Game week has arrived for Michigan football, and the closer that we get to the start of the season, the more we learn about the Wolverines.
Kyle Whittingham met with the media on Monday ahead of the game against Western Michigan, his first as the Wolverines' head coach. He spoke about plenty of things, including players who raised their stock the most this fall.
Channing Goodwin was one of the players on that list. Whittingham has praised him before, and on Monday night, during his weekly radio show, he said the junior will be Michigan football's No. 3 wide receiver, saying that he "won the job."
Channing Goodwin is Michigan's No. 3 wide receiver, Kyle Whittingham says on his weekly radio show. Junior has won the job coming out of camp.
— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) August 31, 2026
Goodwin caught 12 passes for 148 yards last season. He had two receptions for 49 yards against New Mexico, as well as a 25-yard reception against Oklahoma. Once Andrew Marsh became a factor in the offense, Goodwin's snaps dropped off.
Channing Goodwin's role could say something about Michigan's offense
As a junior, they are going to come back. One reason for that is his ability to block. Whittingham said if receivers don't block, they won't get the ball. That shouldn't be that surprising. Whittingham is an old-school coach who believes in defense and running the football.
Last season, Utah ran the ball more than it threw it. Michigan football could follow suit. There has been a ton of chatter about Bryce Underwood's improvement this fall. There is enough smoke there to believe there is some fire.
Underwood will be much more effective this season. One reason why is that Michigan won't be afraid to run him like it was last season. Tommy Carr won the backup job. He might play, because no matter what, the Wolverines are going to run the damn ball.
They are going to run with Jordan Marshall, Savion Hiter, and yes, Underwood. Goodwin winning the No. 3 job is a sign of that. He's a better receiver than people give him credit for. But, there is zero doubt that he's the best blocking wide receiver on the roster.
That's a skill that gets overlooked. It's essential for creating explosive runs, though, something Utah did with regularity last season. Michigan football was also known for that during its run of three consecutive Big Ten championships from 2021 to 2023. Cornelius Johnson was an exceptional blocker on the perimeter who also got drafted.
Goodwin will be a threat as a receiver. His blocking will also be what keeps him on the field. Travis Johnson, Salesi Moa, and Jaime Ffrench will have roles to play, too. Yet, the selection of Goodwin could offer a hint about what kind of offense this is going to be.
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