#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.
Do you expect rotations to change much on offense or defense under Whittingham vs Moore/Harbaugh?
ReplyDeleteSeemed like Moore liked heavy rotation especially on D while perhaps KW/Hill will lean on starters more? Maybe less use of TEs especially with Buchanan potentially checking the Loveland-shaped box as big target? Fewer 6-man OLs? Anything else we might see?
This type of thing seems like it would inform the rank of guys in the lower part of the countdown. Like Winston for example might have played meaningful snaps if Moore was being Moore and using 10 DBs. But if the DB rotation is tightened down to closer to 7 or 8 guys he's probably an afterthought.
I don't expect much of a change in rotations, to be honest. I think Whittingham was a guy at Utah who appreciated longevity/consistency, and I think he'll try to retain the Michigan roster rather than trying to overhaul through the portal every year. And I think that strategy comes along with playing young guys, giving them an opportunity, and building their confidence. So I expect him to play some young guys with an eye toward 2027.
DeleteI think the six-man OL thing will continue. They did it at Utah, and I think Michigan has guys who can pull it off. For example, I think someone like Blake Frazier could get squeezed out of a starting OL job and then get used as that sixth lineman.
I still think there will be plenty of TE usage, but the thing is that you have to try to get your best 11 players in on offense. I think Michigan's best 11 sometimes included Max Bredeson, Marlin Klein, obviously Colston Loveland, etc., but that won't necessarily be the case with Marsh, Ffrench, Buchanan, Moa, etc. Do you take Marsh or Buchanan off the field to put in Deakon Tonielli?
(Obviously, certain personnel packages are going to pull guys off the field or guys will need a breather, so I'm talking about a consistent pattern rather than a play here or there.)
If Vallejo is rotating, my bet is he’ll be much more valuable than this placement
ReplyDeleteBeigel is a surprise. Dude played early & often on a DL that still needs bodies, but has been moved to an OL that has 7-8 guys ahead of him, who will not be rotating at all