2026
Aden Reeder - LB - Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier: Reeder is a 6'3", 210 lb. prospect who has been committed to Wisconsin since May. He's a 3-star, the #40 linebacker, and #559 overall. This is an official visit for Reeder and the only one scheduled other than one to Wisconsin, a team that's been struggling under head coach Luke Fickell. This is an official visit.
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RUSH OFFENSE vs. PURDUE RUSH DEFENSE
The big question this week is about RB Justice Haynes, who was seen in a walking boot earlier this week. He's one of the top few backs in the country this season. Michigan is #14 in rushing (220.1 yards/game) and #10 in yards per carry (5.75). If Haynes can't go, it will be Jordan Marshall (99 carries, 544 yards, 5 TD) and freshman Jasper Parker (15 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD) who will likely handle most of the carries. The offensive line and tight ends are doing a fairly good job run blocking, especially considering three starters are redshirt freshmen. Purdue is #76 in rushing defense (149 yards allowed/game) and #61 in yards allowed per carry (3.95). Odom is a former defensive coordinator with a pretty solid track record, but the Boilermakers have been up and down, giving up 254 yards on the ground to Notre Dame and just 30 rushing yards to Minnesota. They're led in tackles by senior LB Mani Powell (6'2", 230) with 76 stops, sophomore LB Charles Correa (6'3", 230) with 72, and senior S Tahj Ra-El (6'2", 208) with 68. The team is #33 in tackles for loss (including 6.25 per game), led by senior DE C.J. Nunnally IV (6'3", 265) with 7.5 and Powell with 7.0. Michigan has shown that it is committed to running the ball, and they should be able to do so pretty consistently, even if Haynes has to sit.
Advantage: Michigan
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Hail to the Victors! A win is a win, especially in a rivalry like Michigan vs. Michigan State. The better team usually wins, but I don't really get caught up in whether a win or loss is a close one when it comes to Michigan State and Ohio State. Michigan has continued bragging rights, and the streak is at four straight games. There was an absolutely blowout win in there, and this was a relatively comfortable two-score victory. Do I think Michigan is good enough to have won by more? Yes. Do I care? No.
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If you're like me and you enjoy big plays, here are some great ones against the Boilermakers over the years:
Hit the jump for some clips.
I haven't done one of these posts in a few weeks, so I may include some notable performances from week 7 and 8.
FORMER PLAYERS
Raheem Anderson, C (Western Michigan): Anderson is a backup lineman for Western Michigan.
Andrel Anthony, WR (Duke): Anthony had 2 catches for 16 yards in a loss to Georgia Tech last week. This past weekend was a bye for the Blue Devils.
Jeremiah Beasley, LB (Missouri): Beasley has not recorded any stats in the past two weeks, including a 17-10 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Kechaun Bennett, DE (UCLA): Bennett has 4 tackles and 1 tackle for loss over the past two games against Maryland (a 20-17 win) and Indiana (a 56-3 loss).
Tristan Bounds, OT (Arizona): Bounds is a backup offensive tackle for Arizona.
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RUSH OFFENSE vs. MICHIGAN STATE RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #22 in rushing offense (212.1 yards/game) and #10 in yards per carry (5.78). The team took a little bit of a hit over the past six quarters without star running back Justice Haynes (95 carries, 705 yards, 7 TD), who missed last week's game after getting hurt against USC. Haynes could possibly return, but the running back position is still in solid hands with Jordan Marshall (25 carries, 133 yards, 1 TD last week). It's just not very deep since the next two guys are true freshman Jasper Parker (15 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD) and walk-on Bryson Kudzdal (6 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD). Starting LT Evan Link will also be out after suffering a leg injury last week, so Michigan will be starting three redshirt freshmen on the offensive line: LT Blake Frazier, RG Jake Guarnera, and RT Andrew Sprague. Michigan State is #52 in rush defense (131.3 yards allowed/game) and #81 in yards allowed per carry (4.24). Against other Big Ten teams, they're giving up over 39 points per game, 5.1 yards/carry, and 181 rushing yards/game. Junior LB Jordan Hall (6'3", 238) leads the team with 51 tackles, followed by senior LB Wayne Matthews III (6'2", 230), a former Old Dominion Monarch with 41 stops. Former Michigan DT commit Alex VanSumeren (6'3", 295) ranks third on the team with 29 tackles. The only Big Ten team the Spartans have "stopped" on the ground is Nebraska (31 attempts, 67 yards, 3 TD), but that game included 5 sacks for 35 yards, so the true rushing numbers were more like 26 carries for 102 yards. In other words, Michigan should be able to run the ball pretty consistently even if Haynes is out.
Advantage: Michigan
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NOTE: Again, I apologize for the inconsistent posting schedule lately. Too many things going on right now. I've started preview posts the past two weeks and just haven't been able to finish.
Bryce Underwood is a dude. The talent of Bryce Underwood is off the charts. Michigan has never seen anything like him on their roster. The closest is Drew Henson or Devin Gardner, but Underwood is a twitchier athlete than Henson and a better thrower than Gardner. Underwood completed 21/27 passes for 230 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, and he looked to be in control the entire game. There were a few drops, but I don't love taking away the drops and making pronouncements about what his completion percentage should be, because then you're not comparing apples to apples when it comes to other quarterbacks or general expectations. It's sufficient enough to describe his accuracy by saying he completed 21/27 passes.
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