playing time, where being a big body can help on a field goal protection unit without being super mobile. Last year's rank: #101.

92. DE Devon Baxter (RS Fr.): Baxter is listed at 6'6" and 240 pounds on the roster, which is still rather lean for an edge rusher. He has probably added some weight to that frame this off-season, but he has not been mentioned much in the discussion for playing time. The top four edges are expected to be Derrick Moore, T.J. Guy, Cam Brandt, and Dominic Nichols. I really like his athletic potential, but he's probably at least a year away from significant playing time. Last year's rank: #109.

91. S Elijah Dotson (Fr.): Dotson (4-star, #11 S, #131 overall) was a late flip from Pitt to Michigan, having committed to the Wolverines toward the end of November. He was followed shortly by #1 overall player Bryce Underwood, also from Belleville High. Dotson could potentially play wide receiver, where he also starred in high school, but he's starting out at safety in college. He seems to have flown under the radar a little bit, especially for a player who ranked #131 overall in the 247 Composite. That being said, Michigan has a pretty deep defensive backfield, so Dotson will probably have to bide his time on the sideline this fall.

2025 Season Countdown: #96-100

 

Davis Warren

100. OL Brooks Bahr (RS So.): Bahr is now listed at a respectable 6'5" and 319 pounds, but over two seasons at Michigan, he has yet to see the field. He came in as an oversized defensive end and switched to offensive line last year, so he's bound to take some time to adjust to that side of the ball. With some highly touted freshmen coming in, a couple transfers, and the other returning players, it's unlikely that Bahr will play a role in 2025 unless he's part of the field goal protection unit. Last year's rank: #81.

99. DT Ted Hammond (RS Fr.): Hammond, much like Bahr, came in as a jumbo defensive end who looked like a tweener on the defensive line. That's still the case now that he's listed at 6'5" and 282 pounds, because he's not athletic enough to play an edge role but he's probably still too light to play on the interior. He probably needs another year or two of development, along with some of the older defensive tackles to depart. Last year's rank: #106.

98. S Jordan Young (Fr.): Young (4-star, #4 ATH, #120 overall) was a late recruiting win for Michigan as the Wolverines flipped him from Clemson. He could potentially play nickel even though he was ranked as a safety, but it's tough for a freshman defensive back to come in and play early with the complicated defense that Wink Martindale runs. He's probably a few spots down on the depth chart going into the season.

97. LS Evan Boutorwick (RS Jr.): Boutorwick has spent three seasons in Ann Arbor and has yet to see the field. The obvious mitigating factor is that he has had William Wagner and Greg Tarr ahead of him, both of whom have been good players. Boutorwick threw his name in the transfer portal this off-season, perhaps in anticipation of potential roster limits, which did not come to pass. I have not seen news that he is actually transferring, but Michigan brought in transfer Dan Rosenberg, who has starting experience at Holy Cross, and Tarr also returns as the likely starter. Last year's rank: #63.

96. QB Davis Warren (RS Sr.): It might be surprising to see Warren ranked all the way down here at #96, since he was the starter for most of the 2024 season. However, he tore his ACL in the bowl game against Alabama, and Michigan probably has at least two quarterbacks this season who are better than him in freshman Bryce Underwood and incoming transfer Mikey Keene. Warren's season was underwhelming from a statistical standpoint (134/209, 64.1% completions, 1199 yards, 7 TD, 9 INT), but he did beat Michigan State, Ohio State, and Alabama as a starting quarterback. I would expect him to drop to at least #3 on the depth chart even if he returns to some semblance of playable health. Last year's rank: #29.

2025 Season Countdown: #101-104

 

Chase Herbstreit (#7) and family

Okay, so as I mentioned before, this summer has been an odd one because of some personal stuff going on. Because of that, I basically ignored the 2025 Season Countdown for several weeks and I've mainly just been trying to keep up with commitment posts and visitor lists during a busy June/July. As an attempt to catch back up, I'm going to do the countdown in batches instead of individually until I can catch up.

104. QB Chase Herbstreit (Fr.): The son of former Ohio State quarterback and current ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, Chase (3-star, #149 QB, #2222 overall) was a late addition to the class of 2025. With Bryce Underwood and Mikey Keene vying for the starting job, the real race is for the #3 spot, which could go to incoming transfer Jake Garcia or redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis (or fifth year senior Davis Warren if he gets healthy). But Herbstreit will almost certainly be on the outside looking in.

103. C Kaden Strayhorn (Fr.): Strayhorn (3-star, #35 IOL, #518 overall), the son of former Michigan State defensive tackle Jason Strayhorn, came from IMG Academy and enrolled early. He struggled a little bit in the spring game, which is to be expected, especially since he spent a lot of time playing tackle in high school. With Greg Crippen returning as a starter and a couple other guys, including redshirt freshman Jake Guarnera, also getting snaps in practice, Strayhorn will probably be no higher than #3 or #4 on the depth chart at center.

102. TE Eli Owens (Fr.): Owens, the son of former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens (just kidding), wants to be the next Max Bredeson. The problem is that former walk-on Jalen Hoffman also wants to be the next Max Bredeson, and Hoffman was the star of the spring game. Owens (3-star, #29 TE, #562 overall) is probably going to be a thumping fullback/H-back at some point in his career, but we'll likely have to wait for 2026 after Max Bredeson graduates.

101. DT Travis Moten (Fr.): Moten (4-star, #35 DL, #328 overall) is listed at 6'5" and 250 pounds, and he's headed for the defensive tackle position in college. Even if he has added significant weight since his senior season, it's tough to play on the interior defensive line in college because the musculature and technique just haven't caught up yet to where they need to be. Michigan rotates a ton on the defensive line and also needs to keep an eye on developing for 2026, because a bunch of seniors will leave the squad after this season. So maybe Moten can sneak in some garbage time snaps, but he probably won't play a significant role.

Jordan Deck, Wolverine

 

Jordan Deck

Frisco (TX) Lone Star safety Jordan Deck flipped from Baylor to Michigan on Wednesday night, less than a month after committing to the Golden Bears. Other schools who threw their hat in the ring were Auburn, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas A&M, and more.

Deck is listed at 6'1" and 190 pounds. As a junior in 2024, he made 42 tackles, 1 sack, and 12 pass breakups. He had 5 interceptions as a sophomore in 2023.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 79 grade, #35 safety
Rivals: 4-star, 90 grade, #26 safety
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #25 safety

Hit the jump for more.

Marky Walbridge, Wolverine

 

Marky Walbridge with head coach Sherrone Moore

Needham (MA) St. Sebastian's offensive tackle Marky Walbridge committed to Michigan on June 25th. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Boston College, Florida, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others.

Walbridge is listed at 6'6" and 280 pounds.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 78 grade, #66 IOL
Rivals: 4-star, 90 grade, #14 IOL, #235 overall
247 Sports: 3-star, 87 grade, #64 OT

Hit the jump for more.

Micah Drescher, Wolverine

 

Micah Drescher (left, image via On3)

Hinsdale (IL) Central kicker Micah Drescher committed to Michigan on June 18. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Air Force and Northwestern.

Drescher is listed at 6'2" and 188 pounds. As a junior in 2024, he made 3/5 field goals; the makes were from 47, 37, and 30 yards, and one of the misses was blocked. He made 35/36 extra points, had 42/50 kickoffs turn into touchbacks, and pinned 10 of his 22 punts inside the 20-yard line.

RANKINGS
ESPN: Unranked
Rivals: 3-star, 80 grade, #9 K
247 Sports: 3-star, 80 grade, #14 K

Hit the jump for more.

Way Too Early 2026 Depth Chart: July 2025

 

Jyaire Hill (image via X)

The following depth chart has removed these listed players from the roster:

• QB Mikey Keene (graduation)
• QB Davis Warren (graduation)
• RB John Volker (graduation)
• WR C.J. Charleston (graduation)
• WR Donaven McCulley (graduation)
• WR Peyton O'Leary (graduation)
• WR Anthony Simpson (graduation)
• TE Max Bredeson (graduation)
• OL Greg Crippen (graduation)
• OL Giovanni El-Hadi (graduation)
• OL Lawrence Hattar (graduation)
• EDGE T.J. Guy (graduation)
• EDGE Tyler McLaurin (graduation)
• EDGE Derrick Moore (graduation)
• DT Rayshaun Benny (graduation)
• DT Ike Iwunnah (graduation)
• DT Damon Payne (graduation)
• DT Tre Williams (graduation)
• LB Jaishawn Barham (graduation)
• LB Ernest Hausmann (graduation)
• LB Jaydon Hood (graduation)
• DB Caleb Anderson (graduation)
• DB Zeke Berry (graduation)
• DB Rod Moore (graduation)
• K Dominic Zvada (graduation)
• P Luke Bauer (graduation)

It assumes that every currently rostered player and every currently committed prospect will be here in the fall of 2026, which is obviously not true.

Hit the jump for the depth chart.

Brody Jennings, Ex-Wolverine

 

Brody Jennings (center) with the late Bradley Jennings, Sr. (left) and Sherrone Moore (right, image via Wolverine Chronicle)

Jacksonville (FL) Mandarin cornerback Brody Jennings de-committed from Michigan last week and flipped to Miami. He had been committed to the Wolverines since July 28, 2024.

Jennings is a 6'1", 175 lb. corner who's ranked as a 4-star, the #24 cornerback, and #277 overall in the 247 Composite list for 2026. In addition to Miami and Michigan, he had taken official visits to Auburn, Florida, and Florida State.

Unfortunately, Jennings's father Bradley Jennings died unexpectedly toward the end of May, which was a big reason why Brody decided to stay closer to home. His older brothers Bradley Jennings, Jr. and Branden Jennings both played college football. While Bradley Jennings, Sr. played linebacker at Florida State, his namesake played for Miami and Indiana, and Branden (who was once also committed to Michigan) ended up at Maryland, Kansas State, UCF, and Mississippi State.

Not to make light of the situation, but it's not often that two brothers were both committed to Michigan and de-committed. I guess the closest thing I can remember is Ben Van Sumeren, who played in Ann Arbor before transferring to Michigan State, and Alex Van Sumeren, who de-committed from the Wolverines after Ben decided to transfer.

On the same day Jennings flipped to Miami, Michigan landed Georgia cornerback Dorian Barney, who joined Virginia product Andre Clarke, Jr. in the defensive backfield for the Wolverines. Michigan is still pursuing several defensive backs to fill out the 2026 class.

Alister Vallejo, Wolverine

 

Liberty Hill (TX) Liberty Hill DT Alister Vallejo

Liberty Hill (TX) Liberty Hill defensive tackle Alister Vallejo committed to Michigan on June 10. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Kansas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, and SMU, among others.

Vallejo is listed at 6'3" and 310 pounds. As a junior in 2024, he made 51 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, and 4 blocked kicks.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #29 DL
On3: 3-star, 87 grade, #82 DL
Rivals: 3-star DE, 5.7 grade
247 Sports: 4-star, 91 grade, #32 DL, #204 overall

Hit the jump for more.

Travis Johnson, Wolverine

 

Travis Johnson with WR coach Ronald Bellamy

Chesapeake (VA) Oscar Smith wide receiver Travis Johnson committed to Michigan on Saturday. He picked the Wolverines over Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, Texas A&M, and numerous others.

Johnson is listed at 6'3" and 185 pounds. As a junior in 2024, he caught 63 passes for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #17 WR, #112 overall
On3: 4-star, 91 grade, #15 WR, #137 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #55 WR
247 Sports: 4-star, 91 grade, #23 WR, #173 overall

Hit the jump for more.

Julian Walker, Wolverine

 

Left to right: Titan Davis, Julian Walker, Carter Meadows, Tariq Boney

Irmo (SC) Dutch Fork defensive end Julian Walker committed to Michigan on Tuesday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Auburn, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and South Carolina, among others.

Walker is listed at 6'6" and 252 pounds. As a junior in 2024, he made 44 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 81 grade, #23 DE, #235 overall
On3: 4-star, 91 grade, #20 edge, #136 overall
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #48 edge
247 Sports: 4-star, 91 grade, #16 edge, #155 overall

Hit the jump for more.