Michigan football wrapped up its first fall camp under Kyle Whittingham recently, and by all accounts, things went as well as expected.
Bryce Underwood took a step forward in his development. Several young players shined, the offensive line improved, and this team feels like it was put through a championship level training camp for the first time since Jim Harbaugh was the head coach.
Fall camp buzz is just that, buzz. You have to take it with a grain of salt. It has been hard to ignore all the positive reports about his improvement. There is too much smoke not to be some fire. Underwood has looked the part in clips we have seen.
Yet, none of that will matter against Western Michigan in Week 1 or Oklahoma in Week 2. That should be the real proving ground for the Wolverines this season. That's when we will find out about the impact of Kyle Whittingham.
Coming out of fall camp, it feels like this team has more answers than questions, but here are three question marks facing Michigan football coming out of fall camp.
How much has Bryce Underwood improved?
This is the biggest question. Underwood has taken a step forward from last season. That should be expected as a sophomore.
What we don't know is if Underwood can play like an All-Big Ten caliber quarterback. If his game has improved that much, then the Wolverines will be cooking with gas.
Add an elite quarterback to the mix with what should be a salty defense, and a nasty running game, and that's a recipe for winning championships. This team might not have the experience to do that, but it would be a great year to get some playoff experience, and contend for a title.
If Underwood has improved significantly, that's not a pipe dream.
Can the pass rush be elite?
If Michigan is going to achieve anything meaningful this season, as in making the playoff, beating Ohio State, or winning some kind of championship, it will need to have an elite pass rush.
John Henry Daley, the Utah transfer, had 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss last season. He's a preseason All-American, and most importantly, isn't on a pitch count. He's 100%.
That's not the guy to be worried about. Outside of Henry Daley, Michigan doesn't have a proven pass rusher. Cameron Brandt is solid against the run, but unless he finds another gear, it would be ideal to have him off the field on obvious passing downs.
We have heard positive buzz about Nate Marshall, a top-50 overall recruit from the 2025 class, as well as Carter Meadows, the No. 9 overall recruit in the 2026 class. Dominic Nichols has also turned heads in camp, along with true freshman Tariq Boney.
The Wolverines need one more than effective pass rusher. They have all the talent in the world, but it's an unknown until we see the production on the field because last season, it wasn't good enough against the best teams on the schedule.
Is the offensive line one of the Big Ten's best?
Michigan had the perfect formula for a national championship team in 2023: Elite defense, a dominating offensive line, and an NFL-caliber quarterback.
It feels like that a recipe Michigan can follow again this season. Yes, Underwood needs to be much better, but one thing that will help with that is a better offensive line.
The Wolverines struggled to protect the quarterback last season against the better teams on the schedule, just as much as they struggled to get pressure. That's why they went 0-4 against USC, Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio State.
Michigan was beat in the trenches. Underwood was part of it, yet if you watch the Ohio State game or the Oklahoma game, you can see the O-line was part of the problem, too.
To be fair, three redshirt freshman were starting. Under the direction of Jim Harding, those players should improve as much as Underwood and Andrew Marsh, who is heading into year two.
If Michigan is going to compete for the Big Ten title, it needs to have one of the best offensive lines in the conference. That's another thing to watch when the season kicks off.
It will be good. Can it be great?
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