2026 Season Countdown: #11 Andrew Sprague

 

Andrew Sprague

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.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

2026 Season Countdown: #12 Smith Snowden

 

Smith Snowden

Name: Smith Snowden
Height: 5'10″
Weight: 188 lbs.
High school: Lehi (UT) Skyridge
Position: Cornerback
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #3
Last year: Snowden played at Utah. He started thirteen games on defense (and started two of those games on offense as well) with 37 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups, 13 catches for 57 yards, and 8 carries for 40 yards and 1 touchdown.

Michigan lost a lot from the defensive backfield in the transition from Sherrone Moore to Kyle Whittingham. T.J. and Tevis Metcalf decided to get out of town, and so did Brandyn Hillman (Virginia) and Jayden Sanders (now at Notre Dame). So the Wolverines needed to refill the talent pool, and one of the players they decided to bring in was Smith Snowden, a rarity in college football who is capable of playing both ways. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck used him on different kinds of jet sweeps and bubbles, and he was a mainstay at cornerback on defense.

I know some people are excited about Snowden's potential, but I have some reservations about his ability to compete against the better teams in the Big Ten. There still seems to be some question about whether he will start in the slot or outside, but he's seen as a starter, regardless. After spending some time over the past few months watching him play, I think his tackling and ability to take on blocks could give him a lower ceiling than some think. This is not to say that I think he will be a hole in the defense, but I'm pumping the brakes a little bit on some of the hype I have seen.

Defensive coordinator Jay Hill has talked about three guys having the potential to play in the slot (Snowden, Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry), and it sounds like Shamari Earls has been playing well on the outside as the #3 corner. I think it will be important for the cornerbacks to stay healthy, because Michigan has a solid top four and then complete unknowns. We will see a lot of Snowden this fall, perhaps even at punt returner or kickoff returner. And I will be interested to see if Michigan tries to use him on bubble screens and jets like he was used in Salt Lake City, but I'm guessing his offensive usage will be minimal because Michigan has more talent at receiver than Utah had in 2025.

Prediction: Starting cornerback; 35 tackles, 2 interceptions

2026 Season Countdown: #13 Rod Moore

 

Rod Moore

Name: Rod Moore
Height: 5'11″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Clayton (OH) Northmont
Position: Safety
Class: Sixth year senior
Jersey number: #1
Last year: I ranked Moore #20 and said he would be a starting safety if healthy. He made 6 tackles and 1 interception while starting one game and playing in three.

Rod Moore has seemingly been around Michigan forever, to the point where I remember watching his high school film during the COVID pandemic while sitting around the house and twiddling my thumbs. If one can be a hero of an Ohio State victory . . . and also a somewhat out-of-sight, out-of-mind entity, well, that's kind of Rod Moore.

After being named a Third Team All-Big Ten safety in 2023 (38 tackles, 2 interceptions), he seemed primed for a big 2024 when he got injured in the off-season. A potential NFL career was derailed - or perhaps just postponed - as Moore stuck around and rehabbed while missing the entire 2024 season. He then had some setbacks putting his 2025 season in jeopardy.

But he returned triumphantly with an interception in his second game of the 2025 season with an interception against Wisconsin! The next week, he started against USC, made 4 tackles, and . . . was not seen again. Another setback with the knee knocked him out for the remained of 2025.

So now we're entering 2026 and Moore supposedly feels better than he has at any point since 2023. He has been named a captain for a third year. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill says Moore is a shoo-in to start at safety, and he has been wearing the "green dot" much of the time as the primary communicator on the defensive side of the ball in practice. I believe he has now had three separate surgeries, but Michigan is looking at him as a focal point for 2026. There's probably an argument to be made that a defensive captain should be ranked higher than #13 in the countdown, and I could probably argue that someone who has missed most of the past two seasons could be ranked lower because he just hasn't produced much lately.

I think all Michigan fans are hoping that Moore can have a healthy season, even if he doesn't quite return to 2023 form. After so much frustration and so many setbacks, it would be nice if he can just play a full season of football and complete his mission. I'm hoping for an All-American type season, but if he stays healthy, I'm thinking he could once again be a Third Team or Honorable Mention all-conference player and that would be a nice way for him to ride off into the Big House sunset.

Prediction: Starting safety (if healthy)

2026 Season Countdown: #14 Blake Frazier

 

Blake Frazier (#77, image via X/Clayton Sayfie)

Name: Blake Frazier
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 302 lbs.
High school: Austin (TX) Vandegrift
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #77
Last year: I ranked Frazier #36 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He started eight games and played in all thirteen games.
TTB Rating: 89

Legacy offensive lineman Blake Frazier got his first taste of playing a big role in the Big House last fall. The son of former Michigan center Steve Frazier, Blake was a in a three-headed battle for the left tackle job against Evan Link and Andrew Babalola. Babalola hurt his knee in camp, and Link hurt his leg partway through the season, so the last man standing was Frazier. Frazier was already starting as the sixth lineman in jumbo packages, so it made sense for him to slide in as a starter at left tackle. But that was still a tall task for a young guy who came in with a ton of potential but lacking bulk. He showed good feet and awareness last season, but there were times where he flat-out got overpowered.

The hope for 2026 is that he's no longer getting overpowered after another off-season in the weight room. There has been a lot of talk about the work of new strength coach Doug Elisaia and guys increasing their lifts significantly. Frazier is still only 302 pounds, so he's a little bit light to expect elite play at this point. I would like to see him up around 310-315 pounds when all is said and done, but he's still just a third-year player. It sounds like Frazier will be the starting left tackle, with Link playing left guard and Andrew Babalola playing a backup or Rhino (extra lineman) role. The group has an excellent offensive line coach in Jim Harding, so if Frazier is indeed the choice at left tackle, that probably bodes well for Frazier's potential to finish out his career and possibly get to the NFL.

Prediction: Starting left tackle

2026 Season Countdown: #15 Savion Hiter

 

Savion Hiter (image via X)

Name: Savion Hiter
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 212 lbs.
High school: Mineral (VA) Louisa County
Position: Running back
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #5
Last year: Hiter was a senior in high school (LINK). He ran for 1,445 yards and 25 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: N/A

Having dipped my toe into recruiting for the last couple decades now, it's hard to say much is certain, but I feel like I can say this pretty confidently:

It's hard to think of a high school recruit who has engendered this much hype or, perhaps, innate confidence than Savion Hiter.

Everyone just talks about Hiter like it's a given that he will be a good player immediately in college. There was hype for Bryce Underwood, but quarterbacks always have growing pains as freshmen. People were excited about Will Johnson, but he was joining a pretty solid defensive backfield and had time to grow and develop into the second half of his first year. Nobody expects much from freshman linebackers or guys in the trenches.

But Hiter, according to some, would be starting at most places right now. He's discussed as a guy who might be Michigan's #1 running back by the end of the season and someone who looks like an NFL running back already. That's high praise for a guy who has yet to take a college snap.

Regardless of whether Hiter is ready now or not, he needs to play. Michigan does not have great depth at running back, at least not of the proven variety. While they tried to bring in a couple veterans in 2025 (C.J. Hester, John Volker) to help the 1-2 punch of Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, this year the staff is relying on homegrown talent, including former walk-on Bryson Kuzdzal. Marshall will presumably start off as the main guy, and then there's Hiter. After that there's Kuzdzal, who has good speed and patience but not much tackle breaking ability, and then a few guys who have never played college football before. At some point this season, Hiter will be needed for some key carries.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Hiter can do in college. I really liked his acceleration in high school, and he brings some physicality with him. I'm not so sure that he will become the #1 guy by the end of the year like some think will happen, but if the duo of Marshall and Hiter can stay relatively healthy throughout the year, this should be the best running back combo in the Big Ten conference.

Prediction: Backup running back

2026 Season Countdown: #16 Trey Butkowski

 

Trey Butkowski (image via On3)

Name: Trey Butkowski
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 179 lbs.
High school: Orlando (FL) Lake Nona
Position: Kicker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #99
Last year: Butkowski played for Pitt. He made 19/22 field goals and 41/42 extra points.
TTB Rating: N/A

Butkowski was a 3-star and the #6 overall kicker in the 247 Composite for the class of 2025. Immediately upon arriving at Pitt, he won the starting kicker job for Pat Narduzzi's squad and proceeded to make 19/22 on field goal attempts, including six makes from 40+ yards. He also made 41/42 extra points and was named to the Lou Groza Award semifinalist list.

Michigan needed a new starting kicker after Dominic Zvada departed for the NFL, so the Wolverines mined Pitt for a new kicker (as well as new long snapper Nico Crawford). Butkowski should be stepping right into a new starting role, because the Wolverines haven't really recruited any other significant kickers in the past couple classes. It probably makes sense to try to poach proven kickers rather than guessing on a high schooler in the current college football climate, so Butkowski is the man for 2026.

The knock on Butkowski is that he doesn't necessarily have the strongest leg, so perhaps Michigan will be attempting fewer kicks from 50+ yards than they did with Zvada. But we should expect him to be accurate on the short to medium kicks, and with several tough opponents this season, some of his kicks in close games could make or break Michigan's College Football Playoff hopes.

Prediction: Starting kicker

2026 Season Countdown: #17 Evan Link

 

Evan Link (image via Lucas Chen/Michigan Daily)

Name: Evan Link
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 313 lbs.
High school: Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Position: Offensive tackle/offensive guard
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Link #18 and said he would be the starting left tackle (LINK). He started seven games at left tackle.
TTB Rating: 72

Evan Link had a much better season in 2025 than he did in 2024, and that was reflected in my countdown post from last year. As a redshirt freshman in Kirk Campbell's lone season as offensive coordinator, Link was thrust into the starting right tackle role and he looked stiff and unsure of himself. A former high school left tackle, he looked awkward and got put on his butt several times. Some may not believe it, but it's a whole different world at right tackle, where the footwork, hand placement, etc. are completely opposite. Some might say it's the same thing but just in reverse, so it's no big deal, and to that I would say . . . okay, take a right-handed batter or a right-handed first baseman and then in one off-season when he's 20 years old, make him bat or field left-handed. The baseball example is more dramatic, but it's not irrelevant.

Link started the first seven games at left tackle, and he looked pretty solid. He wasn't blowing people off the ball, but he was fine. And "fine" was much better than "horrid" in 2024. And then just when Link was settling in, he suffered a leg injury that caused him to miss the rest of the year.

Now Michigan has a new coaching staff, and while Link was gone, Blake Frazier got some experience at left tackle. Furthermore, Andrew Babalola - who suffered an ACL tear during camp in 2025 - is now healthy and competing at left tackle. Link has reportedly been getting reps at left tackle this fall, but it appears that Frazier will win that spot and Link will end up starting at left guard. Regardless, I think Link is one of Michigan's top five linemen, so I think new offensive line coach Jim Harding will slot him in somewhere as a starter. The nice thing is that the Wolverines have a couple players like Nate Efobi, Brady Norton, and Avery Gach who all sound like they're pushing for playing time, so whoever loses the right guard job should be a decent backup option.

Prediction: Starting left guard