Bold Predictions for Michigan Football As They Begin Fall Camp

The Michigan Wolverines are set to start fall camp this week at the dawn of a new era.

Sherrone Moore is out, Kyle Whittingham is in as Michigan looks to distance itself from a 9-3 season that ended in embarrassment in more ways than one.

A new era means new opportunities for everyone on the roster. Bryce Underwood gets a fresh start after a freshman season that saw more lows than highs.

Everyone has to prove themselves to some degree whether it’s a freshman like Savion Hiter, or a returning senior like Rod Moore.

Every nugget that trickles out of fall camp is going to be eaten up. After all the drama that has ensued the Michigan program over the last nine months, everyone is chomping at the bit to get back to football.

Who does not love a bold prediction that comes with a new season? Here are a few of ours as Michigan gets set to begin the 2026 season, starting with a pair of super freshmen.

Carter Meadows Emerges as their Top EDGE Defender

Recruiting is not what it used to be with the presence of the transfer portal. Sometimes a team lands a top recruit, only to see him leave via the transfer portal after just one season. The most famous example of that in recent memory is likely local product Dante Moore committing to UCLA, only to transfer to Oregon after one year as a Bruin.

Still, landing top players on the recruiting trail matters for a variety of reasons, and it’s likely easier to convince someone to stay at a school they’re already at rather than moving to a different state after just one year.

Last year’s prize on defense was defensive end Carter Meadows. Meadows was the number six player in the nation, second rated edge rusher, and the top player to come out of Washington D.C.

His recruitment was fierce, and his commitment had fans dreaming of the days of Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo screaming off the edge at opposing quarterbacks.

Relying heavily on a freshman can be treacherous. One season ago, Michigan did just that at the game’s most important position. There are a variety of reasons that Bryce Underwood was not the savior as a freshman that he was billed up to be, but those things can happen with younger players. Despite the fact that players are paid, they’re still very young, and still have to adjust to a new level of football.

Still, the talent in Meadows is undeniable, and the opportunity is ripe for the taking. John Henry Daley is the team’s most experienced pass rusher with college production to back it up.

He’s coming off a serious injury, which could give Meadows even more of an opportunity if the coaching staff decides to take things slow with him.

The bet is that Meadows is ready as soon as he steps on the field and makes an immediate impact, and he won’t be alone.

Savion Hiter is RB1

Jordan Marshall is very good. His tough, hard-nosed style is perfect for a physical running team that Michigan has aspired to be since its inception.

There’s a difference between very good and special.

The buzz surrounding Savion Hiter is unlike anything that has happened at Michigan in a very long time.

Kyle Whittingham noted that he looked like an NFL player already as a true freshman, while also stating he’ll be Marshall’s backup when the season begins.

Savion Hiter is going to be special 🤩@Jbooty88 had plenty to say about the 5-star RB during @UMichFootball's spring game Saturday pic.twitter.com/cWUEFCYHZt
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) April 20, 2026

That might end up being in name only. Explosiveness in the run game is part of why Justice Haynes was starting over Marshall a season ago.

Hiter is going to force his way onto the field early in the season, whether Marshall is out there with him or not.

Eventually, the talent will just be too hard to ignore and the coaching staff will want him on the field as much as possible.

Rod Moore Returns, Looks Like He Never Left

From true freshman, to one of the most decorated players on the roster. Rod Moore has missed the better portion of the last two seasons due to an ACL injury he suffered prior to the beginning of the 2024 season.

The 2025 season saw Moore return to action, but only in limited capacity. The story of recovery from Moore is an inspiring one, and a true testament to how much he loves the school he plays for.

In this day in age where that level of loyalty is increasingly rare, there’s something beautiful about it.

“He’s felt better than he has in two years,” head coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters last week at Big Ten Media Days.

“That’s a relative statement, because I don’t know how he’s felt the last two years but he has done some things this spring and this offseason that he could not have done even close to being done in the last two years.”

Michigan’s lack of depth in the secondary is something that Whittingham has noted throughout the offseason as something that he’s worried about. The starting lineup, however, has the potential to be very good with Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, and Smith Snowden all having experience at cornerback.

Chris Bracy was added via the transfer portal from Memphis this offseason and he will likely start next to Moore.

Rod Moore picks it to seal No. 3 @UMichFootball's third straight win over No. 2 Ohio State. 😎

📺: FOX/@CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/46TyWjNN1j
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 25, 2023

The key to the secondary, however, is Moore. He’s the free safety, and the quarterback of the secondary. His experience should help some of the younger players to lean on him in terms of how to play at the college level.

Furthermore, he’s battle tested. He’s been with Michigan at their peak as one of the top players on the 2023 national championship team.

The bet here is with Moore’s experience and return to full health, he’s going to look like his old self when the season begins.

Kyle Whittingham Was Right About His Defensive Line

There is some angst among the fanbase about the defensive tackle group coming into fall camp. Whittingham does not see that position as a point of contention, but rather a position of strength.

Trey Pierce and Utah transfer Jonah Lea’ea should give the defensive tackle group a good baseline in the starting lineup, but Whittingham thinks they have more meat on the bone with that group.

“We feel that we have five or six guys, four for sure, that could roll through there and win games for us,” Whittingham said last Thursday at Big Ten Media Days.

Whittingham has plenty of coaching chops through his years at Utah and is not one to exercise in hyperbole. He’s a straight shooter.

Michigan’s defensive line was not nearly good enough a season ago, culminating in getting run over by Ohio State at the end of the season.

Whittingham’s group will prove itself right early in fall camp, and before a big test early in the season against Oklahoma.

College football has changed - but the identity of the Michigan football program hasn’t.

The biggest battle to watch in camp is how things shake out in this phase of the game. https://t.co/aLbzzcnEdO
— Jacob Westendorf (@JacobWestendorf) August 3, 2026

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