Michigan Football Freshman Most Likely to Surprise Everyone this Season

In the past, Michigan football has been known as a developmental program.

While - certainly - during the Jim Harbaugh days, raw, unfinished, but immensely talented freshmen took the field for the Wolverines and contributed to the winning ways in Ann Arbor, the meat and bones of those 85-man rosters was comprised of third, fourth, and fifth year players who had progressed and become better over years of learning at Michigan.

Zinte — USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

No starter in the 2023 national championship game was a freshman, while 15 of the 22 were seniors.

That’s not entirely uncommon in the college game where experience and year-over-year growth matter so much, but older statesmen and veteran leaders had been hallmarks of the Michigan program for a number of years.

That’s less true these days.

Michigan brought in, and relied more upon, blue-chip freshman players last season. Expectedly, Bryce Underwood led the charge, but other first-year Wolverines such as Andrew Marsh and Elijah Dotson also substantially contributed to the 2025 campaign in surprisingly large roles.

Marsh — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Which freshman is going to meet that standard this season? Who has thus far flown beneath the radar, but is primed for an important season? Which freshman is going to surprise everyone?

The Obvious Candidates

Savion Hiter has been stealing headlines during the offseason, and rightfully so. The 5-star running back has dropped jaws everywhere, leaving coaches baffled by his development and maturity as a true freshman.

Former 5⭐️ recruit and #Michigan freshman RB Savion Hiter ready to become a household name in college football and look at him strike a couple familiar poses via his IG.#NotTypicalFreshman pic.twitter.com/ueZu2stipS
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) August 4, 2026

Hiter will carry the ball frequently this season, and to good effect. But that’s expected.

So too would an impact from Carter Meadows, the other 5-star Michigan recruit in the 2026 class. Recently, the buzz around Meadows has further intensified, with head coach Kyle Whittingham signaling a likely role in the defensive line’s rotation for him after raving about the edge threat.

So who is going to surprise Michigan fans?

Let’s consider a couple factors.

1: Michigan is unveiling a more pass-heavy offense this season.
2: Quarterback Bryce Underwood is a season wiser, an offseason of real coaching better, and still the flaming talent he’s always been.
3: After Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan, the receiver room is devoid of hierarchy, with the WR3 spot wide open.

For Salesi Moa, it’s an ideal situation.

The former top recruit in Utah enters a program looking for more reliable targets to buoy its top flight of receivers. And Moa is that guy.

#Michigan freshman WR Salesi Moa could be a problem for opposing defenses this fall.

Moa was rated the No. 2 ATH in the 2026 cycle, according to the @247Sports Composite rankings. pic.twitter.com/ruYVA1FsJl
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) May 6, 2026

He’s got the speed and route deftness to race behind coverages, and might occasionally haul in the long-range heave. However, he will be most valuable as a fall-back option. Defensive schemes will rarely be designed to account for him as a priority, and he possesses the athleticism to win matchups against second-string defenders.

When Marsh and Buchanan aren’t available, Moa will be able to step up. The relatively less heralded freshman should be in for a more than solid campaign.

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