Name: John Henry Daley Height: 6’5″ Weight: 252 lbs. High school: Alpine (UT) Lone Peak Position: Defensive end Class: Redshirt junior Jersey number: #90 Last year: Daley played for Utah. He made 48 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass breakup. TTB Rating: N/A
John Henry Daley was a star last season. Football fans around the country were probably at least aware of the name because of the numbers he was racking up, finishing tied for #5 in the country in tackles for loss (1.59 for #3 on a per game basis) and #7 in sacks per game (1.05 for #2 on a per game basis). He was a wrecking ball coming off the edge for the Utes, hustling his way to outstanding numbers.
So, Thunder, why did you rank him at #7 in the countdown instead of in your top two?
Well, there's a pesky thing in the back of your leg called an Achilles tendon, and Daley injured it last season. That's why he only played in eleven games and why he didn't participate in spring football. Head coach Kyle Whittingham insists Daley is back to full strength and even might be quicker and more explosive than he was prior to his injury, but historically, it seems like Achilles injuries are difficult to come back from in such a short time while retaining every bit of burst. So along with a tougher opponent schedule, Daley is going to be building back trust in his lower body.
I think Daley will be good. I hope he will be as good as he was at Utah. But I have my doubts. Michigan also has an array of other pass rushers to throw at other teams, so perhaps even if Daley struggles to return to form, Michigan will have guys they can put in to get the job done. Perhaps nobody else is an All-America level talent this season like Daley, but the coaching staff seems pretty confident in the defensive end group.
Devon Baxter, DE (Virginia): Baxter is a 6'6", 247 lb. redshirt sophomore for his first season at Virginia.
Jeremiah Beasley, LB (Missouri): Beasley made 19 tackles and 1 forced fumble in 2025 and is penciled in as a backup linebacker for the 2026 season.
Josh Beetham, TE (Georgia Tech): Beetham started five games and played in all thirteen in 2025, making 6 catches for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns altogether.
Tristan Bounds, OT (Arizona): Bounds started eight games for Arizona in 2025 and is expected to be the starting right tackle in 2026. He's listed at 6'8", 306 lbs. going into his sixth year.
Name: Jyaire Hill Height: 6’2″ Weight: 190 lbs. High school: Kankakee (IL) Kankakee Position: Cornerback Class: Redshirt junior Jersey number: #20 Last year: I ranked Hill #9 and said he would be a starting cornerback with 40 tackles and 2 interceptions (LINK). He started thirteen games and made 36 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 5 pass breakups. TTB Rating: 88
The big question heading into Hill's 2025 season was whether he had made the necessary jumps in maturity and preparation to be a #1 cornerback. By all accounts, that seemed to have happened, and it showed on the field. There appeared to be fewer missed tackles and fewer busted coverages coming from Hill's side of the field. He notched an interception against Ohio State and was named the team's Defensive Skill Player of the Year, which was a decent accomplishment, considering one of his teammates was Zeke Berry.
I ranked Hill #9 last year and maybe he's deserving of being higher than #8 this season. After all, I have yet to get to the aforementioned Berry. I would like to think that new defensive coordinator Jay Hill could use scheme and personnel - such as Shamari Earls - to work around the proven depth issues at cornerback. Michigan also has a few somewhat inexperienced corners like Jo'ziah Edmond, Jamarion Vincent, Jeremiah Lowe, and others to fill the void at outside corner. The Wolverines need one of those guys to step up this season, and I think that will happen, though I'm not sure which one. Regardless, I think Hill will be a very solid cornerback this season, and Michigan will need him as they face Dante Moore of Oregon, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, John Mateer of Oklahoma, and other solid quarterbacks.
Name: J.J. Buchanan Height: 6'4" Weight: 218 lbs. High school: Henderson (NV) Covenant Position: Wide receiver Class: Sophomore Jersey number: #6 Last year: Buchanan played at Utah. He caught 26 passes for 427 yards and 5 touchdowns while starting seven games. TTB Rating: N/A
Buchanan was a lightly regarded tight end recruiting coming out of high school and was listed by Utah as a tight end in 2025, but he didn't play tight end. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck moved him all around the field, playing him in the slot, outside, snug to the line, etc. He showed a really impressive ability to adjust to short throws and especially balls thrown behind him, and his hands are outstanding. At 6'4" with long arms and strong hands, he's a problem for opponents because of the size advantage against most defensive backs.
Michigan needed help at wide receiver after frankly being pretty bad at receiver in 2025. Michigan has not recruited extremely well at wide receiver in the past couple classes outside of Andrew Marsh, and the inability to throw the ball also goes back to having starting quarterbacks named Davis Warren and Alex Orji, along with a young true freshman Bryce Underwood last year. Kendrick Bell and Channing Goodwin don't strike fear into opponents, so Michigan brought in Buchanan - a size mismatch - and Jaime Ffrench (Texas) and Salesi Moa (Utah). Between Buchanan and Marsh as the top two and then whoever they decide the #3 and #4 receivers will be, the Wolverines should be much improved in 2026.
I wanted to save Buchanan for later and thought long and hard about whether to rank him higher than Andrew Marsh, but ultimately, I think Marsh is the field stretcher and perhaps special teams contributor (kick/punt returner) who could be more difficult to replace. Underwood developed a good rapport with Marsh during the second half of last season, and this spring/summer, it looks like Underwood has done the same with Buchanan. While it should be a run-focused offense, it looks like Michigan will be able to create some big plays and more consistent chunk gains through the air this fall.
Name: Enow Etta Height: 6'5" Weight: 328 lbs. High school: Keller (TX) Covenant Christian Academy Position: Defensive tackle Class: Redshirt junior Jersey number: #17 Last year: I ranked Etta #43 and said he would be a backup defensive tackle (LINK). He made 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and 1 pass breakup. TTB Rating: 87
Etta was a tweener defensive tackle/defensive end coming out of high school in 2023, so he spent some time insisting he was an edge player even when he was hovering close to 300 pounds. There were either going to have to be some major body composition changes or he was headed for defensive tackle, and the latter happened. He spent most of 2024 standing straight up and getting pushed around, so he was a work in progress. Last season the light started to come on a little bit, but the production wasn't there. For a top-100-ish recruit not to flash more when the other defensive tackles were so-so was a little disappointing. Overall, 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack isn't awful for a backup defensive tackle, but I had hoped for more out of Etta by year three.
Now it's year four, and Michigan for sure needs more out of Etta. There's no more time to lurk behind Rayshaun Benny or anyone else. Etta has excellent size and athleticism, but things need to start coming together. There aren't many proven options on the defensive front, and defensive tackle might be the most concerning position on the team. I would like to rank Etta higher, but I haven't seen him produce enough on the field to determine whether he's head-and-shoulders above the other guys at the position. Etta almost left Michigan this off-season and supposedly could have got paid handsomely, but he was convinced to return to the Wolverines (likely with a healthy NIL offer) and now he has a chance to show he was worth the bidding war.
Name: Andrew Sprague Height: 6'7" Weight: 310 lbs. High school: Kansas City (MO) Rockhurst Position: Offensive tackle Class: Redshirt sophomore Jersey number: #54 Last year: I ranked Sprague #11 and said he would be the starting right tackle. He started twelve games at right tackle. TTB Rating: 89
Sprague was one of those somewhat rare true freshman offensive linemen who starts to get some buzz during his freshman year. It only turned into four appearances - including a start in the short-handed bowl game against Alabama - but it was noteworthy. So going into the 2025 season, it seemed pretty clear that he would play a role in the starting five. When he came out of high school, I thought he could end up as a left tackle in college, but so far he has stuck on the right side. He started twelve games last fall and was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
This past off-season, Sprague jumped into the transfer portal and seemed as good as gone, perhaps to a place like Texas. But with Michigan hiring Kyle Whittingham and bringing in standout offensive line coach Jim Harding - who produced two first round offensive tackles in the NFL draft this spring - Sprague decided to stay. The Wolverines have a very young offense and Sprague is actually the most veteran offensive lineman, having started thirteen games now at the FBS level. He was inconsistent at times last season, but he should be one year better this fall for a team that will be offensive line-dependent with a heavy dose of the running game. If Michigan is able to ground and pound like they want to do, Sprague should get some looks as an All-Big Ten performer.
