When it comes to college football experts, few people are more renowned than Phil Steele. His annual preview magazines are like a bible for diehard fans, and recently, he weighed in on the 2025 Michigan football season with The Wolverine.
Like most college football experts, Steele is predicting a better season in 2025 for the Wolverines. Michigan football finished 8-5 in 2024, in part because the quarterback position was maybe the least productive in major college football.
Michigan was the only team that didn't complete a pass of more than 40 yards in 2024. That shouldn't be an issue this season, not with Bryce Underwood playing quarterback, although he hasn't officially been named the starter.
Underwood is battling Mikey Keene and Jake Garcia for the starting job. However, it seems clear that Underwood will be the guy. He's too talented and also multi-dimensional, something the other quarterbacks aren't.
Steele told The Wolverine that Underwood will be "a huge fix" for the offense. The running game needs to be better, but it should be after landing Justice Haynes in the transfer portal. Jordan Marshall also rushed for 100 yards against Alabama last season.
As long as the offensive line takes a step forward, the offense should be vastly improved. As far as the defense, in that win over Alabama, most of the defenders on the field were going to be back this season, and they are. Players like Derrick Moore, TJ Guy, Cameron Brandt, Rayshaun Benny, Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, Brandyn Hillman, Ernest Hausmann, Jaishawn Barham, Trey Pierce, and others.
So the defense should be just as good, especially after adding key transfers such as TJ Metcalf, Damon Payne, and Tre Williams. Steele believes that Michigan will build on the "momentum" from the end of last season.
“I think that will help the momentum factor, in the fact that Michigan is going to have a much better season because they’re a much better team than they were heading into last season, a much more experienced squad."