Now that Big Ten Media Days are in the books, it's a great time to look forward. We learned a lot about the Wolverines during Thursday's trip to Chicago.
Kyle Whittingham, the Michigan football head coach, offered some insight on who will be starting at key spots, but there will be plenty of competition.
There should be some exciting position battles, and with fall camp starting this week, here is the Wolverines' projected Week 1 depth chart.
QB: Bryce Underwood, Tommy Carr, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi
Bryce Underwood is the clear starter. That's not going to change. The fall camp battle is for the backup quarterback job. Tommy Carr is the "clear" No. 2, according to Whittingham, going into fall camp; However, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is an experienced starter. If he can get familiar with the offense quickly, he could lock down the job.
Michigan football fans should be cheering for Carr, though. It would be better for him to lock down the No. 2 job, allowing him to play behind Underwood and develop before he gets his chance to start.
RB: Jordan Marshall, Savion Hiter, Bryson Kuzdal
Whittingham suggested this might be the best running back room in college football. Jordan Marshall averaged 6.9 yards per attempt last season in Big Ten play. He also had four consecutive 100-yard games at one point, and had 61 yards on seven carries against Ohio State.
If Marshall had been 100 percent, "The Game" would have been much closer. It would have been competitive.
The Michigan football running back should be even better this season. Savion Hiter is going to be a superstar. Marshall will start, but Hiter will get tons of touches. He should get 10-15 touches per game.
Bryson Kuzdal rushed for 100 yards against Maryland last season, so if needed, he can be solid in a pinch, too.
WR: Andrew Marsh (Z), J.J. Buchanan (X), Jamie Ffrench (slot); Travis Johnson, Salesi Moa, and Jamar Browder
Andrew Marsh had 651 receiving yards last season, despite not playing hardly at all in the first few games. He's got a chance to hit 1,000 yards this season.
Marsh can play any of the three wide receiver positions. That could probably be said about JJ Buchanan. Salesi Moa is another name to know. He could easily see time in the slot, but he can do much more than that.
Travis Johnson is a 6-foot-3 freshamn who has turned heads, and Jamar Browder flashed last season. Keep an eye on him and rising sophomore Jacob Washington.
TE: Zach Marshall, Hogan Hansen, and Jalen Hoffman (FB)
Zach Marshall really grew on me last season. He finished with 199 receiving yards on 16 receptions. He's a solid blocker, too. Marshall should be the starting tight end, but Hogan Hansen will probably have an even bigger role as a pass catcher.
Hansen had six receptions for 74 yards last season. He also added seven receptions for 78 yards as a freshman. The pass-catching skills are plain to see. Injuries hampered him last season, and if he can remain healthy, he will be a weapon.
Jalen Hoffman isn't quite Max Bredeson, but Whittingham is going to love that dude.
OL Starters (L to R): Andrew Babalola, Evan Link, Jake Guarnera, Nathan Efobi, and Andrew Sprague; Key Backups: Nate Frazier, Brady Norton, Avery Gach, Marky Walbridge, Malakai Lee
Andrew Babalola drew praise from Whittingham during Big Ten Media Days. He said that Babalola reminds him of the two Utah offensive tackles, who were just seleced in the first round back in April.
Whittingham also said he didn't see Babalola moving inside to guard. The top-ranked offensive line recruit in Michigan football history is 6-foot-6, 314 pounds. Blake Fraizer was fine last season, but struggled some down the stretch. He can add some bulk and try to bump inside, but he could be just as useful as a swing tackle this season.
With Frazier and Brady Norton coming off the bench, at least in this projection, it feels like the Wolverines have seven starting-caliber O-lineman.
DT: Trey Pierce, Enow Etta, Jonah Lea'ea; Travis Moten, Deyvid Palepale, Bobby Kanka.
Trey Pierce might be one of the most underrated players in the Big Ten. He feels like the next first-team All-Big Ten defensive tackle.
Enow Etta has shown a ton of promise. If he can truly have a breakout season, after 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks last season, this defensive line might be the strength of the team, as Whittingham has suggested it will be.
Lea'ea is probably the most underrated Utah addition via the transfer portal. He'll make a positive impact, while there are some younger players ready to emerge, too.
EDGE: John Henry Daley, Cameron Bradt, Nate Marshall, Carter Meadows, and Lugard Edokpayi
John Henry Daley has been projected to be an All-American this season, as well as a first-team All-Big Ten selection. He had 11.5 sacks last season to go along with 17.5 tackles for loss in 2025.
Henry Daley is coming off a season-ending injury, but is 100 percent. He won't have any limitations during camp and might be the best pass rusher in the Big Ten.
Cameron Brandt has been solid, especially against the run. Meadows is a five-star freshman, while Nate Marshall was a top-50 signee in 2025. It would be great to get a contributuon from those guys. It's not easy for true freshman to play, but Meadows is up to 270 pounds.
LB: Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Chase Taylor, and Troy Bowles; Nathaniel Staehling, Aisea Moa, and Max Alford
Owusu-Boateng is a former five-star recruit. He only played seven games last season, but appears to have taken a big step forward. Chase Taylor has been talked about a lot, while Troy Bowles played in all 13 games last season with 27 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.
Staehling is another who should see regular snaps. I don't see many beyond those four getting on the field much, although veterans Aisea Moa and Max Alford could have roles beyond what they contribute on special teams. They are each familiar with the scheme, too.
CB: Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, Smith Snowden (nickel); Shamari Earls and Jo'Ziah Edmond
The Wolverines have one of the best cornerback trios in college football. Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry are essentially entering their third seasons as starters. They each earned All-Big Ten honors last season, plus Snowden was second-team All-Big 12.
Snowden comes to Michigan football with 24 career starts, 92 tackles, six tackles for loss, four interceptions, 25 pass breakups, and one forced fumble. He's played some offense over the years, too. Snowden is a dynamic athlete, and this secondary should be among the Big Ten's best.
Safety: Rod Moore and Chris Bracy; Jordan Young and Mason Curtis
Michigan's safety room might be just as good as the cornerbacks. We all know what Rod Moore can do. He's an All-Big Ten performer when healthy. He even had an interception and some game-changing plays last season, even though he just played four games.
Turn on the Wisconsin film if you don't think Moore can make a major impact this season. Bracy could be the most underrated transfer on the roster. He started 11 games for Memphis last season and notched 81 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble.
Bracy is the real deal. Jordan Young is, too. He should be the third safety this season, along with Mason Curtis, who feels like a great candidate to be a hybrid defender (LB/S). This is another group that feels like it has more starters than starting spots available.
Specialists: Hudson Hollenbeck (Punter), Trey Butkowski (K), Nico Crawford (LS), Andrew Marsh (PR), Salesi Moa (KR).
Things are pretty straightforward here. Andrew Marsh worries me a little as the punt returner, but he's the best on the team at it. He's dynamic, too. Moa feels like a perfect fit to be the kickoff returner. Butkowski needs to be an upgrade.
Special teams as a whole could and should be better under Kerry Coombs.
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