If you don't know what the blue-chip ratio is, you should. It's a measurement of the percentage of blue-chip players on a college football roster, and according to the 2025 blue-chip ratio released recently by CBS Sports, Michigan football has the talent to win a national title.
There are 18 teams, according to Bud Elliott, who created the blue-chip ratio, that have the talent needed to win the national championship this season. Ever since it started back in 2013, the national champion has had more four and five-star recruits on its roster than two and three-star recruits.
That percentage of blue-chips has to be over 50 percent. Every "modern" national champion has, according to Elliott, had a roster meeting that threshold. A few teams were in the low 50s, such as Florida State (53, 2013), Clemson (52, 2016), and Michigan (54) back in 2023.
Ohio State was at 90 percent last season. The Buckeyes are tied with Alabama for the highest blue-chip ratio going into the 2025 season at 89 percent. It makes sense for the Buckeyes to be a national title favorite, but Michigan football is also on the list at 57 percent.
Michigan's blue-chip ratio should be trending up
That puts Michigan 14th among the 18 teams above 50 percent. Still, it's exciting that the number is trending up after the national championship, and should only continue to.
These are the blue-chip percentages of the past four classes for Michigan football with the top number being the blue-chip commitments and the bottom being the total number of commits in each class: 11/25 (44%, 2023), 17/26 (65%, 2024), 17/23 (73%, 2025), 14/21 (66%, 2026 -- still pending).
Including the commitments in 2026, Michigan has a blue-chip percentage of 62 percent dating back to the 2023 class. If you exclude that class, it jumps to 68 percent. Currently, there are nine teams above 70 percent, which include Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
There's no reason Michigan football can't get there eventually, with their newfound NIL prowess. That would put the Wolverines among the top-10 most-talented programs in the country. And with their ability to develop talent, that's a scary thought for the rest of the sport.
As far as the 2025 season is concerned, what the blue-chip ratio should tell Michigan football fans is that if Bryce Underwood is legit, like All-Big Ten legit this season (not even first-team), the Wolverines could be a legitimate national title contender.
There are three tough, but winnable road games, plus Ohio State comes to Ann Arbor for what should be the 12th start of Underwood's career. He'll barely be a freshman by then.
Nine or 10 wins is the most likely outcome. But too many people are sleeping on the ceiling of this 2025 Michigan football team.