Freddie Whittingham, Wolverine

 

Freddie Whittingham (image via X)

Kyle Whittingham has hired his brother Freddie to coach the tight ends. There will be a lot of family dinners with Kyle, Freddie, and Kyle's son Alex all on the staff.

Freddie was a starting running back for BYU back in the 1980s and started in the same backfield as Ty Detmer, the uncle of new quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer, Jr. Whittingham ran 351 times for 1,580 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career, adding 97 catches for 1,015 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air.

Freddie was the director of player personnel at Utah from 2012-2015 before becoming the tight ends coach in 2016, a position he held through this past season. He was also Utah's recruiting coordinator. Among his charges at tight end was 1st round pick Dalton Kincaid, now a Buffalo Bill who has 1,692 yards and 9 touchdowns in his three-year NFL career.

Utah tight end Dallen Bentley was Utah's #2 receiver this past season (48 catches, 620 yards, 6 TD), and in five of the past six seasons, Utah has had a tight end finish as the #1 or #2 receiver on the team.

While Freddie's role might change coming to Michigan and his recruiting responsibilities might be a little more limited, he should be a solid recruiter and position coach for the Wolverines. I maintain that tight end is the easiest position to coach on the team and that's where staffs often stash good recruiters who don't have a ton of X's and O's responsibilities, so it's good to know that he can bring some added value as a recruiter and program guy.

Way Too Early 2026 Depth Chart: January 2026

 

Jyaire Hill (image via X)

The following depth chart is intended to show what players exist at what positions, which also shows the needs from the transfer portal and perhaps the February signing day for the 2026 class.

• QB Jadyn Davis (transfer portal)
• QB Mikey Keene (transfer portal)
• QB Davis Warren (transfer portal)
• RB C.J. Hester (transfer portal)
• RB Bryson Kuzdzal (transfer portal)
• RB Jasper Parker (transfer portal)
• RB John Volker (graduation)
• WR C.J. Charleston (graduation)
• WR Donaven McCulley (graduation)
• WR Fredrick Moore (transfer portal)
• WR Semaj Morgan (transfer portal)
• WR Peyton O'Leary (graduation)
• WR Anthony Simpson (graduation)
• TE Max Bredeson (graduation)
• TE Marlin Klein (NFL draft)
• TE Brady Prieskorn (transfer portal)
• OL Greg Crippen (graduation)
• OL Giovanni El-Hadi (graduation)
• OL Jake Guarnera (transfer portal)
• OL Connor Jones (transfer portal)
• OL Ben Roebuck (transfer portal)
• OL Andrew Sprague (transfer portal)
• OL Kaden Strayhorn (transfer portal)
• EDGE Devon Baxter (transfer portal)
• EDGE T.J. Guy (graduation)
• EDGE Tyler McLaurin (graduation)
• EDGE Derrick Moore (graduation)
• DT Rayshaun Benny (graduation)
• DT Enow Etta (transfer portal)
• DT Ike Iwunnah (graduation)
• DT Damon Payne (graduation)
• DT Tre Williams (graduation)
• LB Jaishawn Barham (graduation)
• LB Ernest Hausmann (graduation/medical retirement))
• LB Jaydon Hood (graduation)
• LB Cole Sullivan (transfer portal)
• DB Caleb Anderson (graduation)
• DB Elijah Dotson (transfer portal)
• DB Jaden Mangham (transfer portal)
• DB Rod Moore (graduation)
• K Beckham Sunderland (transfer portal)
• K Dominic Zvada (graduation)

It assumes that every currently rostered player and every currently committed prospect will be here in the fall of 2026, which is obviously not true.

Hit the jump for the depth chart.

Koy Detmer, Jr., Wolverine

Koy Detmer, Jr. (image via Utah)

Koy Detmer, Jr. has been hired as Michigan's quarterbacks coach under Kyle Whittingham.

Detmer is the son of former Colorado and NFL quarterback Koy Detmer and the nephew of former BYU Heisman-winning quarterback Ty Detmer. Koy, Jr. played at BYU and Texas A&M-Kingsville, where he was a record-setting quarterback (records set: 37 completions and 65 attempts in one game) and once threw for 450 yards in a game. Koy, Sr. is now a high school head coach at Somerset (TX) Somerset.

Detmer the Younger became a running backs coach at Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2020-2021 and then moved on to Syracuse as a graduate assistant in 2022-2023. He followed offensive coordinator Jason Beck from Syracuse to New Mexico in 2024 and then to Utah in 2025.

I know some people have wanted a big name as a QB coach for Michigan, but if we're being honest, most "big names" who work with quarterbacks are going to be offensive coordinators or passing game coordinator and not just QB coaches. Detmer is an up-and-comer who has worked with high-powered offenses and who has a couple former NFL quarterbacks in the family, so just on its surface, this seems to be a pretty solid hire. And as far as names go, there really aren't many bigger family names than "Detmer" in the quarterback world.

Jim Harding, Wolverine

 

Jim Harding (image via Deseret News)

Kyle Whittingham is bringing Utah's offensive line coach, Jim Harding, with him from Salt Lake City. Reports broke on New Year's Day that Harding is headed to Ann Arbor to coach the Wolverines' offensive line and retain his assistant head coach title.

Harding, who is from Maumee, OH, was a four-year starting offensive tackle at Toledo (1997-2000), setting a school record with 46 consecutive starts and earning first-team All-MAC honors as a senior captain on a 10-1 Rockets team. Early in his coaching career, he spent four seasons (2005-08) at Troy High School in Michigan, serving as defensive coordinator before becoming head coach. He moved on to Wyoming as a co-offensive line coach, then the offensive line coach, and finally the offensive coordinator before moving on to Utah as the offensive line coach in 2014.

Over the last twelve seasons as the Utes' offensive line coach (adding assistant head coach duties in 2017), he's built one of the most consistent units in college football:

• Nation-leading 12 first-team all-conference offensive linemen since 2015
• Seven NFL Draft picks, including 1st rounder Garett Bolles (Denver Broncos)
• Projected 1st rounders in the 2026 draft: Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu
• Blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in 11 of the last 12 years (2025 was the lone exception, with Wayshawn Parker finishing at 981 yards)

Harding is widely regarded as one of the top position coaches in the country. Bringing that recruiting prowess to the Midwest - where he already has ties - could be huge for developing Michigan's talented young players.

Utah has done well on the recruiting trail over the years, landing several players Michigan wanted, such as Fano, Lomu, Jackson Barton, Lander Barton, and Kelvin Obot. Furthermore, the players have been developed. Watching Utah over the last several years, even before Whittingham was a candidate for Michigan, I've been impressed by Utah's offensive line, especially taking into account how stiff some of Utah's players are. If Michigan can consistently recruit talented players and pair that with Harding's development, it should be an excellent unit moving forward.

Jason Beck, Wolverine

 

Jason Beck (image via Instagram)

Thanks to David and Roy for the recent Paypal donations! You guys are awesome!

New Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has hired his offensive coordinator: former Utah play caller Jason Beck. On New Year's Day, Whittingham himself spilled the beans during an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay. The move had been rumored since Whittingham's hire was finalized just before Christmas.

A former BYU quarterback (2004-06), Beck also played at Ventura College and College of the Canyons. He started coaching as a graduate assistant at BYU and LSU before landing his first position gig as QBs coach at Weber State (2009-11). From there:

• QBs coach at Simon Fraser (2012, where he was also OC and turned a bottom-ranked offense into a conference leader)
• Back to BYU as QBs coach (2013-15)
• Virginia QBs coach (2016-21) under Bronco Mendenhall, developing guys like Bryce Perkins (who set the school record for total offense) and Brennan Armstrong (who set the school records for season passing yards, individual game passing yards, and touchdowns in a game)
• Syracuse QB coach/OC (2022-23)
• New Mexico OC/QB coach (2024)
• Utah OC/QB coach (2025)

Beck has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, and his signal callers have routinely put up big numbers. (Side note: I saw some Syracuse fans say their offense got better after Beck left, but in 2023, starting QB Garrett Shrader got hurt so they actually turned to former Michigan QB - who had transitioned to TE - as essentially a wildcat QB, and Villari completed 23/33 passes - including 14/14 against Georgia Tech - and ran for 323 yards and 2 touchdowns over the final four games.)

Utah's offense was a major problem for defenses in 2025:

• #5 in scoring offense (41.3 points/game)
• #4 in total offense (482.9 yards/game)
• #2 in rushing offense (266.3 rushing yards/game) and #1 in yards per carry (6.02)

This seems like a home run on paper. Sophomore QB Bryce Underwood, the former #1 overall recruit, is a dual-threat talent who showed flashes as a true freshman but was held back by inconsistency and a conservative scheme. Beck's track record with mobile QBs (Perkins, Armstrong, Dampier) could unlock Underwood's potential in a big way. Add in a solid running back room, talent on the offensive line, and a good group of tight ends, and this could be a pretty exciting group in 2026.

From a scheme perspective, I think Michigan is going to look different without needing to change much. Underwood should be more of a factor in the run game and more things should open up in the pass game, but Michigan can still be a physical team using a lot of big, powerful personnel. Opponents are going to get a lot of different formations, a lot of eye candy, and a higher number of +1 runs. This offense is going to look like the power spread that Urban Meyer ran at Ohio State with guys like J.T. Barrett.

Jay Hill, Wolverine

 

Jay Hill (image via KSL Sports)

Happy New Year, everyone!

As we turn the page to 2026, new head coach Kyle Whittingham has started filling out his staff, officially bringing in BYU's Jay Hill as the Wolverines' new defensive coordinator.

Hill spent the last three seasons as BYU's defensive coordinator and associate head coach under Kalani Sitake. The Cougars just wrapped up a 12-2 campaign with a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Georgia Tech. Over the last two years, BYU ranked #1 in the Big 12 in scoring defense (19.4 points allowed/game), forced a ton of turnovers (including a nation-leading 22 interceptions in 2024), and racked up 50 sacks combined.

Before BYU, Hill was the head coach at FCS Weber State from 2014-2022, where he posted a 68-39 record, won four straight Big Sky titles (2017-2020), and made six playoff appearances. He turned around a program that had gone 4-19 in the two years before he arrived.

Hill played cornerback for the Utes in 1998-99 (when Whittingham was defensive coordinator), earning second-team All-Mountain West and leading the conference with 6 interceptions in 1999. He then coached under Whittingham at Utah from 2001-2013, starting as a graduate assistant and working his way up to special teams coordinator while coaching positions like cornerbacks, tight ends, and even running backs.

Hill steps into a Michigan unit that was solid in 2025 (#30 in scoring defense, #24 in yards allowed/play), but loses some key pieces like Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham to the draft. There's young talent slated to return on the back end and in the linebacker corps. If Hill can bring that BYU-level disruption (takeaways and sacks) to the Big Ten, this defense could be excellent.

I like that Hill has experience as a head coach, an offensive position coach, and a special teams coach. In fact, it's very rare that you come across someone with his wide array of experiences. It seems like he's a guy who will end up being a head coach again within a few years.

I always have reservations about coaches who come from "lower levels," just like when Brady Hoke brought in a bunch of smaller conference coaches and when Rich Rodriguez brought everyone from West Virginia. There are two elite conferences in college football, and those are the SEC and the Big Ten. My hope was that Whittingham could poach an SEC/Big Ten defensive coordinator or land someone from the NFL, but the Hill hire was basically expected for the last week.

Which Coaches Should Michigan Keep?

 

Tony Alford (image via SI)

With Michigan hiring Kyle Whittingham to replace the fired Sherrone Moore, the rest of the staff is in somewhat of an upheaval. Coaches typically bring in mostly their own guys, so that means the majority of Michigan's staff members will be on the move.

Here's a ranking of whom Michigan should keep:

1. Tony Alford (Running Backs Coach): Alford is an ace recruiter who has landed a few good running backs, including #1 overall back Savion Hiter in the 2026 class. His players have also been playing well on the field over the past couple seasons, like Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall, and Kalel Mullings. Even Donovan Edwards improved somewhat from 2023 to 2024 after Alford was hired.
2. Grant Newsome (Offensive Line Coach): If it were up to me, I would take offensive line coach Grant Newsome and make him tight ends coach Grant Newsome. Michigan's offensive line improved dramatically this season, but that was with the help of analyst Juan Castillo, who has since moved on to become Syracuse's offensive line coach. I don't really think Newsome is ready to be an elite offensive line coach, and Whittingham is reportedly bringing his own OL guy Jim Harding with him. This would keep Newsome on the staff with some of the elite recruits he has brought to Ann Arbor. Keep in mind that Newsome started off as the TE coach (2022-2023) when Sherrone Moore was coaching the line.
3. Lamar Morgan (Defensive Backs Coach): Morgan has turned into an excellent recruiter and has landed several star defensive backs, including Shamari Earls, Andre Clarke, Jordan Deck, Jayden Sanders, etc. I think losing Morgan might cause a bit of an exodus from the recruiting class and team, and I think his charges have played well enough to keep him around.
4. Ron Bellamy (Wide Receivers Coach): I think Bellamy has got a bad rap over the past couple seasons. Michigan hasn't had much talent in the receiver room, but the talented players (Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson, Andrew Marsh, etc.) have played well. Bellamy also has connections in the state of Michigan and is a former Michigan and NFL player. I always think at least one or two holdovers should remain, especially a former Wolverine, because those guys know what it's like to play in rivalry games and in Michigan Stadium. And that's even more true with Whittingham being a foreigner at Michigan and likely bringing several coaches who will also be new to the area.
5. Lou Esposito (Defensive Line Coach): I like Esposito and he's known as a good recruiter. His son is also committed to Michigan in the 2027 class, but I don't necessarily think that's a reason to keep Esposito on staff. Michigan obviously had great defensive tackle play in 2024 with Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, and Rayshaun Benny, but there was nothing special about the DL group in 2025. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to keep Espo is because he has an excellent defensive line class coming in 2026, particularly at defensive end.
6. Wink Martindale (Defensive Coordinator): I do not expect Martindale to stick around in 2026. His fate was basically sealed when Whittingham was hired, because Whittingham has his own defensive system and philosophy from his time as a long-time defensive coordinator himself. However, the quality of Martindale's replacement could be a factor. If Whittingham can bring in his own guy, like BYU's Jay Hill, then so be it. But you could do worse than Martindale, and perhaps the combination of a couple minds like Martindale and Whittingham could actually be beneficial.
7. Kerry Coombs (Special Teams Coach): Coombs was hired just before Moore was fired, so I don't feel much allegiance to him. However, he has been known as a great recruiter and he has connections to Whittingham through Urban Meyer. Also, the guy was hired just a couple days before everything went crazy, so I think it would be pretty crappy of Michigan to kick him right back out of the building.
8. Brian Jean-Mary (Linebackers Coach): Jean-Mary has mostly been known as a solid recruiter, but this season really felt like the first year where his coaching was on point. I thought the linebacker unit played very well this season with Ernest Hausmann, Jimmy Rolder, Cole Sullivan, etc. However, I think Whittingham can find someone comparable who can bring some connection and familiarity with the head man.
9. Steve Casula (Tight Ends Coach): Casula has done a nice job with the tight ends, and he's a good mind to have on staff since he has experience as an offensive coordinator. However, tight end is basically one of the easiest coaching jobs on the team, so I don't think it would be difficult to find a comparable coach.
10. Chip Lindsey (Offensive Coordinator): Lindsey has already accepted a new job at Missouri.

Note that the above is MY list and MY reasoning. I don't expect that Kyle Whittingham will read my blog post and adhere to it. I think if I were taking over, working hard to keep #1-3 on the list would be a priority, and then things would get flexible:

Keep Alford, Newsome, and Morgan in place, and then let the chips fall where they may; if Newsome isn't a possibility, then work on keeping Bellamy to maintain that Michigan player connection.