Michigan Football's 'Best Pass Rusher' is Battling for a Starting Role in 2026

Michigan right tackle Andrew Sprague noted who he thinks the best pass rusher is on the defense.

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When Michigan coaches speak about the Wolverines' defense entering 2026, it's usually them saying it's going to be the strength of the team. Kyle Whittingham has said it on multiple occasions, and Jay Hill has shared similar sentiments when speaking about his defense.

Michigan only returns one starter from last season along the defensive line, but depth appears stout, along with landing All-American edge John Henry Daley from Utah.

But clearly, Michigan needs more than just Daley in order to have one of the best lines in the country. And according to right tackle Andrew Sprague, there are several linemen who are impressing in fall camp. Most notably, edge rusher Dominic Nichols, who is battling Cameron Brandt for a starting role.

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"I'd say pass rush, Dom Nichols is, in my opinion, the best pass rusher," Sprague said. "Not too many people talk about him, but he's gonna be one of the best in the country, in my opinion. I haven't got to go against John Henry too much yet. He's been working on the other side a lot, but he seems like he's a pretty good rusher. 

"Benny Patterson, he's a dog; he's strong as hell. Who else? Lugard is doing great. Meadows and Boney, they're gonna be really good, too."

Nichols turning up the heat

A season ago, Nichols had one sack for Michigan. The player he's battling, Cameron Brandt, had half a sack. But where Nichols made his presence felt was tackling the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage. In 2025, playing in a rotational role, Nichols had 5.5 TFLs, while Brandt had 1.5 TFLs.

According to Pro Football Focus, Nichols was the fifth most effective edge rusher last season. He had a 66.8 pass rushing grade from PFF, and was behind the three edge rushers who are gone, along with Nate Marshall.

Interestingly enough, Marshall's name hasn't been mentioned much this fall. He was a borderline five-star prospect and played a lot last season as a true freshman. Instead, Lugard Edokpayi and Carter Meadows have been getting most of the hype.

A few other standouts from fall camp

Nichols wasn't the only player Andrew Sprague was really high on. Offensively, Sprague noted that wide receiver Channing Goodwin isn't getting talked about enough. Goodwin started the season for Michigan last year, but drops caused him to hit the bench.

Whittingham has noted before that he wants to find at least seven wide receivers Michigan can rotate, and it's sounding more and more likely that Goodwin will be in that mix.

On the defensive side, Jonah Lea'ea continues to impress, the transfer from Utah.

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"I think on offense, I'd say Channing Goodwin has been doing really good," Sprague said. "He's got back from injury, and he's been — he ended practice the other day on a long touchdown. 

"And on defense, there's a lot of good people on defense. I'd say, I think Jonah Lea'ea. He's really good; he has a really good get-off, and all the D-tackles, I feel like they don't get talked about too much, but they're all doing really well."