College football is officially back! Well, at least for the few teams that are set to play in Week 0, but football is football. Michigan still has a little bit less than two weeks until it kicks off in a primetime matchup against Western Michigan in Ann Arbor, which will be Kyle Whittingham's first game with the Wolverines.
Football isn't the only sport going on right now, as the basketball team is working hard on its 2026 Summer Tour, taking on international teams to get ready to defend its title next season. The NFL season is also almost underway, with preseason wrapping up in the next week, and multiple Wolverines will be in action.
There is lots to catch up on, so here are a few bits of news you may have missed about the Michigan Wolverines.
Jake Butt is believing in the progress Bryce Underwood made in the offseason
Bryce Underwood has undoubtedly been the most talked-about Michigan Wolverine this offseason, and it's no wonder, since the former five-star, No. 1 overall prospect didn't live up to expectations in 2025. Now heading into the 2026 season, Underwood will be under a microscope, especially with a new coaching staff and a plethora of offensive weapons.
Underwood is already being looked at closely by everyone around him, including former Michigan tight end Jake Butt, who was able to watch the Michigan QB in his final fall camp scrimmage over the weekend. There has been a lot of hype about Underwood in camp, and Butt continued to add to it on his podcast, "The Blue Print."
Butt spoke at length about the progress he saw from Underwood, from his improved footwork to staying in the pocket and launching great passes to his receivers, and even throwing the ball away instead of forcing it into a turnover. Butt believes the progress is there, and now it is time for Underwood to show it off this season.
Moustapha Thiam's leg injury is not as bad as it could have been
Michigan began its 2026 Summer Tour with an exhibition game against the Lithuanian National Team. This was the first competition of any type for new head coach Mike Boynton, and unfortunately, he is already dealing with the hardship of injuries.
Nearly six minutes into the game, Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam went down with an apparent leg injury after being rolled up on by Elliot Cadeau when going for an offensive rebound. Thiam spent minutes on the ground before being helped off the court. No update was given after the game on the severity of the injury.
On Monday, Michigan faces the Lithuania B team, and before the game, it was announced that both Thiam and Trey McKinney would sit out due to injuries, but both were minor. Thiam's injury was described as "nothing serious," which is a huge relief for the Wolverines.
More J.J. McCarthy isn't allowing QB demotion to slow him down with the Minnesota Vikings
Just like fall camp, NFL training camps are also coming to a close, but for former Michigan and current Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, he already knows where he stands with his team going into the regular season. In a QB battle that started in the summer, McCarthy was battling former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray for the starting position, and it was announced roughly two weeks ago that Murray would be the QB1, effectively demoting McCarthy to QB2.
McCarthy, the Vikings' former 2023 first-round pick, has struggled in his NFL career, mainly with injuries that have kept him out for multiple games a season. Now, as the backup, McCarthy will have to find a way to continue to impress the coaching staff either to win back his starting role or move on to another team.
Well, McCarthy was on his way to impressing someone with his performance in the Vikings' preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens when he threw a beautiful deep pass early in the first quarter to Tai Felton.
Beautiful deep ball by J.J. McCarthy! pic.twitter.com/yAQa53UEHL
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) August 22, 2026
Now, yes, this is preseason, but McCarthy showed not just great arm strength and accuracy, but he evaded the sack, stepped up in the pocket, and made the throw under some serious pressure. That is the quarterback the Michigan fans remember, and if guys like Sam Darnold and Jared Goff have shown us anything, it's that just because McCarthy is a backup doesn't mean he won't be a starter again.
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