Offensive Line
Run-first identity under an OL-background head coach
Michigan's script tendencies lean run-heavy, which has historically pulled game totals down relative to market expectations.
BIG TEN FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 5 OF 18
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
2026 Season Snapshot • Ann Arbor, Michigan
9-4 (6-3 Big Ten)
B1G
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Michigan.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Kyle Whittingham — 1st season at Michigan
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
177–88 (22 seasons, Utah)
Spent 21 seasons at Utah (2005-25): three conference titles, a 13-0 season in 2008, and consistently one of the sport's most stable programs. Hired in a highly unusual mid-cycle scramble after Michigan fired Sherrone Moore for cause. First season leading a Big Ten blue blood at age 66.
MICHIGAN ATS RECORD
No Michigan ATS history under Whittingham (new hire)
Michigan finished 2025 at 9-4 (7-2 Big Ten) under Moore/interim Biff Poggi, including a Citrus Bowl loss to Texas. The season was overshadowed by Moore's Dec. 10 firing for cause and subsequent arrest — an offseason defined by off-field turmoil more than any on-field trend.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$8.0M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
$30.0M (est.)
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Champions Circle
Coach salary per Detroit Free Press FOIA (5-yr, $41M base + up to $3.5M annual bonuses). Team NIL figure is a third-party estimate (The NIL Standard, June 2026), not officially disclosed. Champions Circle has publicly stated programs need $6-10M in external NIL funding annually beyond revenue sharing to compete with Ohio State/Penn State.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Historic coaching-change chaos: Michigan fired Moore for cause on Dec. 10, he was arrested days later, and the program hired a 66-year-old first-time Big Ten coach roughly two weeks before the transfer portal window — real uncertainty about program continuity and locker-room culture entering 2026.
- Bryce Underwood is both the anchor and the swing risk: The nation's most expensive recruit ever (reported NIL package north of $10M) is now on his second coaching staff in two years — how he responds to a new play-caller (Jason Beck) is the single biggest variable on the roster.
- Whittingham brought his Utah infrastructure wholesale: OC Jason Beck ($2.8-3.3M) and 5 former Utah players followed him — a genuine attempt to import a proven program culture rather than build one from scratch.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Jason Beck — 1st season • Utah run-scheme
Followed Whittingham from Utah on a 3-year, $2.8-3.3M deal. Inherits arguably the best RB duo in the country (Marshall, Hiter) and a passing game that dropped 28 balls in 2025 — Michigan spent aggressively on receiver help (Andrew Marsh, JJ Buchanan, Jaime Ffrench Jr.) to fix that specific problem.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Jay Hill — 1st season • Multiple
Also followed from the Utah/BYU coaching tree on a 3-year, $2.6M deal, replacing Wink Martindale. A full defensive scheme change alongside a full offensive scheme change is real installation risk heading into Week 1 against Western Michigan and a brutal Big Ten slate.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
9–4 (7–2 Big Ten)
Citrus Bowl: L 27-41 vs. Texas, played under interim Biff Poggi after Moore's Dec. 10 firing. A season defined as much by off-field chaos as by Bryce Underwood's freshman development.
HOME FIELD
Michigan Stadium ("The Big House")
Artificial turf (FieldTurf), Ann Arbor. The largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere (107,601 capacity) and one of the sport's most storied venues — a genuine recruiting and atmosphere advantage regardless of coaching turnover.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Bryce Underwood | Soph | ★★★★★ | 5-STAR The most expensive recruit in college football history — a five-star (No. 1 overall, 2025 class) who flipped from LSU on an NIL package reported north of $10M. On3 2026 NIL Valuation: $3.0M , more than double any other Wolverine. |
| RB1 | Jordan Marshall | Jr | ★★★★★ | Four-star signee (2024, On3 No. 84 overall); took over the lead role after Justice Haynes's injury and closed 2025 with four 110+ yard games in Michigan's last five (150 att, 932 yds, 10 TD). |
| RB2 | Savion Hiter | Fr | ★★★★★ | 5-STAR Five-star signee, the wire-to-wire No. 1 RB in the 2026 class (1,698 yds, 26 TD as a junior); chose Michigan over Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio State. Named Michigan's clear No. 2 back but expected to see real early-career volume. |
| WR1 | Andrew Marsh | Soph | ★★★★★ | Emerged as Michigan's best receiver once given an extended look in 2025 (78.1 PFF grade, zero drops); On3 NIL Valuation: $970K . Now Underwood's clear top target. |
QB1Bryce UnderwoodSoph★★★★★
5-STAR
The most expensive recruit in college football history — a five-star (No. 1 overall, 2025 class) who flipped from LSU on an NIL package reported north of $10M. On3 2026 NIL Valuation: $3.0M , more than double any other Wolverine.
RB1Jordan MarshallJr★★★★★
Four-star signee (2024, On3 No. 84 overall); took over the lead role after Justice Haynes's injury and closed 2025 with four 110+ yard games in Michigan's last five (150 att, 932 yds, 10 TD).
RB2Savion HiterFr★★★★★
5-STAR
Five-star signee, the wire-to-wire No. 1 RB in the 2026 class (1,698 yds, 26 TD as a junior); chose Michigan over Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio State. Named Michigan's clear No. 2 back but expected to see real early-career volume.
WR1Andrew MarshSoph★★★★★
Emerged as Michigan's best receiver once given an extended look in 2025 (78.1 PFF grade, zero drops); On3 NIL Valuation: $970K . Now Underwood's clear top target.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Sprague | RT | — | ★★★★★ | Four-star signee (Kansas City, 2024, No. 9 OT nationally); the most expensive returning offensive lineman on the roster (On3 NIL Valuation: $1.01M); anchors a line adjusting to Jason Beck's new run scheme. |
| Jake Guarnera | C | — | ★★★★★ | Three-star signee (2024); started all but the season opener in 2025 (allowed 2 sacks, 10 pressures per PFF) and graded as Michigan's best run blocker — one of the more experienced returning pieces up front. |
Andrew SpragueRT—★★★★★
Four-star signee (Kansas City, 2024, No. 9 OT nationally); the most expensive returning offensive lineman on the roster (On3 NIL Valuation: $1.01M); anchors a line adjusting to Jason Beck's new run scheme.
Jake GuarneraC—★★★★★
Three-star signee (2024); started all but the season opener in 2025 (allowed 2 sacks, 10 pressures per PFF) and graded as Michigan's best run blocker — one of the more experienced returning pieces up front.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- A new scheme (Beck's Utah-style zone run game) behind a mostly-returning line is a real transition variable — track early rushing efficiency for Marshall/Hiter as a tell.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Dominic Nichols | DE | 6'5"/250; 19 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 sack in 2025. Teammates have publicly predicted a breakout "monster season" for 2026. |
| John Henry Daley | DL | Utah transfer who followed Whittingham/Hill; one of three former Utes projected as Week 1 starters on defense. |
Dominic NicholsDE
6'5"/250; 19 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 sack in 2025. Teammates have publicly predicted a breakout "monster season" for 2026.
John Henry DaleyDL
Utah transfer who followed Whittingham/Hill; one of three former Utes projected as Week 1 starters on defense.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Michigan's linebacker corps is being installed fresh under new DC Jay Hill's scheme, with multiple Utah transfers (including starters Smith Snowden and JJ Buchanan on other units) brought in to accelerate the transition to Hill's system.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rod Moore | S | ★★★★★ | Returning senior captain and the most experienced player in the secondary; a stabilizing veteran presence through the coaching change. |
| Mason Curtis | S | ★★★★★ | Former four-star linebacker convert (ESPN300, 2024) who graded as Michigan's best coverage defender in 2025 (76.6 PFF coverage grade) despite starting only 3 games. |
| Smith Snowden | DB | ★★★★★ | Utah transfer and Whittingham/Hill system veteran, one of five Utes who followed the staff to Ann Arbor. |
Rod MooreS★★★★★
Returning senior captain and the most experienced player in the secondary; a stabilizing veteran presence through the coaching change.
Mason CurtisS★★★★★
Former four-star linebacker convert (ESPN300, 2024) who graded as Michigan's best coverage defender in 2025 (76.6 PFF coverage grade) despite starting only 3 games.
Smith SnowdenDB★★★★★
Utah transfer and Whittingham/Hill system veteran, one of five Utes who followed the staff to Ann Arbor.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. With the coaching change consuming most of the offseason narrative, kicker/punter competition news has been light — confirm specific names closer to the Sept. 5 opener vs. Western Michigan.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
4-9
30.8% cover rate — 76th of 82
2025 Straight up
9-4
Point differential +93
Scoring environment
47.9
Combined points per game — 63rd highest of 82
Home / road ATS
2-4 · 2-3
Totals 6-7 O/U (1-5 home, 3-2 road)
Points scored / allowed
27.5 per game scored (46th) · 20.4 allowed (23rd)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +7.2 (30th) · Strength of schedule +2
- Home / road: Home 2-4 ATS, road 2-3 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 6-7 O/U — 1-5 at home, 3-2 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 4-9 (30.8% cover rate) across 13 games.
- Trend: Averaged 27.5 points and allowed 20.4, a 47.9 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+6.5
28th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+5
28th of 82
Defensive SRS
+6.1
25th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+7.2 · 30th of 82
Against the spread
4-9 (30.8%) · 76th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
47.9 · 63rd of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Michigan.
Quarterback
Second-year quarterback development
The offense's ceiling is tied to a former five-star in his second year as the starter. Improvement is plausible but not guaranteed.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.