Before every college football season, there are always multiple early rankings released, trying to predict where teams will land and how the season as a whole will go. In reality, there is no predicting how things will go because teams will always surprise fans with either better or worse play.
Michigan is getting ready to move into an entirely new era in Ann Arbor under new head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff, so predicting how the Wolverines will fare not just in 2026 but also through 2027 feels tough. However, ESPN has done just that with all 68 Power 4 teams, and compared to last year's ranking, the Wolverines took a bit of a dive, but it could have been worse.
Before the 2025 season, Michigan was ranked No. 13 in the future power rankings. Now, before the 2026 season, Michigan has fallen a few spots to No. 16, which isn't bad, but may not tell the full story of what Whittingham could do in Ann Arbor.
ESPN ranks Michigan No. 16 ahead of 2026 season in early power rankings
The ESPN future power rankings are all based on the evaluation of the combination of quarterback situation, offensive and defensive line outlook, roster management, star power, and coaching staff. So, there were a lot of new things for this power ranking to look at when it comes to Michigan.
The quarterback situation doesn't change for Michigan this season, as Bryce Underwood is still the leader of this offense. There is hope that Underwood will take that step forward this season, especially now having a year of experience under his belt. He has some great weapons around him, including fellow sophomore wide receiver Andrew Marsh, who was the leading receiver for the Wolverines last season.
The defensive line always looks stellar for Michigan, even when they lose pieces. The defense as a whole is actually looking strong yet again, with some key returners like Rod Moore, who should hopefully be ready to go by the season, as new transfer portal additions like John Henry Daley and Jonah Lea'ea, both following Whittingham from Utah.
The coaching staff is strong as well, as Whittingham brought quite a few pieces with him from Utah, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck, offensive line coach Jim Harding, and others. One intriguing hire was defensive coordinator Jay Hill, whom Whittingham hired from BYU.
While this ranking may not have fallen a lot, it gives both the players and the coaching staff a bit of a chip on their shoulder to be ranked higher. There is no better motivation than feeling like you are ranked too low, and Michigan could very well feel that way.
The Wolverines aren't too far removed from winning the College Football Playoff, and now, with a new coaching staff and key players coming in with more experience, Michigan could get itself back to the CFP. This is a ranking that could and should be higher this time next year.
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