Five Reasons to Believe Michigan Football Can Exceed Expectations This Season

Michigan is expected to win eight or nine games in 2026, but is there reason to believe it can win more?

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The Michigan Wolverines, depending on where you look, are expected to win eight or nine games in 2026 under new head coach Kyle Whittingham. The Wolverines won nine games a year ago, but after a subpar year from Bryce Underwood in 2025 and a daunting schedule in front of Michigan — it has some people questioning the Wolverines' ceiling this season.

Here are five reasons Michigan could shock everyone and exceed expectations.

1. Bryce Underwood will get the coaching he needs

Bryce Underwood was the one on the field in 2025 making the reads and plays, but anyway you slice it, last year was a coaching failure. Sherrone Moore shocked the world when he flipped five-star Bryce Underwood from LSU, but once he got to Michigan, Moore left him on an island with little coaching.

Underwood's 2025 showcased his potential, but the lack of development was obvious. Underwood's footwork, happy feet in the pocket, and being held back from using his legs all caused for a head-scratching season.

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But Kyle Whittingham has done everything to ensure Underwood will get the coaching he needs. Not only did he bring over Jason Beck to run a quarterback-friendly system, but Koy Detmer Jr. also follows from Utah to become Underwood's quarterback coach. Detmer Jr. worked with Devon Dampier the past two seasons, and Dampier was excellent.

It's going to take Underwood to put in the work — which by all accounts he is. Underwood was ranked as the top-rated prospect in his class, and has all the tools to become a great Michigan quarterback. With proper coaching, Underwood's 2026 should be much better than what 2025 was.

2. Jason Beck has a proven system

Sticking with Beck, his system works. The sample size isn't great, as Beck has only been an offensive coordinator for three seasons, but in the past two years, he has run one of the top offenses in the country. In 2024, with New Mexico, he had the No. 23 scoring offense in the country, averaging 33.5 points per game. Last year, at Utah, Beck's team averaged 41.3 points per game, which was No. 4 in the nation.

The passing offense will open up with Beck running it, as the Wolverines will be in more 11 personnel this season, allowing Underwood to have more than just one option. But it's the run game that has been excellent under his watch. Michigan loves to run the rock, and with Beck utilizing the QB run, along with gap schemes for his running backs — the run game excelled.

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In both 2024 and 2025, Beck's offense was second in the nation in yards per game on the ground. New Mexico averaged over 253 yards per game running in 2024, and Utah averaged over 266 yards per game this past season.

Between Underwood, Jordan Marshall, and Savion Hiter, Michigan should be able to run the ball at an elite level. And assuming Underwood does take that step in the passing game, the Wolverines' offense could score a lot of points this season.

3. Kyle Whittingham has clamored about the D-line

Truth be told, the defensive line was a question mark entering spring. Michigan lost a lot of talent from last season: Derrick Moore, Jaishawn Barham, TJ Guy, Rayshaun Benny, Tre Williams, and Damon Payne.

However, following the spring game, Whittingham doubled down on the defensive line being Michigan's strongest unit.

"Again, [the D-line] appears to be our strongest unit right now, as far as depth goes. Ten bodies ready to play, we’ll be 2.5 deep on the front of the defense there, and that’s a real luxury for us.”

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If that comes to fruition, that is music to Michigan fans' ears. The secondary will be elite this season with the returners the Wolverines have coming back, along with a couple of transfer additions. The linebackers are also a question mark with little to no experience, but the talent is there.

Michigan is going to really lean on All-American edge rusher John Henry Daley this season, along with its three experienced interior players: Enow Etta, Trey Pierce, and Jonah Lea'ea. With Jay Hill running the defense, he is going to run an attacking style and the Wolverines' defensive line is going to be expected to penetrate this season.

4. Michigan's starting secondary could top the Big Ten

Depth at corner might be concerning, but the Wolverines' starting cornerbacks should be as good as anyone. Getting both Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry back was huge for Michigan and then adding Smith Snowden, that gives the Wolverines three corners they can trust on every play.

Hill was getting first-round projections entering the 2025 season, and with new coaching coming into Ann Arbor, the small things are being retaught, which should allow for some big plays in the secondary.

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Then at safety, Michigan has four players it's going to lean on and trust to make plays. Getting Rod Moore back and healthy is one of the bigger stories in all of football. It was a few seasons ago, but people tend to forget just how good Moore was at safety. He could've left after the 2023 season and been a mid-round draft pick, but he chose to come back, and that's when the injury bug hit.

Aside from Moore, Chris Bracy was elite last year at Memphis and he will add firepower to the Wolverines' secondary. He isn't just good in the pass game, but he's one of the top run-stopping safeties in the country. Both Mason Curtis and Jordan Young will have rotational roles this season, after seeing the field for extensive amounts a year ago.

5. Influx of transfers and freshmen give the Wolverines extra firepower

Michigan didn't go transfer portal crazy in Kyle Whittingham's first portal offseason, but the Wolverines were selective of who they went after, and Michigan landed several players who are going to play pivotal roles this season.

Clearly, John Henry Daley, JJ Buchanan, Jonah Lea'ea, Jaime Ffrench, and Chris Bracy, among several others, are going to play massive roles in Year 1 at Michigan. After transitioning from Sherrone Moore to Whittingham, the Wolverines lost some key players to the portal, but Michigan made the best of it with the additions.

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What was even more impressive than Michigan's transfer portal haul was how Whittingham kept the 2026 recruiting class together. Five-stars Savion Hiter and Carter Meadows stayed, and Michigan added five-star WR Salesi Moa, who was a Utah enrollee.

All three of those players should make some sort of impact this season, especially Hiter and Moa. Four-star WR Travis Johnson could see some action early, along with defensive linemen Alister Vallejo, Titan Davis, and cornerback Jamarion Vincent.

Whittingham deserves credit for the job he did in retention from a roster standpoint, but he also landed players who will give Michigan firepower in 2026.