2025 Spring Football Preview: Wide Receiver

 

Donaven McCulley

RETURNING PLAYERS: Peyton O'Leary (RS Sr.), Joe Taylor (RS Sr.), Amorion Walker (Sr.), Logan Forbes (RS Jr.), Fredrick Moore (Jr.), Semaj Morgan (Jr.), Kendrick Bell (RS So.), Channing Goodwin (RS Fr.), I'Marion Stewart (RS Fr.)
NEWCOMERS: Donaven McCulley (RS Sr.), Anthony Simpson (RS Sr.), Andrew Marsh (Fr.), Jamar Browder (Fr.)
DEPARTURES: C.J. Charleston (graduation), Tyler Morris (transfer to Indiana)

OUTLOOK: Michigan's receivers did not have a banner year in 2024. Part of it may be a chicken-or-egg situation with the poor quarterback play: no receiver was going to have a great year with Davis Warren and Alex Orji throwing the ball, and not many quarterbacks were going to have great passing numbers throwing to what Michigan put out there at receiver. Tight end Colston Loveland led Michigan's team in receptions (56), yards (548), and touchdowns (5). By comparison, the leading wideouts in each category were Semaj Morgan (27 catches), Tyler Morris (248 yards), and Morris again (2 touchdowns).

Morris headed for the greener pastures of, uh, Bloomington, Indiana, this off-season, so it's a pretty complete overhaul of the receiving group. Morgan is back, but he had a measly 139 yards and a paltry 5.2 yards per catch. That's not an indictment of Morgan's talent, but Michigan's overall inability to push the ball downfield, set up screens appropriately, and generally call an offense. I have more faith in new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey than the departed Kirk Campbell, so I expect Morgan to benefit significantly. But he has yet to prove that he can be a downfield threat.

The prize of Michigan's transfer efforts at receiver is Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley, a 6'5", 203 lb. possession guy who caught 48 passes for 644 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2023. While he doesn't have a ton of downfield speed, he's the type of big target with experience that Michigan lacked out wide in 2024. He can probably be penciled in as a starter this fall.

Other unknowns include the quick Fredrick Moore (11 catches, 148 yards, 1 TD in 2024), former walk-on and possession guy Peyton O'Leary (10 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD), former quarterback Kendrick Bell (7 catches, 70 yards), and reed-thin speedster Amorion Walker (3 catches, 34 yards). The most intriguing of those is Walker, who is 6'3" and 182 lbs. Once penciled in as a starting cornerback by Jim Harbaugh - and briefly at Ole Miss in the spring of 2024 - he spent last year at receiver. If corners don't get a hand on him, he can run real fast; if corners do get a hand on him, he can fall down real fast.

One of Lindsey's tasks will be to figure out which veteran receiver can play a good-sized role in the offense and provide some help for some limited quarterbacks: QB Mikey Keene is limited by his stature, and QB Bryce Underwood is limited by his inexperience. But another task will be to figure out what roles can be played by freshman Andrew Marsh, incoming UMass transfer Anthony Simpson, and freshman Jamar Browder. Marsh comes in with some questions about his overall speed, but he reportedly finds a way to make things happen. Simpson is a bit of a screen and gadget guy, but he could be fun to watch. And Browder is a 6'3" guy with some upside, but he's probably somebody who needs to bake in the oven for at least a season.

Overall, Michigan has an array of pieces. While last season was similar at receiver to the 2023-2024 Michigan basketball team that got Juwan Howard fired because he couldn't construct a roster, this year could be closer to the 2024-2025 Dusty May version of the basketball team: a well constructed squad probably lacking championship potential.

2025 Spring Football Preview: Offensive Line

 

RETURNING PLAYERS: Greg Crippen (RS Sr.), Giovanni El-Hadi (RS Sr.), Connor Jones (RS Jr.), Brooks Bahr (RS So.), Nathan Efobi (RS So.), Evan Link (RS So.), Blake Frazier (RS Fr.), Jake Guarnera (RS Fr.), Luke Hamilton (RS Fr.), Ben Roebuck (RS Fr.), Andrew Sprague (RS Fr.)
NEWCOMERS: Lawrence Hattar (RS Sr.), Brady Norton (RS So.), Andrew Babalola (Fr.), Kaden Strayhorn (Fr.)
DEPARTURES: Raheem Anderson (transfer to Western Michigan), Tristan Bounds (transfer to Arizona), Andrew Gentry (transfer to BYU), Dominick Giudice (transfer to Missouri), Myles Hinton (NFL Draft), Jeffrey Persi (transfer to Pitt), Josh Priebe (NFL Draft)

OUTLOOK: Michigan really struggled up front in 2024, the first year under new offensive line coach Grant Newsome. They did seem to make some progress late in the year, but it was too late to salvage anything but a couple surprise victories against Ohio State and Alabama. The top performer up front was Myles Hinton, a mammoth Stanford transfer. Transfer left guard Josh Priebe struggled at times, and from the center to the right tackle was a travesty for much of the year. Greg Crippen and Dominick Giudice played hot potato with the reins of the center position for the entire year, Giovanni El-Hadi performed disappointingly at right guard, and redshirt freshman Evan Link posted multiple PFF grades of 0.0 in pass protection.

There has been a lot of turnover on the offensive line, with seven players either moving on to the NFL (Hinton, Priebe) or transferring. Giudice, Andrew Gentry, and Jeffrey Persi all had significant starting or playing experience, and all three decided to play elsewhere, leaving somewhat of a void in the remaining offensive line.

The bowl game against Alabama featured Link at left tackle and freshman Andrew Sprague at right tackle, and that may be the configuration we see to begin the spring. Link looked more comfortable on the left side, and Sprague showed some promise at right tackle, especially from an attitude perspective. Add in an off-season of strength and conditioning, and Sprague should be ready to roll.

As for new faces for 2025, Ferris State transfer Lawrence Hattar could possibly be penciled in to start at guard; he's a fifth year player with lots of starting experience at the Division II level. Andrew Babalola is a 5-star prospect who's big enough and athletic enough to compete for playing time at one of the tackle positions. Junior college transfer Brady Norton has potential down the road, but he's probably a developmental guy at this point.

A couple other players who have been rumored to be in contention for playing time are redshirt junior Connor Jones and redshirt sophomore Nathan Efobi. Redshirt freshman Blake Frazier has been mentioned as having potential if he can get/stay healthy, and redshirt freshman Ben Roebuck had college-ready size when he arrived in 2024. All of those players are huge question marks since we haven't really seen them on the field except during spring games.

Overall, the offensive line is a group with a lot of individual talent, but very little cohesion from playing together. Center Greg Crippen and offensive guard Giovanni El-Hadi have spent lots of time together as two fifth year seniors, but the rest of the players are either young or new to the system. It's probably a pipe dream to hope for a return to the Joe Moore Award-level play we saw in 2021 and 2022, but it's going to be very disappointing if Michigan can't perform better in the trenches than they did in 2024.

2026 Recruiting Update: March 6, 2025

 

Justice Fitzpatrick (image via On3)

COMMITMENT

White (GA) Cass offensive guard Bear McWhorter committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Owings Mills (MD) McDonogh linebacker Nick Abrams II (4-star, #19 LB, #223 overall) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 215 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, and Penn State, among others.

Durham (NC) C.E. Jordan defensive tackle Noah Clark (4-star, #30 DL, #254 overall) was offered by Michigan. He has official visits set up for Duke, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, so Michigan has some work to do here if they want to catch up. He made 75 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks as a junior in 2024 and looks like a future nose tackle for someone.

Hit the jump for more.

Bear McWhorter, Wolverine

 

White (GA) Cass OG Bear McWhorter with Sherrone Moore (image via Rivals)

White (GA) Cass offensive guard Bear McWhorter, a 2026 prospect, committed to Michigan on Friday. The former Arkansas commit also had offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and numerous others.

McWhorter is listed at 6'3.5" and 295 lbs. on 247 Sports.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 81 grade, #5 IOL, #175 overall
On3: 3-star, 88 grade, #43 IOL
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #11 IOL
247 Sports: 3-star, 85 grade, #87 IOL

Hit the jump for more.

2025 NFL Combine Results

 

Donovan Edwards (image via Detroit News)

Michigan had nine players compete at (or at least show up to) the 2025 NFL combine. Here are the results for the participants:

RB Donovan Edwards

• 5'11", 205 lbs.
• 30" arms, 10" hands
• 4.44 forty-yard dash
• 38.5" vertical
• 23 bench press reps

DT Mason Graham

• 6'3 1/2", 296 lbs.
• 32" arms, 9 1/8" hands
• 24 bench press reps

DT Kenneth Grant

• 6'4", 331 lbs.
• 33 1/2" arms, 10 1/8" hands
• 22 bench press reps

OT Myles Hinton

• 6'7", 323 lbs.
• 34 1/8" arms, 10 1/4" hands
• 31.5" vertical jump
• 4.96-second 20-yard shuttle

CB Will Johnson

• 6'2", 194 lbs.
• 30 1/8" arms, 9 1/4" hands

TE Colston Loveland

• 6'6", 248 lbs.
• 32 3/4" arms, 10" hands

RB Kalel Mullings

• 6'1 1/2", 226 lbs.
• 31 3/4" arms, 10" hands

DE Josaiah Stewart

• 6'1", 249 lbs.
• 31 7/8" arms, 9 1/2" hands

LS William Wagner

• No measurements publicly available

I was hoping to see more players participate in drills, but the growing trend is for players to wait for their pro days (or not work out at all). It would have been fun to see Kenneth Grant run the 40-yard dash and for Will Johnson to do a variety of drills, etc., but alas, we're left to wonder.

Michigan did have running back Donovan Edwards test, and his results were pretty outstanding:

Donovan Edwards is a RB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.60 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 78 out of 1909 RB from 1987 to 2025.

Splits projected, times unofficial. https://t.co/0sQaB4ddis pic.twitter.com/sgBAkoNoMR

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 1, 2025

2025 Spring Football Preview: Tight End

 

Marlin Klein (image via 247 Sports)

RETURNING PLAYERS: Max Bredeson (RS Sr.), Marlin Klein (RS Jr.), Jalen Hoffman (RS So.), Zack Marshall (RS So.), Deakon Tonielli (RS So.), Hogan Hansen (So.), Brady Prieskorn (RS Fr.)
NEWCOMERS: Eli Owens (Fr.)
DEPARTURES: Colston Loveland (NFL draft)

OUTLOOK: Michigan had one of the best tight ends in college football in 2024 in the form of Colston Loveland, who should be a first round draft pick in April. Loveland was by far Michigan's leading receiver (56 catches, 582 yards, 5 touchdowns) despite playing in a subpar passing game, and his numbers were significantly hurt by the fact that the quarterbacks couldn't get him the ball when he was open downfield.

Marlin Klein caught the fifth most passes on the team in 2024 and filled in for Loveland. Klein isn't nearly the fluid athlete that Loveland was and doesn't have as natural of receiving abilities, but he's a 6'6", 247 lb. player with good straight-line speed and decent blocking ability. He caught 13 passes for 108 yards and 0 touchdowns a season ago.

The other huge returning contributor is 6'2", 240 lb. Max Bredeson, who plays a fullback/H-back role. Bredeson caught just 3 passes for 24 yards, but he's a devastating blocker who sets the physical tone on offense. New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey may have to adjust some of his schemes to incorporate a heavy dose of Bredeson. I think Lindsey is pretty flexible as a coach, but he seems less inclined to use multiple tight ends as frequently as Jim Harbaugh-type offenses did.

Rising sophomore Hogan Hansen came out of nowhere to catch 7 passes for 78 yards and 1 touchdown in 2024 while playing in ten games. It's not clear exactly what type of role he'll play since his body (6'5", 236) and skills haven't really developed yet, but what is clear is that the coaching staff likes him and he will probably see a heavier role in 2025.

Walk-on Hoffman is Bredeson's backup, and both Marshall and Tonielli are going into their third years without playing much. Prieskorn was hurt toward the end of the season, and my guess is he will not participate fully in spring ball. The lone freshman in the class is Eli Owens, who was listed at 6'1" and 243 lbs. coming out of high school before enrolling early. He has mentioned how much he wants to fill the role of Bredeson down the road, so he may end up battling Hoffman for playing time this spring after enrolling early.

Overall, Michigan has a solid group of tight ends, but no real stars in the receiving game. Bredeson may prove to be the best of the bunch because of his blocking ability, but there's still some intriguing potential with Klein's athleticism, Hansen's early flashes, etc. One to watch may be Tonielli, who got some buzz last spring but never got an opportunity on Saturdays. It should be a good overall unit, but the crew overall is a bit of an unknown.

Pernell McPhee, Wolverine

 

Pernell McPhee (image via Baltimore Ravens)

Former NFL linebacker Pernell McPhee has been elevated from a defensive analyst to outside linebackers coach for Michigan. He joined Michigan's staff in 2024.

McPhee played under Wink Martindale when Martindale was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. The outside linebacker was a Raven from 2011-2014 and 2019-2021, with stints in between playing for Washington and Chicago.

McPhee graduated from Pahokee (FL) Pahokee, the home of former Michigan wide receiver Martavious Odoms and linebacker Brandin Hawthorne. He then attended Itawamba Community College and Mississippi State before getting drafted in the fifth round (#165 overall) in 2011. He made 260 tackles and 38 sacks during his eleven-year NFL career.

The coaching landscape has changed in college football. This off-season, the NCAA passed a rule allowing analysts and "off-the-field" staff to now become on-field coaches. Instead of being allowed eleven coaches - a number that was recently increased from ten - now programs can basically hire as many coaches as they can afford. Michigan recently lost defensive analyst LaTroy Lewis to the Toledo Rockets as he became their defensive line coach, so the promotion of McPhee seems connected to the loss of Lewis.

2025 Spring Football Preview: Running Back

 

Jordan Marshall (image via On3)

RETURNING PLAYERS: Benjamin Hall (RS So.), Jordan Marshall (So.), Micah Ka'apana (RS Fr.)
NEWCOMERS: Justice Haynes (Jr.), Donovan Johnson (Fr.)
DEPARTURES: Cole Cabana (transfer to Western Michigan), Tavierre Dunlap (transfer to Eastern Michigan), Donovan Edwards (NFL Draft), Kalel Mullings (NFL Draft)

OUTLOOK: The 2024 squad looked to have a pretty solid makeup with Donovan Edwards gracing the cover of NCAA '25 and Kalel Mullings a promising mooseback. And while both had decent seasons - Mullings had 948 yards and 12 touchdowns while Edwards had 589 yards and 4 scores - it was a step down from the years of Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum leading the charge from 2021-2023. Part of that stemmed from the offensive line issues, and part of it was the running backs themselves.

The good news is that true freshman Jordan Marshall, a high-level recruit, was ready to step in and run for 100 yards against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl after Edwards and Mullings both opted out of playing in the bowl game. Marshall reminds a lot of people of Blake Corum, and he might even have better breakaway speed, at least if you put stock in high school track times. Marshall also showed some toughness in breaking a bunch of tackles, and his combination of skills helped him jump ahead of Benjamin Hall, who is one year older.

Speaking of Hall, the 235 lb. bowling ball managed just 72 rushing yards in his second year, including 16 carries for just 28 yards in the bowl game. He showed some good running skills in the spring game and against Indiana in 2023, but he has been pretty quiet on the field on Saturdays.

Redshirt freshman Micah Ka'apana was very slight as a freshman last season and needed to add weight in the off-season. He does not seem like a likely candidate to be one of the top couple backs in 2025, but he could work his way into being a complementary back or a pass receiving threat out of the backfield. One interesting thing to note about new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is that his starting running back in 2024, Omarion Hampton, caught 38 passes for 373 yards and 2 touchdowns. Michigan hasn't had a running back catch that many passes since Chris Perry caught 44 balls in 2003.

Michigan also has reinforcements coming in the form of Justice Haynes, who played for Alabama the past two seasons. Haynes ran 79 times for 448 yards and 7 touchdowns last season as a backup for Jam Miller, and he was a 5-star recruit who boasts both power and speed. While Michigan has had complementary backs in recent years with the power of Haskins/Mullings, the speed of Donovan Edwards, and the power/elusiveness of Blake Corum, the duo of Marshall and Haynes - who I expect to be the top two backs - represents the first time where two similar backs will be able to spell each other. Both were listed in 2024 at 5'11" and 210 pounds, and they each have a good combination of balance, strength, and quickness.

The wild card this spring will be true freshman early enrollee Donovan Johnson, who missed his junior season with a torn ACL. Running backs coach Tony Alford reportedly checked in on Johnson personally to make sure Johnson was back up to speed, and Michigan pursued accordingly. He has not posted a highlight video on Hudl since his sophomore year, so nobody really knows how he looks except people who have been to his games in person. He's supposedly up to around 215 pounds now, so the major question will be whether he has the speed/agility to be successful at this level.

Overall, it appears to be a Marshall vs. Haynes battle for the top job, but both players will probably see a lot of playing time in 2025. The primary battle this spring will be between Hall, Ka'apana, and Johnson for the third spot.

2025 Roster Count

 

Ernest Hausmann

With the house settlement expected in April of this year, FBS rosters are going to change. Instead of the old 85-scholarship limit with unlimited walk-ons available, it is expected that teams will be allowed to have 105 total players on a roster. All of those players would be able to receive scholarships, but there would no longer be walk-ons beyond the 105 limit. Michigan had 136 players on its roster in 2024, so that means there are 31 fewer students at the University of Michigan who will be able to run out of the tunnel on home game Saturdays.

Even though I think that's a little bit sad for the state of college football, those are the times we're living in. So I'm going to adjust the "scholarship count" posts - which used to differentiate between scholarship players and walk-ons - and just keep track of players with spots on the roster.

TOTAL ROSTER PLAYERS FOR 2025 = 121

Michigan needs to lose 16 players from this list prior to the season. I've checked social media and transfer portal trackers to see if any of these players are leaving, but that's not information that will always be publicly available until official rosters are released.

Hit the jump for the breakdown:

2025 Spring Football Preview: Quarterback

 

Bryce Underwood (image via MSN)

RETURNING PLAYERS: Davis Warren (RS Sr.), Jadyn Davis (RS Fr.)
NEWCOMERS: Mikey Keene (RS Sr.), Bryce Underwood (Fr.)
DEPARTURES: Anthony Arnou (transfer portal), Jayden Denegal (transfer to San Diego State), Alex Orji (transfer to UNLV), Jack Tuttle (graduation/retirement)

OUTLOOK: Davis Warren started for the majority of the season in 2024, but to say it was a disappointing campaign would be an understatement. There were times when Warren was a turnover machine, and even though he cleaned things up a little bit down the stretch, there were some glaringly bad plays against Ohio State in the regular season finale. He completed 64.1% of his passes but for just 5.7 yards per attempt, 7 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions on the season. Still, he was at the helm for the upset win over the Buckeyes and started the ReliaQuest Bowl win against Alabama. Unfortunately, his torn ACL suffered in the bowl game will keep him out of spring participation.

That leaves Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and true freshman early enrollee Bryce Underwood as the likely starters for each side in the spring game. Keene is a fifth year senior who has starting experience at UCF and Fresno State, including time spent at UCF under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. Altogether, Keene has completed 67.8% of his career passes for 8,245 yards, 65 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions. Last year he was at 70.5% completions for 2,892 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He's a functional game manager who can handle short to intermediate throws, but he has a relatively weak arm and isn't much of a runner; he might be able to have a 2021 Cade McNamara-like performance if the offensive line and running game can hold up.

The phenom and wild card is Bryce Underwood. Underwood was an LSU commit for a long time before flipping to Michigan late in the early signing period. Much has been made of the NIL deal he received, but regardless, he's ranked as the #1 overall player in the country for 2025. He completed 71.8% of his passes as a senior, throwing for 2,509 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; he also ran for more than 600 yards and scored 6 rushing touchdowns. At somewhere in the neighborhood of 6'3" and 215 pounds, he has the arm strength and speed to be a dynamic player. There are always growing pains for freshmen, so the biggest question mark is how quickly he downloads the playbook.

Just like in Any Given Sunday, Keene is the savvy veteran (Dennis Quaid) and Underwood is the ultra-talented young buck (Jamie Foxx). Michigan has two intriguing options going into spring ball, and it will be interesting to see who looks more ready to run the offense once April comes.

Way Too Early 2025 Depth Chart: February 2025

 

Derrick Moore (image via NY Times)

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

• QB Jayden Denegal (transfer portal)
• QB Alex Orji (transfer portal)
• QB Jack Tuttle (retirement/graduation)
• RB Cole Cabana (transfer portal)
• RB Tavierre Dunlap (transfer portal)
• RB Donovan Edwards (graduation)
• RB Kalel Mullings (graduation)
• WR C.J. Charleston (graduation)
• WR Tyler Morris (transfer portal)
• TE Colston Loveland (NFL draft)
• OT Tristan Bounds (transfer portal)
• OT Andrew Gentry (transfer portal)
• OT Myles Hinton (graduation)
• OT Jeffrey Persi (transfer portal)
• OG Dominick Giudice (transfer portal)
• OG Josh Priebe (graduation)
• C Raheem Anderson II (transfer portal)
• DE Breeon Ishmail (transfer portal)
• DE Josaiah Stewart (graduation)
• DT Mason Graham (NFL draft)
• DT Kenneth Grant (NFL draft)
• LB Micah Pollard (transfer portal)
• CB Aamir Hall (graduation)
• CB Will Johnson (NFL draft)
• CB Myles Pollard (transfer portal)
• S Quinten Johnson (graduation)
• S Makari Paige (graduation)
• S Wesley Walker (graduation)
• K Adam Samaha (transfer portal)
• P Tommy Doman (transfer portal)

It assumes that every currently rostered player and every currently committed prospect will be here in the fall of 2025, which is obviously not true.

Hit the jump for the depth chart.

2027 Recruiting Update: February 12, 2025

 

Novi (MI) Catholic Central defensive back Gideon Gash (image via X)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2027

Belleville (MI) Belleville wide receiver Charles Britton III (unranked) was offered by Michigan. Britton is a 5'11", 165-pounder who caught passes from Bryce Underwood this past season and reportedly has excellent hands. Kentucky, Purdue, Vanderbilt, and others have already extended offers, too.

Palestine (TX) Westwood quarterback Kavian Bryant (247 Sports 4-star, #10 QB, #96 overall) was offered by Michigan. He's a dynamic dual-threat quarterback at 6'3", 180 lbs. and started on varsity as a freshman, completing 68.4% of his passes for 2,282 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions; and rushing for 812 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also averaged 28 points per game as a freshman on the basketball team. Florida State, Oklahoma State, and every program in the state of Texas (except Texas) has offered him already.

Bedford (OH) Bedford running back Rayshawn Duncan, Jr. (unranked) was offered by Michigan. He's a 5'8", 195-pounder with offers from Georgia, Maryland, Penn State, and TCU, too.

Hit the jump for more.

2026 Recruiting Update: February 11, 2025

 

Cincinnati (OH) Moeller QB Matt Ponatoski (image via 247 Sports)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Douglasville (GA) Douglas County defensive end Jordan Carter (4-star, #4 EDGE, #43 overall), a Texas A&M commit, was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 235 lb. player with other offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, and USC, among others.

Richmond (VA) Huguenot athlete Markel Dabney was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'1", 205-pounder who plays safety and wide receiver but looks like he'll be a linebacker at the next level. Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, and Penn State have also offered.

Brownsville (TN) Haywood cornerback Caden Harris (4-star, #14 CB, #166 overall) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 160 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, and Tennessee, among others.

Hit the jump for more.

Super Bowl LIX Preview: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles

 

Brandon Graham

CHIEFS PLAYERS FROM MICHIGAN: DE Mike Danna, OLB Josh Uche, WR Xavier Worthy*

The 15-2 Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Buffalo Bills 30-21 and then got blown out by the Denver Broncos in the final week 38-0, but that was when the Chiefs didn't care because they had their playoff spot locked up. Otherwise, it was a perfect but underwhelming season. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is undoubtedly one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL - and his Super Bowl rings say he's currently the best - but he finished 7th in passing yards (3,928), 9th in passing touchdowns (26), and 8th in QBR (67.7). Retread RB Kareem Hunt (200 carries, 728 yards, 7 TDs) led the team in rushing because Isiah Pacheco missed a big chunk of the year due to injury. Famed TE Travis Kelce grabbed 97 passes but for a mediocre 823 yards (8.5 yards/catch) and 3 touchdowns. Former Michigan commit Xavier Worthy, a 1st round pick wide receiver in 2024, caught 59 passes for 638 yards and 6 touchdowns, adding 20 carries for 104 yards and 2 scores. Former Michigan DE Mike Danna finished #4 on the team with 3.5 sacks, behind Purdue product George Karlaftis (8.0). Outside linebacker Josh Uche managed just 10 tackles across six games in his first season coming over from the Patriots.

EAGLES PLAYERS FROM MICHIGAN: DE Brandon Graham, OG Trevor Keegan, LB Ben VanSumeren*

Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts is more involved in the running game (150 carries, 630 yards, 14 TDs), but he has had a fairly efficient year throwing the football (68.7% completions, 2907 yards, 18 TDs, 5 INTs). The offense has really been powered by RB Saquon Barkley (345 yards, 2005 yards, 13 TD), who has had the most amazing season by an NFL running back in a long time - not just with yardage, but with explosive plays and highlight reel talent. The receiving group is led by WR A.J. Brown (67 catches, 1079 yards, 7 TDs) and WR Devonta Smith (68 catches, 833 yards, 8 TDs), with TE Dallas Goedert (42 catches, 496 yards, 2 TDs) also a valuable receiving target. Former Michigan DE Brandon Graham (20 tackles, 3.5 sacks) played in eleven games this season, but an upper body injury caused him to miss the remainder of the year; he has been activated since the NFC Championship game, so he may play in the Super Bowl, which will likely be the final game of his career as he trends toward retirement. Former Michigan LB Ben VanSumeren, who finished his career at Michigan State, has played in eleven games and made 3 tackles; he has also played a little bit of fullback as a blocker in short yardage situations.

*Worthy and VanSumeren both signed with Michigan out of high school. Worthy did not get through admissions and ended up at Texas, while VanSumeren transferred to play for MSU.

PREDICTION

I don't want to pick against the best quarterback in the NFL. Mahomes always seems to make the plays - and some would say get the calls - when the game is on the line. But when I look at the rosters, I think Philadelphia has more talent. They have the best running back in the league, a great defensive line, two good receivers, a good tight end, and players up and down the roster from Georgia, along with high-level draft picks. The Chiefs of course have great players (Mahomes, Kelce, WR DeAndre Hopkins, DT Chris Jones, etc.), but top-to-bottom, I see more talent on the Eagles side. I'm excited to see what wrinkles Andy Reid has in store for the big game - he always has some fun play designs - but I think the Eagles' defensive talent will make enough plays to eke out a win. I'm going with the Eagles, 24-20.

Ty Haywood, Wolverine

 

Denton (TX) Ryan OT Ty Haywood

Denton (TX) Ryan offensive tackle Ty Haywood committed to Michigan on Wednesday morning. The former Alabama commit also had offers from Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and USC, among others.

Haywood is listed at 6'5" and 285 pounds. He also participates in the high school shot put, where he has put up a personal record of 58'6".

RANKINGS
ESPN: 5-star, 90 grade, #3 OT, #16 overall
On3: 4-star, 95 grade, #13 OT, #76 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.9 grade, #11 OT, #77 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 97 grade, #10 OT, #42 overall

Hit the jump for more.

2025 Recruiting Update: February 4, 2025

 

Ty Haywood

Tomorrow is the anticlimactic "late" National Signing Day that we have to suffer through after the "early" signing period that popped up in December a few years ago. It's tough to get too excited about the early signing period since we're still in the midst of thoughts about Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, etc. at that time of year, but there's still some potential for excitement for the 2025 class:

Denton (TX) Ryan offensive tackle Ty Haywood (4-star, #6 OT, #39 overall) will be announcing his commitment at 8:00 a.m. CST (9:00 a.m. EST), so keep an eye on him. It appears to be a Florida State vs. Michigan battle, but Michigan is the betting favorite as of right now. The 6'5", 285-pounder could be a star in the near future and would make two top-40 offensive tackles for Michigan in the class if he joins Andrew Babalola, who signed in December. Haywood has outstanding potential, but my primary concern is that he's usually the last guy off the ball, so he needs to get quicker off the snap.

Chase Herbstreit (#7, image via X)

Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier quarterback Chase Herbstreit (3-star, #147 QB, #2191 overall) committed to Michigan already, but he committed after the early signing period was over, so he should officially be in the fold on Wednesday. He just took his official visit to Ann Arbor this past weekend, which caused an uproar on the internet since his dad, famous Ohio State alum-turned-broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit, showed up in some social media pictures wearing navy blue and a Michigan lanyard.

Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep defensive end Zahir Mathis (4-star, #12 EDGE, #114 overall) is still uncommitted after decommitting from Ohio State. Michigan was in the mix, but the two parties parted ways before Mathis took an official visit in January, so it looks to be down to Florida State and Maryland for Mathis.

OFF THE BOARD

Columbia (SC) Heathwood Hall Episcopal cornerback Onis Konanbanny (4-star, #34 CB, #361 overall) flipped from Tennessee to Florida. He had been committed to the Volunteers since August 2024.

Visitors: January 31-February 2, 2025

 

Pat Coogan (image via X)

TRANSFER PORTAL

Pat Coogan - C - Notre Dame: Coogan is a 6'5", 310-pounder who has spent most of the past two seasons starting for the Fighting Irish. A fifth year senior, he was a starting guard in 2023 and a starting center in 2024, earning grades of 66.1 and 72.1, respectively, from Pro Football Focus. Initially slated to be a backup at center in 2024, he ended up starting most of the year due to an injury to the starter. Coogan was expected to be a backup again in 2025 despite playing over 1,500 snaps in the past two seasons, so he hit the transfer portal for his one remaining season of eligibility. He was a 3-star, the #42 interior offensive lineman, and #613 overall coming out of Chicago (IL) Marist in 2021. UPDATE: Coogan committed to Indiana before visiting Michigan and will not be taking a trip to Ann Arbor.

2025

Chase Herbstreit - QB - Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier: Herbstreit has already committed to Michigan (LINK) but will take his official visit this weekend.

Hit the jump for more.

2026 Recruiting Update: January 27, 2025

 

Salesi Moa (image via 247 Sports)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Tupelo (MS) Tupelo running back Jaeden Hill (3-star, #46 RB, #599 overall0) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 220 lb. athlete who is the brother of 2024 Alabama signee Daniel Hill, whom Michigan also pursued.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage wide receiver Jeffar Jean-Noel (unranked) was offered by Michigan. Jean-Noel is a 5'10", 160 lb. prospect with offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, UCF, and Wisconsin, among others.

Sammamish (WA) Eastside Catholic linebacker Wassie Lugolobi (3-star, #40 LB, #530 overall) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 215-pounder who has been committed to Washington since November.

Hit the jump for more.

All-Time Season Sack Leaders

David Bowens

I posted the career sack leaders at Michigan (LINK). Here are the season sack leaders. I cut it off at 7 sacks, so here you go.

1. 14.0 - Aidan Hutchinson (2021)
2. 12.0 - David Bowens (1996)
3. 12.0 - LaMarr Woodley (2006)
4. 11.0 - Mark Messner (1985)
5. 11.0 - Chris Hutchinson (1992)
6. 11.0 - Jason Horn (1995)
7. 11.0 - James Hall (1998)
8. 11.0 - David Ojabo (2021)
9. 10.0 - Mark Messner (1987)
10. 10.0 - Brandon Graham (2008)
11. 10.0 - Taco Charlton (2016)
12. 9.5 - Brandon Graham (2009)
13. 8.5 - Brandon Graham (2007)
14. 8.5 - Joshua Uche (2019)
15. 8.5 - Josaiah Stewart (2024)
16. 8.0 - Khaleke Hudson (2017)
17. 8.0 - Chase Winovich (2017)
18. 7.5 - Shawn Crable (2007)
19. 7.5 - Mike Morris (2022)
20. 7.0 - Glen Steele (1997)
21. 7.0 - James Hall (1999)
22. 7.0 - Joshua Uche (2018)

Originally posted on March 23, 2020.

Quick Thoughts: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23

 This is a shift for college football. I know I sound like a geezer, but there was a time when the national champions had to be the best team in college football from beginning to end. Not the most talented. Not the team on a hot streak. But the best team for 12, 13, 14, maybe 15 games. That wasn't just the case in 2023, when Michigan went 15-0, but basically since the beginning of the sport. I was against the twelve-team playoff since people first started talking about it, and I'm still against it. College football is the NFL now, where you just have to make it to the playoffs and then a hot streak is good enough to win it. Ohio State wasn't the best team in the Big Ten. They weren't even the second best team in the Big Ten. They lost two conference games - to Oregon and Michigan - and didn't make the conference championship game. And now we're supposed to believe the fourth best team in the Big Ten is the best team in the entire country?

I'm disappointed but not surprised by the outcome. I was, of course, rooting not for Notre Dame, but rooting against Ohio State. I don't like Ryan Day. I don't like Will Howard. I don't like Jack Sawyer. If it comes down to a winner-take-all game, I almost always believe in the team with superior quarterback play. I can't believe Riley Leonard was ever considered a possible 1st round pick. I didn't watch him much when he was at Duke, but having watched a handful of Notre Dame games this season, he's just not an NFL-caliber player. His footwork is awful, his pocket awareness is non-existent, and his accuracy is hit-and-miss. He's a decent college runner, but his style won't fit as a runner in the NFL.

Man coverage on 3rd-and-long? Come on, man. After a rough first half on defense, I thought Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden made some good adjustments in the second half. I didn't like that he gave up the edge so much and let Will Howard gain chunks of yards on the ground, but they definitely picked it up. But then in the 4th quarter, he played man coverage and rushed seven guys on 3rd-and-long, allowing a deep shot to Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State needed a conversion and needed to throw the ball, and your answer was to leave perhaps the best wide receiver in the country in open space against Christian Gray? That's just a terrible defensive call in a "gotta have it" situation.

Michigan and Ohio State and the Big Ten run college football? It's interesting and noteworthy that now that Name, Image, and Likeness are on the up-and-up, the Big Ten is dominating college football. Michigan won in 2023, Ohio State won in 2024, and Oregon was 13-0 and #1 in the country going into the post-season. There were too many stories coming out of SEC country to believe that Alabama, Georgia, and other schools down south were even attempting to follow amateurism rules. It wasn't a level playing field. With the playing field finally somewhat leveled, some of the blue bloods (plus Nike's pro college team) are stepping to the forefront. I'm not going to say the SEC will never recover or that Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon are going to dominate football from now on, but allowing college players to be paid awakened some sleeping giants.

It's not going to happen overnight, but does this diminish the greatest rivalry in sports? Going back decades, sometimes the Michigan vs. Ohio State game in late November was a "playoff game." Each team had to win that game to have a chance to play in the Rose Bowl, or had to win that game to win the conference, etc. That's partly why the game was The Game. If you can lose that game, still make the playoff, and win it all, does the rivalry lose any of its luster? There are many reasons why college football and NFL football are different, but one of the reasons Minnesota vs. Green Bay or Dallas vs. Philadelphia doesn't have the same juice as Michigan vs. Ohio State is that the loser in the NFL can lose a game to a division/conference and still make the NFL playoffs. Teams that have been 10-6 or 9-7 or 8-8 have made the playoffs. Now with 17 games, there are teams who have 5 or 6 losses who make the playoffs. But we've seen 11-0 Ohio State teams drop to 11-1 after the Michigan game, and their national championship hopes went poof. Now a 10-2 Ohio State team backed into the CFP after losing to Michigan and sitting out conference championship week, and it doesn't matter here in mid-January because they got hot in the CFP. Michigan and Ohio State fans still cherish this rivalry, but how does The Game feel in 2030 or 2040? I honestly feel like The Game will be headed in the direction of feeling like a Dallas vs. Philly game. (To be clear, college rivalries will always feel different because many of us actually attended those schools, spent years living in those college towns, etc., whereas I love the Lions but never worked there and don't have a framed diploma from Detroit Lions University. I just think the weight is going to shift a little bit.)

2024 Ex-Wolverine Coach Updates: Post-season

 

Jim Harbaugh

This is a whopper of a post. I tried to keep track of a lot of former Michigan coaches and players who are in the coaching ranks. It's impossible to keep up with all of them, and surely there are a ton who are coaching high school football or maybe at the Division II or Division III level.

FORMER COACHES

John Baxter (Special Teams Coordinator, Fresno State): Baxter has been the special teams coach at Fresno since 2022.

Adam Braithwaite (Assistant Safeties Coach, Cincinnati): Braithwaite spent 2024 as Samford's defensive coordinator and was hired as an assistant safeties coach this off-season by the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Don Brown (Head Coach, UMass): Brown was fired after ten games with a 2-8 record this year and went 6-28 during his second stint there. He previously went 43-29 at UMass back when it was an FCS program.

Hit the jump for more.

Visitors: January 17-19, 2025

 

Denton (TX) Ryan OT Ty Haywood

2025

Ty Haywood - OT - Denton (TX) Ryan: Haywood is a 6'5", 285 lb. prospect who was previously committed to Alabama. He's a 5-star, the #4 offensive tackle, and #18 overall in the class. He has also taken official visits to Florida State, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. A lot of insiders believe Haywood is Michigan's to lose at this point.

Anthony Simpson, Wolverine

 

Anthony Simpson

UMass transfer portal wide receiver Anthony Simpson committed to Michigan on Sunday. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Simpson is a 5'11", 184-pounder. Last season he caught 3 passes for 16 yards while playing in just two games for the Minutemen before an injury ended his season. However, his career-best season was in 2023 when he caught 57 passes for 792 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Simpson was a 3-star, the #2 athlete, and the #5 overall prep school player coming out in 2021 after playing traditional high school ball at Pawling (NY) Bloomfield. He spent his first two years of college at Arizona playing for former Michigan assistant Jedd Fisch, who was the Wildcats head coach from 2021-2023. Simpson made just 8 catches for 102 yards while playing in eighteen games those first two years before transferring to UMass and playing for head coach Don Brown, who had been the defensive coordinator and Simpson's recruiter when Brown was Arizona's defensive coordinator.

Along with his receiving ability, Simpson has 14 carries for 108 yards and 1 touchdown throughout his career. He seems to be a bit of a screen and gadget guy, a little bit like current Michigan receiver Semaj Morgan. (I still think Morgan is capable of more based on his high school film, but Michigan has so far been unable to use him effectively as a downfield or intermediate receiver.) I think it's good to have multiple guys on the roster who have that skill set in order to keep defenses off balance, provide competition, and account for the possibility of injury. But it will be interesting to see how they dole out opportunities.

Michigan has now added two transfer portal receivers: one a quick slot guy in Simpson and the other a 6'5" outside guy in Indiana's Donaven McCulley. Meanwhile, they lost Tyler Morris to Indiana.

Caleb Anderson, Wolverine

 

Caleb Anderson (#11, image via Thomas B. Shea/The Acadian Advocate)

University of Louisiana-Lafayette cornerback Caleb Anderson committed to Michigan on Sunday evening.

Anderson is a 6'3", 200 lb. corner who started twelve total games as a Ragin' Cajun from 2020-2024 while playing in 39 total games. He made 18 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry this past season while earning a 63.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. He has 2 career interceptions, one of which he returned for a 54-yard touchdown against Rice in 2022 (video below):

Anderson will be a sixth-year senior in 2025. Coming out of Jackson (LA) East Feliciana, he was a high school quarterback who was a 3-star, the #67 athlete, and #1103 overall in his class. He got a COVID exemption in 2020 and then redshirted in 2021. He was coached by Michigan defensive backs coach Lamar Morgan when Morgan was at Louisiana-Lafayette in 2022-2023.

Michigan has been looking for help at cornerback after losing Will Johnson to the NFL and Aamir Hall to expired eligibility. The Wolverines have also lost a couple cornerbacks in the transfer portal, like Myles Pollard and Kody Jones, both of whom committed to Memphis. They did sign Tevis Metcalf from Arkansas, but he's very young and unproven.

Along with Morgan's experience coaching in Louisiana, Michigan also signed two Louisiana natives in the 2025 class (WR Jacob Washington and RB Jasper Parker) and has a Louisiana product in wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy.

2026 Recruiting Update: January 12, 2025

 

Cleveland (OH) Glenville LB Cincere Johnson (image via The Silver Bulletin)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Marietta (GA) Kell safety Tony Forney, Jr. (247 Sports 3-star, #49 safety) was offered by Michigan. He's a 5'11", 175 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Georgia, and Pitt, among others.

Leesburg (GA) Lee County safety Lasiah "L.A." Jackson (4-star, #18 S, #221 overall) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 167-pounder with offers from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, and others.

Cleveland (OH) Glenville linebacker Cincere Johnson (4-star, #8 LB, #108 overall) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 225 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. Glenville is traditionally an Ohio State stronghold, so it will be tough to pull him away from there.

Hit the jump for more.

2024 Ex-Wolverine Updates: Post-season

 

Raylen Wilson (#5 on right, image via Dawg Nation)

Here's a roundup of the former Michigan commits and how they did this past season.

FORMER COMMITS

DE Collins Acheampong (UCLA): Acheampong has yet to play any college snaps after two years, one with Miami and this past season with the Bruins.

LB Aaron Alexander (Michigan State Arkansas State): Alexander made 3 tackles this past season playing for the Spartans and has since transferred to Arkansas State.

WR Markus Allen (Eastern Michigan): The former Wisconsin Badger was EMU's second leading receiver with 43 catches for 651 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is now in the transfer portal.

Hit the jump for more.

Lawrence Hattar, Wolverine

 

Lawrence Hattar (#76, image via On3)

Ferris State transfer offensive lineman Lawrence Hattar committed to Michigan.

Hattar was listed at 6'5" and 335 pounds for Ferris State this past season, his redshirt junior year. He redshirted in 2021, played two games in 2022, then became a starter in 2023 and 2024. He played in all fifteen games this past season as the Bulldogs won a Division II national championship, and he was named a Division II All-American.

Coming out of Livonia (MI) Churchill in 2021, Hattar was a 6'4", 280-pounder who wasn't athletic enough for the FBS level. His feet were pretty slow and he tended to lean on people as more of a waist-bender. There's been significant improvement since then, and Michigan will be getting a fifth-year senior with 27 games of experience, as well as the growth and development that comes along with playing for a multiple-national championship-winning program.

I think Hattar is a good depth piece for the program, but after watching some Ferris State highlights of him starting at left guard this past season, I'm not sure he will rise to the level of a starter. He will be limited to playing on the interior of the offensive line, likely competing for time at left guard, a position Josh Priebe is vacating. At his significant size, he may be able to help out on the extra point/field goal protection units. He does not change direction particularly well to find work on the second level, but his heft and strength could be effective on down blocks and at the point of attack.

Hattar is the second lower-level offensive lineman to pick Michigan, following FCS Cal Poly offensive lineman Brady Norton. While they need to replace left guard Priebe and left tackle Myles Hinton, the coaching staff seems to like rising redshirt sophomore Evan Link and rising redshirt freshman Andrew Sprague; Link was a full-year starter, mostly at right tackle, and Sprague started the bowl game against Alabama at right tackle. The program also signed 5-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola and is trying to land blue-chip tackle Ty Haywood in February. The biggest question mark is that left guard spot, because Michigan's next best internal options (Dominick Giudice, Raheem Anderson) transferred, leaving a bunch of totally unproven players.

Michigan has now landed ten transfer commitments for 2025. This is Michigan's first Division II transfer in my memory. Hattar would be the first player from Churchill to play for Michigan since middle guard Rod Vaughn back in 1978.

Tre Williams, Wolverine

 

Tre Williams (image via Clemson)

Clemson transfer defensive tackle Tre Williams has committed to Michigan.

Williams is a 6'2", 315 lb. defensive lineman who had an overall grade of 66.3 from Pro Football Focus this season. He ended the year on a low note, notching grades of 46.1 and 43.1 against Texas and SMU, respectively. Overall, he played in 44 games over the past five seasons, making four starts, 44 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 pass breakups.

Michigan recruited Williams when he was coming out of Washington (DC) St. John's back in 2020, but Williams understandably picked Clemson, which had won national championships in 2016 and 2018. The Wolverines had landed safety Quinten Johnson from St. John's in the 2019 class, and that was reportedly an important connection in this second attempt to recruit Williams.

The Michigan program is losing Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant to the NFL this off-season, as well as true freshman Owen Wafle, who entered the transfer portal. Alabama's Damon Payne has already signed with Michigan this off-season and might be one of the starters on the interior. Number three defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is likely to return but has not made an announcement yet, and others in the mix to play a lot include Trey Pierce, Ike Iwunnah, and Enow Etta.

Under Armour All-American Game Participants: Michigan

The 2026 Under Armour All-American Game will be played in January of 2026.  The following participants have committed to or signed paperwork to play for Michigan:

2025
Kaden Strayhorn, C - Bradenton, FL

2024
Jeremiah Beasley, LB - Belleville, MI

2023
Karmello English, WR - Phenix City, AL
Amir Herring, C - West Bloomfield, MI

2022
Will Johnson, CB - Grosse Pointe, MI
Derrick Moore, DE - Baltimore, MD
Keon Sabb, S - Bradenton, FL
Amorion Walker, WR - Ponchatoula, LA

2021
Giovanni El-Hadi, OT - Sterling Heights, MI
Jaydon Hood, LB - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

2020
Blake Corum, RB - Baltimore, MD
Micah Mazzccua, OT - Baltimore, MD
Braiden McGregor, DE - Port Huron, MI#
Andre Seldon, Jr., CB - Belleville, MI

2019
Zach Charbonnet, RB - Thousand Oaks, CA
Quinten Johnson, S - Washington, DC
Trente Jones, OT - Loganville, GA
Nolan Rumler, OG - Akron, OH
Mazi Smith, DT - East Kentwood, MI
Anthony Solomon, LB - Fort Lauderdale, FL

2018
Mustapha Muhammad, TE - Missouri City, TX
Myles Sims, CB - Atlanta, GA

2017
Jaylen Kelly-Powell, S - Detroit, MI
Kwity Paye, DE - Warwick, RI
Cesar Ruiz, C - Bradenton, FL
Luiji Vilain, DE - Alexandria, VA

Hit the jump for more.

Owen Wafle, Ex-Wolverine

 

DT Owen Wafle

Rising second-year player Owen Wafle has entered the transfer portal.

Wafle was listed as a 6'2", 298 lb. defensive lineman on this year's roster. He did not play in any games. He was a 4-star, the #50 defensive lineman, and #445 overall in the 247 Composite for the class of 2024. Michigan flipped him from Notre Dame.

I gave Wafle a TTB Rating of 73 when he committed (LINK) and said this:

Wafle is not as athletic as [Maurice] Hurst, more talented than [Brady] Pallante, and perhaps as versatile as [Dan] Klecko. I could see Jim Harbaugh wanting to line Wafle up in the backfield on goal line situations and letting him make a linebacker or two explode.

Linebacker Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri) was the first player to transfer out of Michigan's 2024 class, and Wafle is now the second.

Wafle's brother Luke is a 2026 prospect with a Michigan offer, so this development may hurt Michigan's chances there. The younger Wafle is a 6'5", 240-pounder and he's a 4-star, the #28 defensive lineman, and #221 overall. 

Michigan 19, Alabama 13

 

Brandyn Hillman (#6) celebrates after a sack (image via Hawaii Tribune-Herald)

Surprise, surprise, surprise! For the second game in a row, almost nobody gave Michigan a chance to win. And for the second game in a row, almost everybody was wrong. The mighty Alabama Crimson Tide, who almost made the College Football Playoff with a 9-3 record, fell to 9-4. And when all is said and done, on paper that's not far from where Michigan finished at 8-5. Alabama had lost some players to the transfer portal, but Michigan was missing ten starters (Myles Hinton, Colston Loveland, Kalel Mullings, Tyler Morris, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, Will Johnson, Makari Paige, Tommy Doman) and the guy who was on the cover of NCAA '25 (Donovan Edwards) and still won the game.

Hit the jump for more.