From Bryce Underwood to Rod Moore, What Does Being Elected Captain Mean to Each Michigan Player?

Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in the history of the National Football League. He won seven Super Bowl titles and three MVP awards.

He’s more decorated than almost any player in the history of the NFL, but states his greatest honor had nothing to do with the NFL. It was being named a captain at Michigan.

Brady was named a captain for his final season at Michigan that saw the Wolverines go 10-2 with a signature victory over Alabama in the Orange Bowl.

Michigan named its four captains Monday night with a few surprises.

Usually that honor is reserved for players who are upperclassmen. This year, however, Michigan came with one big surprise.

Here is a look at each captain, and what it means for the team in 2026.

Bryce Underwood

Of all the names listed, Underwood is the biggest surprise pick as a captain. This is not like the fictional show Friday Night Lights where coach Eric Taylor tells his team that the quarterback is a captain regardless.

Kyle Whittingham is not the type to blow smoke for the sake of optics. Underwood was going to have to earn his opportunity as both a quarterback and leader of the team.

Underwood has talked all offseason about improving as a leader, and it appears that based on he captaincy, he has succeeded.

Underwood is entering a big year on the field. Being a captain means that the player is expected to not just be one of the best leaders, but best performers as well.

He will need to be better this season than he was last season for that to come to fruition. This season will go as far as Underwood is able to carry them.

Jordan Marshall

Of course, Underwood is not going to have to shoulder the entire load of the offense on his own. Jordan Marshall has bided his time behind three talented running backs before entering his junior season as the unquestioned starter.

Marshall spent his first two years behind Kalel Mullings, Donovan Edwards, and Justice Haynes before entering the starting lineup when Haynes missed the second half of the season with a foot injury in 2025.

Marshall was Michigan’s best offensive player last year against Ohio State, and only played a handful of snaps. Who knows how the rest of the game would have gone if Marshall was healthy, but his burst on the first drive of the game gave the Wolverines hope, even if it turned out to be short lived.

Nov 29, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall (23) runs the ball in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Marshall is everything you’d want in a captain at Michigan. He’s a silent assassin that goes about his business. On the field, he’s a violent runner that should give their offense some personality and physicality in their run game.

Trey Pierce

Pierce is a success story as a former three-star recruit that has worked his way into the starting lineup.

Some people think that Michigan’s defensive line could cause them some problems this year, but Whittingham and his staff have talked about it as a strength.

Pierce is the anchor of that group along with Enow Etta, and will need to have a big season to prove his coaching staff right.

Pierce was one of Michigan’s representatives at Big Ten Media Days, and has been in the spotlight for most of the offseason. On the field, he’s hoping to get to work as quickly as possible to slow down the gauntlet of opposing offenses that Michigan is set to face this season.

Rod Moore

Moore is the final one listed, but his story is the best of them all. Moore is the first three-time captain in either of the last two centuries.

Moore is a Michigan legend. No, he has not been an All-American, but his name is going to live in lore forever when his time in Ann Arbor as done. That was true the moment he picked off Kyle McCord to seal Michigan’s victory in what will likely be the highest stakes The Game has ever been played in.

Moore’s story from that point forward has been a point of inspiration. He has battled back from knee injuries that took all of his 2024 season and most of his 2025 season from him. Now, he’s entering his final year at Michigan hoping to leave an even bigger footprint than the one he’s already left.

Moore should help lead an excellent secondary that could be the strength of Michigan’s defense.

According to @TheFieldOf68, #Michigan is in contact with #Nebraska transfer Jamarques Lawrence.

Lawrence started every game for the Huskers this past season and would be an experienced ball handler for Mike Boynton Jr.'s program.

STORY: https://t.co/2fhA5TiDJz pic.twitter.com/Tsbmska1sr
— Trent Knoop (@TrentKnoop) August 18, 2026

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