The first five games of the Kyle Whittingham era did not go as expected.
Whether it was the weird ending against Western Michigan, the late loss against Iowa, or the embarrassment at Minnesota, this hasn't looked like Michigan football.
The bye week came at just the right time for the Wolverines and their first-year head coach. Whittingham is trying to figure this out, and it's clear the transition did not go well.
Looking back at the first five games of the season, here are grades for each Michigan position group.
Quarterback: F
This grade seems harsh, but Bryce Underwood has struggled. He's ranked 70th in QBR. The five-star has five touchdowns and four interceptions. He looked lost on Saturday, for the second time in five games.
Underwood has 212 rushing yards on 57 attempts. He's getting sacked too much and is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry. He's been an effective runner but needs to get better at getting rid of the ball.
The grade reflects the overall production. He earned passing grades against Iowa, UTEP, and Oklahoma. Yet, the last game was rock bottom.
Running back: D
The running backs haven't been much better than the quarterback. Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter haven't had a single run over 20 yards this season.
Hiter is getting just 3.2 yards per attempt. Marshall has been better, getting 4.4 yards per attempt, but that's still a drop-off from when he was healthy last season. He averaged almost seven yards during Big Ten play in 2025.
Whatever Jason Beck is doing hasn't been working. Underwood is part of that, according to some. The consensus is that the running game needs more downhill runs.
Still, even when the backs have gotten opportunities, they haven't broken tackles or done their part to create big plays.
WR: B
JJ Buchanan has been awesome. Andrew Marsh has been incredibly frustrating, and the rest of the wide receivers have mostly done nothing. Michigan has two pros out there. It should be able to have a functional passing offense.
TE: F
Whether it's blocking, receiving, or acting as the rhino, this room has been atrocious. If there was one position Michigan needed to address in the portal, it should have been tight end.
Offensive line: C
The offensive line has been banged up. It hasn't blocked as well as it should have, but it's clear that these guys are thinking way too much. Blake Frazier practically begged for more downhill runs at his press conference on Tuesday, mirroring what Kyle Whittingham said. The offensive line held up fine against Iowa and Oklahoma.
Could they play better? Yes. Have injuries been a factor? Also yes. Yet, that doesn't change the fact that Beck needs to put his players in a position to do what they do well. So far, he has not done that.
Defensive line: A-
If it wasn't for the defensive line, Michigan probably would have lost the Oklahoma game. The Sooners' offensive line wasn't actually that good, so the Wolverines' D-line might have been a little overrated.
John Henry Daley has three sacks. Michigan has 12 as a team, but there hasn't been that much pressure the past two weeks. He was injured, though. Dominic Nichols has been battling something all season. Trey Pierce and Enow Etta have been stout. The Wolverines are allowing just 2.8 yards per rushing attempt.
Michigan has the 23rd-best scoring defense. It has also played well enough to win all five games. The Wolverines only allowed two touchdowns on defense when you consider the kickoff return against Iowa. Plus, Minnesota turned three Michigan turnovers into 13 points Saturday.
Linebackers: B+
This group has been better than expected. There are some liabilities in coverage, but Nate Staehling intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Troy Bowles has been solid. Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng have also had their moments.
Bowles leads the team with 21 solo tackles. He's also got 4.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Overall, Michigan's linebackers have been a pleasant surprise.
Secondary: B
Michigan's secondary dominated against Oklahoma. Iowa also had over 150 passing yards in the fourth quarter. That wasn't all on the secondary. They have dropped too many interceptions, though.
The defense is the least of Michigan's problems. It has played championship-level football.
Special teams: F
The special teams have made a huge mistake in all three games. It didn't come back to bite Michigan against Oklahoma, but roughing the punter was bad. It gave the Sooners a free first down. Against a team like Indiana or Ohio State, that will be costly.
Michigan also lost the game against Iowa because it allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown. If the Wolverines don't give that up, Iowa is likely down three scores by the fourth quarter. If Andrew Marsh doesn't muff the punt in the third quarter, the Minnesota game might have gone differently, too.
If any coordinator should be on the hot seat, it's Kerry Coombs.
Add us as a preferred source on Google