2026 Season Countdown: #61-65

 

Kendrick Bell (#10, image via Alejandro Zuniga/X)

#61. Kendrick Bell - WR - Kansas City (MO) Park Hill: Bell enters his fourth season on campus as a 6'2", 205 lb. wide receiver. After starting his career as a quarterback and then quickly transitioning to receiver, he ascended to the point in 2025 where he started one game and played in all thirteen. He made 3 catches for 54 yards on the season, including a touchdown against Texas in the bowl game. Now he seems to be a bit of an afterthought with Michigan keeping Andrew Marsh and bringing in Jaime Ffrench (Texas), J.J. Buchanan (Utah), and higher schooler Travis Johnson, among others. There's still a chance that Bell could start a game here or there in certain packages or if an injury or two happen, but he's not looked at as one of the top few options.

#62: Jonathan Brown - RB - Columbus (OH) St. Frances de Sales: Brown is a 6'3", 200 lb. running back who was an under-the-radar land (3-star, #50 RB, #804 overall) for the Wolverines in the class of 2026. Running backs coach Tony Alford took a liking to him at a football camp in the summer of 2025 and extended an offer, and Brown supposedly looked pretty good in the spring. It's probably too early to expect much from a freshman running back who is pretty tall and slight at this point, but Michigan has a solid top three at running back and then things get murky with Brown, Donovan Johnson, and walk-ons. Here I have Brown as the #4 running back, so hopefully the top three stay pretty healthy throughout the season.

#63. Jacob Baggett - K - Charlotte (NC) Providence Day: Baggett is a 6'0", 170 lb. freshman who set a North Carolina state record for touchbacks in a single season with 95 touchbacks out of 102 kickoffs. He also made 6/7 field goals and his only miss was from 51 yards. High schoolers kick off from the -40 yard line, whereas college kickers kick from the -35, so Baggett will have a slightly larger challenge to get touchbacks for the next few years. I'm not sure quite where to place him in the countdown, because he could end up as the kickoff specialist or he could never see the field at all. Returning specialist Hudson Hollenbeck has spent most of his time punting over the past couple seasons, but Michigan also brought in Pitt place kicker Trey Butkowski (zero kickoffs in 2025) and UNLV punter Cam Brown (zero kickoffs in 2025). Whether it's Baggett or one of the other three, somebody is going to be handling kickoff duties for the first time in college.

#64. Avery Gach - OG - Franklin (MI) Groves: Gach is a 6'5", 308 lb. redshirt freshman who played in five games last season, including the Cheez-It Bowl against Texas. The coaching staff seemed to like his gritty attitude and I heard him mentioned several times as someone to watch for as an up-and-comer. I think his lack of experience will hold him back from being a major contributor in 2026, but he appears to be on that next rung of players who could slide into a key role when someone ahead of him moves on or gets injured. The problem for Gach could be that the guys ahead of him are also pretty young, so he may have to wait even beyond next year before a spot opens up.

#65. Gavin Magorien - LS - Erie (PA) McDowell: Magorien is a 6'0", 202 lb. second-year college player after transferring in from Marshall over the off-season. He was Marshall's long snapper in twelve games last season, so he's rather experienced - and pretty small, by the way - for a second year college player. Michigan seems to have pumped out solid long snappers for the past several years, so this is the first time in a while where the position is a little uncertain. However, along with Magorien, the Wolverines brought in fifth-year Pitt long snapper Nico Crawford, who also spent time at Illinois and Charlotte. My guess is that the fifth-year, three-year starter will start over the second-year, second-year starter, so here Magorien is at #65 on the countdown.

2026 Season Countdown: #66-70

 

Alister Vallejo

#66. Kainoa Winston - S - Washington (DC) Gonzaga: Winston played in one game in 2025 and enters his second year as a 5'11", 204 lb. safety. He was a hyped recruit who I thought would get a little more playing time in 2025, but for whatever reason, that didn't happen. Winston now has a chance to use his speed and hitting ability with the new coaching staff and compete with a variety of safety options. I will be interested to see if defensive coordinator Jay Hill sees him more as a nickel or a safety, but Michigan has several safety/nickel types who will likely be moving on after this year (Chris Bracy, Rod Moore, Smith Snowden, etc.) and the coaches will probably start to prepare some of these young guys for more significant roles in 2027.

#67. Alister Vallejo - DT - Liberty Hill (TX) Liberty Hill: Vallejo is a 6'3", 310 lb. freshman whom a lot of people have compared to Mason Graham. Graham was a first year contributor back in 2022, but he played against better competition in high school. Vallejo (4-star, #23 DL, #212 overall) has some similar skills but may need a little more time to percolate. I expect him to work his way into the rotation this season, and it's nice to see that he's a playable size. Some defensive tackle prospects come in at around 270 pounds or so and then they just can't even see the field for a while. By the end of the season, I think Vallejo will be a pretty steady contributor as a backup.

#68. Jeremiah Lowe - CB - Lexington (KY) Frederick Douglass: Lowe is a 5'11", 180 lb. player entering his third season in a Michigan uniform. He has only played two games in his career, but he made 2 interceptions in the 2025 spring game and there's an opportunity in a revamped secondary. He could play on special teams and may find a backup role on defense. Michigan has some good players returning and brought in Smith Snowden from Utah, so there's some healthy competition for playing time in the secondary.

#69. Jamarion Vincent - CB - Waco (TX) Connally: Vincent is a 6'2", 170 lb. corner who was kind of a quiet late addition to Michigan's class. After flipping from Baylor to Michigan in late November 2025, he then enrolled early and earned some buzz during spring ball. Obviously, there were other headlines this off-season for Michigan, but normally I feel like Michigan stealing the #150 recruit late in the cycle would generate a little more excitement. His lack of bulk may hold him back in 2026, but some situational seasoning may take place to see if he can solidify a role for 2027.

#70. Manuel Beigel - OG - (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall: Beigel is a 6'5", 312 lb. player entering his third year. He spent his first two seasons playing defensive line, but the new coaching staff moved him to offensive line this off-season. If offensive line coach Jim Harding sees something in him, then that's probably a good sign that the position switch is a good idea for his development. Beigel played in seven games last season and recovered a fumble on defense. It's not clear how much of a factor he'll be in 2026 and I would guess it will be at least 2027 before we see anything significant from him on offense, but the 2025 coaching staff started to get his feet wet. It will be interesting to see if the transplanted Utah staff also tries to keep him involved.

2026 Season Countdown: #71-75

 

Malakai Lee

#71. Jaylen Pile - WR - Dallas (TX) Parish Episcopal: Pile is a 6'0", 195 lb. freshman wide receiver who caught 55 passes for 1,186 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior last season. He finished the recruiting cycle as a 3-star, the #180 wide receiver, and #1263 overall. I'm not overly high on Pile's skills, but I have no idea how he's ranked that low. His speed isn't anything special, but he does have good toughness, hands, production, etc. I don't think he'll ever be a #1 receiver for Michigan, but he could be valuable as a complementary receiver or as a returner.

#72. Markel Dabney - LB - Richmond (VA) Huguenot: Dabney is a 6'1", 225 lb. freshman who enrolled in Ann Arbor this winter. He made 68 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 1 interception on defense, and he also had 624 yards of total offense with 12 touchdowns on offense. With the linebacker room in flux, Dabney has an opportunity to get some backup snaps as a freshman and perhaps play some defense. Ranked as a 3-star, the #50 athlete, and #804 overall, he played several different positions in high school, but he should make some big improvements once he settles in at one position in college.

#73. Malakai Lee - OT - Honolulu (HI) Kamehameha: Lee is listed as a 6'7", 350 lb. true freshman. I knew he was big, but I didn't realize he would weigh that much coming into college. He has a thick, solid build, so 350 pounds on Lee looks different than on some other players, but it's still tough to get on the field early at that size. My guess is that the coaching staff will try to get him somewhere around 330. In many years Lee (4-star, #13 OT, #107 overall) might seem like someone who could slide onto the field in year one as a backup, but Michigan has a variety of more veteran options. I think the coaches will let him get his feet wet, but we're probably looking at 2027 at the earliest for any major contributions.

#74. Aden Reeder - LB - Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier: Reeder is a 6'2", 215 lb. freshman who made 47 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, and 2 pass breakups as a senior in 2025. He finished the cycle as a 3-star, the #54 linebacker, and #634 overall. Reeder has length and speed and looks like someone who could play on coverage units as a freshman, so while I don't think he will play much defense, I could see him being on the kickoff coverage unit from week one.

#75. Jordan Deck - S - Frisco (TX) Lone Star: Deck is a 6'2", 190 lb. freshman who was a 4-star, the #31 safety, and #379 overall in the 2026 class. As a senior in 2025, he made 106 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions (one of which he returned for a 96-yard touchdown). The Wolverines have a good amount of depth at safety, but it always seems like there's a guy who plays early even when the rotation seems pretty full. Deck has a solid build and some good skills. Nothing truly stands out about him (size, speed, hitting ability, etc.), but sometimes those guys end up being really steady safeties.

2026 Season Countdown: #76-80

 

C.J. Charleston (image via X)

#76. C.J. Charleston - WR - Cleveland (OH) Gilmour Academy: Nobody really talks about this, but Charleston is a super weird eligibility story and I have no idea what's going on when it comes to why he's still on Michigan's roster. The 6'0", 190 lb. wideout started two games for Michigan back in 2024, so he has played at the Big Ten level . . . but he started his college career all the way back in 2019. Just for some context, Michigan's headliner in the 2019 class was Daxton Hill . . . who is now entering his fifth season in the NFL. Charleston played at Youngstown State prior to Michigan and is now in his third season on the Wolverines roster. He was injured last year and the plan for him this fall is unclear. I have a hard time believing he'll work his way back to a starting role, partly because the new coaching staff has upgraded the receiver room with transfers like Jaime Ffrench and Salesi Moa. But Charleston does have college playing experience and is the oldest player on Michigan's roster, so maybe that will be enough to get him on the field situationally.

#77. Nico Andrighetto - S - Mountain View (CA) St. Francis: Andrighetto is a 5'9", 190 lb. fifth year senior who has been named Scout Team Player of the Year three times during his career - on defense in 2023-2024 and on special teams in 2025. He made just 1 tackle last season but played in eight total games. We'll see if the new coaching staff will also recognize his strengths and abilities, but I figure Andrighetto will continue to be a contributor on special teams.

#78. I'Marion Stewart - WR - Chicago (IL) Kenwood: Stewart is one of those players who came in with some excitement . . . and now it seems to be getting late early. He didn't see the field in 2024 and suffered an ACL injury in 2025, so now he enters year three in college with zero playing experience. Once thought of as a potential kick/punt returner and a possible solution at slot receiver, he seems to be getting zero buzz. I'm giving the edge to Charleston (see above) when it comes to importance, but Stewart had higher upside coming out of high school. Is he healthy and can he translate the mental reps from the past couple years into doing some good things on the field this fall? My guess is that we won't see much of him in 2026, but maybe he could show up as a returner on special teams.

#79. Kaden Catchings - LB - Jackson (MS) Hartfield: Michigan's first signee out of Mississippi since Jeremy LeSueur, Catchings is listed as a 6'1", 220 lb. freshman. He made 29 tackles and 2 sacks on defense and rushed for 336 yards and 6 touchdowns on offense during his senior season. Michigan brought in several transfer linebackers (Max Alford, Aisea Moa, Nate Staehling, etc.) and has some unproven talent in the linebacker room, so the depth chart is a little bit muddy. However, Catchings is probably not going to play much this fall.

#80. Chase Herbstreit - QB - Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier: Redshirt freshman Herbstreit is listed at 6'1", 198 lbs. and appears to be well down the depth chart for the Wolverines. The son of ESPN analyst - and former Ohio State quarterback - Kirk Herbstreit, Chase fell behind true freshman Tommy Carr as soon as Carr arrived on campus this winter. With former Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi also entering the fray this summer, it appears that Herbstreit will be no higher than fourth on the quarterback depth chart. His size, athleticism, and arm strength are only so-so, which means his path to playing time will have to come from his intellect. I don't think that will be enough for him this season, so Herbstreit will likely be a scout team guy in 2026.

2026 Season Countdown: #81-85

 

Donovan Johnson (image via Instagram)

#81. Chibi Anwunah - DT - Plymouth (MI) Christian: Anwunah is now a 6'5", 300 lb. defensive tackle after playing some tight end and defensive end earlier in his career. He has steadily bulked up over the past few years. Last year he was a defensive end who played in twelve games on special teams and one on the defensive line, so he does offer some value. It's unclear where he fits in the pecking order at defensive tackle after adding some weight from last year, and his special teams value may be diminishing as he adds weight and probably loses some quickness.

#82. Donovan Johnson - RB - Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Johnson is a 6'0", 215 lb. second-year player who did not see any time in 2025 due to an injury. He has had some injury problems over the past few years, and I have some concern that he won't get back to full strength. Hopefully I'm wrong. Even if healthy, he would probably be no higher than #4 on the depth chart behind Jordan Marshall, Savion Hiter, and Bryson Kuzdzal, so we probably won't see much of him this fall as he battles Jonathan Brown for snaps.

#83. Ted Hammond - DT - Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier: Hammond is a 6'5", 294 lb. redshirt sophomore who played in one game last year. Michigan has some questions on the interior defensive line this year, because they have lost a lot of talent over the past couple seasons with few surefire answers behind those players. The best interior defensive lineman this year might be Trey Pierce, who has been a solid player but hasn't done much spectacular over the past few years. Hammond has a chance to work his way into the rotation in 2026, but I think we're unlikely to see him step up, and there hasn't been any buzz about him coming out of practices.

#84. Ernest Nunley - S - Harbor City (CA) Narbonne: Nunley is a 6'0", 180 lb. true freshman who signed with Cal in December 2025 and then entered the transfer portal in the winter, eventually ending up at Michigan. He made 5 interceptions among 20 total pass breakups as a senior last fall. Nunley is pretty slight coming out of high school and probably needs to add about 10-15 pounds of muscle from his prep frame, so I'm not sure if that will have happened by this fall. But he does have some good instincts and could be someone who sneaks onto the field in some low pressure situations to get his feet wet for the future.

#85. Max Reyes - S - Southlake (TX) Carroll: Reyes is a 5'11", 203 lb. fifth year senior. He played in one game in 2024 and did not see any action in 2025, but he has shown up in the spring games and seems like someone who could make some appearances on special teams. It seems like Michigan used to have one former walk-on safety every year who would make his way onto the field on defense or maybe on special teams, but maybe those opportunities are diminishing with the new NIL and transfer rules in place.

2026 Season Countdown: #86-90

 

Max Alford (image via Yahoo!)

#86. Max Alford - LB - Park City (UT) Park City: Alford is a 6'1", 230 lb. fifth year senior and the nephew of running backs coach Tony Alford. After spending three seasons at Utah State, he then transferred to BYU in 2025, making 21 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack for the Cougars. He does have five career starts, making him a more experienced player than most in the linebacker room, but watching some film of him makes me think he will be a step or two too slow to play for the Wolverines. I think his biggest role will be as a mentor to younger players as they learn defensive coordinator Jay Hill's defense, since Hill was BYU's defensive coordinator.

#87. Jacob Washington - WR - Marrero (LA) Archbishop Shaw: Washington is a 6'3", 197 lb. redshirt freshman after playing in just two games in 2025. High school teammate Jasper Parker spent one season in Ann Arbor before going back down south to play for Arkansas this fall, and Washington looks to be pretty solidly mired as a backup for the 2026 season behind several players. From the buzz coming out of practice, it appears that freshman Travis Johnson has passed up Washington on the depth chart, too. There will probably not be a ton of playing time available for Washington this fall unless there are some injury problems.

#88. Luke Hamilton - OG - Avon (OH) Avon: Hamilton is a 6'5", 319 lb. redshirt sophomore now. After two years on campus, his only game appearance has been in the 63-3 blowout of Central Michigan in 2025. Word coming out of practices has been that Michigan has about eight different guys who could start this fall, but Hamilton hasn't really been mentioned much by insiders and appears to be on the outside looking in when it comes to getting meaningful playing time this fall. If he spends a third year at Michigan barely getting on the field, things will be looking pretty bleak for his future in Ann Arbor.

#89. Daniel Taraboi - OT - Cedarburg (WI) Cedarburg: Taraboi is a 6'7", 328 lb. fifth year senior who is a former walk-on. He has played in one game in each of his seasons on the roster. His best chance to play may be on the extra point/field goal protection unit, but Michigan has enough depth that Taraboi probably won't get on the field much as the coaching staff tries to develop younger players for action in 2027.

#90. Brooks Bahr - OG - Lake Forest (IL) Loyola: Wow, Bahr's career has gone by quickly. As I began typing up this post, I was still thinking of Bahr as a redshirt sophomore, but he's actually going into his fourth year on campus. After starting his career as a defensive end, he moved to the offensive side of the ball a year ago and is now listed as a 6'5", 312 lb. offensive lineman. He does not appear to be much of a factor in the discussion for playing time this fall, and somewhat like Taraboi, he may be most likely to play on a special teams protection unit.

2026 Season Countdown: #91-95

 

Tomas O'Meara (image via X)

#91. McHale Blade - DE - Chicago (IL) Simeon: Blade is a 6'4", 245 lb. true freshman who finished the cycle as a 4-star, the #47 defensive lineman, and #437 overall. He's very physical and a little heavy-footed at times, so he may end up kind of like a Cameron Brandt player, but I think fans will appreciate his toughness. He has had some injury issues in high school, but Michigan will need a young edge or two to step up in 2026 as depth pieces. Blade and 5-star Carter Meadows appear to be likely candidates to see the field as backups this season.

#92. Tomas O'Meara - RB - Ann Arbor (MI) Gabriel Richard: Now a redshirt sophomore, O'Meara was called into action against Maryland in 2025 when there were some injury issues with Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall. He performed admirably with 8 carries for 71 yards, including a 37-yarder. Michigan won admirably and O'Meara was able to take the load off some other guys a little bit as the season wore along.

#93. Julius Holly - DE - Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta: Holly is a 6'4", 230 lb. redshirt freshman who played in the Cheez-It Bowl against Texas during his only appearance in 2025. He seems to have a little way to go before he reaches a playable weight for a 6'4" edge defender, and there hasn't really been any buzz about him coming out of practice. This will probably be another developmental year for him as he continues to add weight and sits behind several experienced players.

#94. Mason Bonner - TE - Denver (CO) Mullen: Bonner was a so-so recruit coming out of high school in 2026, ranked as a 3-star, the #26 tight end, and #526 overall. He was listed as a 6'6", 200 lb. recruit, but Michigan now lists him at 6'7" and 225 lbs. He made 47 catches for 767 yards and 6 touchdowns as a senior last season, but he now enters a pretty solid group of tight ends. I wouldn't put it past him to earn some playing time this season if the added weight is legitimate, but it seems the super tall tight end types take a couple years to figure out their strength, coordination, route running, etc.

#95. Tariq Boney - DE - Washington (DC) St. John's: Boney is a 4-star, the #32 edge, and the #313 player overall in the 2026 class. He made 48 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 6 pass breakups as a senior in 2025. Now listed at 6'2", 245 lbs., he could potentially break into the lineup as a freshman. I will be interested to see how Michigan and new defensive coordinator Jay Hill deploys his players, and whether he tries to adjust to the Big Ten by playing bigger players at Michigan than he did elsewhere. It's difficult to get on the field as a short-ish freshman edge, because players like him have to learn how to deal with the reach disadvantage. But I could see his quickness being used in certain situations.