Michigan Football 2026 Roster: Freshmen Notes, Players Leave Team, Other Tidbits

Fall camp is here. The Michigan Wolverines will take the field on Wednesday for the first practice of the fall and the football season is right around the corner.

With fall camp underway, the Wolverines released their official 2026 football roster. We are going to look it over, dissect it, and share some interesting tidbits that we found.

Freshmen jersey numbers, height, and weight

RB Savion Hiter: No. 5, 6'0", 210 pounds
WR Salesi Moa: No. 12, 6'2", 175 pounds
WR Travis Johnson: No. 13, 6'2", 185 pounds
QB Tommy Carr: No. 14, 6'4", 185 pounds
Edge Carter Meadows: No. 14, 6'7", 252 pounds
LB Aden Reeder: No. 15, 6'2", 215 pounds
QB Brady Smigiel: No. 17, 6'5", 215 pounds
TE Mason Bonner: No. 18, 6'7", 229 pounds
WR Jaylen Pile: No. 20, 6'0", 195 pounds
S Jordan Deck: No. 22, 6'2", 190 pounds
LB Markel Dabney: No. 23, 6'1", 225 pounds
CB Jamarion Vincent: No. 24, 6'2", 170 pounds
S Ernest Nunley: No. 27, 6'0", 180 pounds
RB Jonathan Brown: No. 29, 6'3", 200 pounds
K Jacob Baggett: No. 30, 6'1", 190 pounds
LB Kaden Catchings: No. 33, 6'1", 220 pounds
LB Ndi Etta: No. 35, 6'1", 215 pounds
Edge Tariq Boney: No. 41, 6'1", 243 pounds
Edge McHale Blade: No. 51, 6'4", 245 pounds
OL Ace Hamilton: No. 52, 6'3", 295 pounds
DT Alister Vallejo: No. 56, 6'3", 307 pounds
OL Malakai Lee: No. 58, 6'7", 359 pounds
OL Marky Walbridge: No. 78, 6'6", 285 pounds
OL Tommy Fraumann: No. 79, 6'8", 279 pounds
DT Titan Davis: No. 97, 6'4", 286 pounds

A few things stand out, mostly from the freshmen who weren't around in spring ball, but it's easy to see why Michigan is so excited about edge rusher Carter Meadows. When he committed and signed with the Wolverines, the talking point was that he needed to bulk up.

That he did. Already being 6'7", he is up to 252 pounds and will be a freak off the edge. The depth at edge is quite impressive, but the talent level that Meadows has is off the chart. If he can impress this fall, he should see some sort of a role this season.

How about offensive lineman Malakai Lee's stature? He's already up to 359 pounds as a late enrollee. Now, the chances are slim that Lee sees the field this season, and even if he does, it will be in mop-up duty. He is a pure tackle at this level, and the Wolverines are deep there. But give Lee a season to learn under Jim Harding and he is set up for major success in Ann Arbor.

Tight end Mason Bonner will also need a season or two to mature for college football, but you can't teach size, and that's what he has. Standing at 6'7", Bonner will be a mismatch nightmare at some point in time. If he is going to stay at tight end, he will need to bulk up, but Michigan could also go the JJ Buchanan route and move him all over the field.

Two Michigan players off the roster

Oklahoma's Taylor Tatum runs the ball during the University of Oklahoma Sooners Crimson Combine — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As reported on Tuesday night, both WR CJ Charleston and S Taylor Tatum are not on the 2026 roster. Charleston was seeking a seventh-year waiver, but that was denied, and as for Tatum, he is now focusing on baseball and will play for the Wolverines this season.

Charleston wasn't going to make much of an impact this season, but you can never have too much depth. His absence will give other freshmen a chance to boost up the depth chart.

As far as Tatum, he was making a position switch from running back to safety. The former No. 1 ranked running back, in the same class as Jordan Marshall, was hoping to make an impact this season on the defensive side of the field, but it will be the baseball diamond for Tatum moving forward.

Other interesting nuggets

Michigan wide receiver Salesi Moa (12) walks up the tunnel — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Five-star freshman, and Utah transfer, Salesi Moa is the lightest wide receiver on the roster, coming in at 175 pounds. There are only two players lighter than him on the official roster, one being freshman cornerback Jamarion Vincent at 170 pounds. Both Travis Johnson and Jaime French are listed at 185 pounds and for Moa's sake, the Wolverines are going to need to bulk him up a little for life in the Big Ten.

Veteran safety Rod Moore has made another jersey change. After wearing both No. 19 and No. 9, Moore is now donning No. 1 on the defensive side of the football. In what's going to be his final season at Michigan, Moore wants to show that he's still one of the top safeties in the country and a good fall camp will help.

Former wide receiver I'Marion Stewart has made the change to cornerback, which has been reported before. But it's official. With the Wolverines being deep at wide receiver, and the speedy playmaker not getting much of a chance, he is shifting to defense in hopes of giving more depth.

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