5 Michigan Football Players Labeled Top 100 Newcomers in College Football

The Wolverines are full of talent and at least five new players are expected to make a big impact in Year 1 at Michigan.

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After losing some key players to the NFL Draft and 27 players to the transfer portal, the Michigan Wolverines had to bring in some big-time players via the portal and recruiting class in Year 1 of Kyle Whittingham.

Michigan landed just 16 players from the portal, but the Wolverines will see an immediate impact from a majority of them. Plus, the Maize and Blue have some instant-impact freshmen coming into the program.

Recently, ESPN ranked the top 100 newcomers in the country and five Michigan players made the list.

RB Savion Hiter - No. 24

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Interestingly enough, a true freshman was listed No. 1 for Michigan. Savion Hiter is going to play second fiddle in the running back room, but Hiter should have a major role in Year 1 under new offensive coordinator Jason Beck.

Seeing him live in the spring game, he looks nothing like a freshman. Hiter's build is tremendous and he continues to churn his legs to get extra yardage. Hiter should play a role in short-yardage situations, and if he continues to improve in pass-blocking, his role will only continue to grow.

Edge John Henry Daley - No. 25

In my opinion, John Henry Daley is the biggest newcomer for Michigan this season. An All-American in 2025, Daley suffered an Achilles injury, but is expected to be a full go for fall camp. At Utah last season, Daley recorded 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.

After losing Derrick Moore, Jaishawn Barham, and TJ Guy, Michigan needed a distrupter at edge, and that's what the Wolverines got with Daley. If he's anywhere near 100% this fall, Michigan could have the best edge rusher in the Big Ten.

WR JJ Buchanan - No. 49

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JJ Buchanan was labeled a tight end last season at Utah, but he lined up all over the field in an expanded role under Jason Beck. As a true freshman, Buchanan quickly earned a valuable role and finished third on the team in receiving.

Coming to Michigan, only Andrew Marsh and Buchanan are the only two established receivers in the room for Bryce Underwood. Marsh and Buchanan are clear 1A and 1B on the team, and Buchanan should become a red-zone threat for Michigan in 2026.

CB Smith Snowden - No. 63

With the return of both Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry, Michigan could have the best starting corner room in the Big Ten with the addition of Smith Snowden. The explosive corner was a top option for the Utes a year ago, and is full of versatility. He played on special teams, caught and ran the ball on offense, and was a lock-down corner.

Expect Snowden to play both nickel and corner this season, and Michigan could experiment with him on offense occasionally. Barring injury, Snowden could work his way into a Day 2 draft pick next spring. He was ranked as ESPN's No. 1 newcomer at CB this year.

WR Salesi Moa - No. 91

Moa was a late addition to Michigan's roster. A five-star prospect, he committed to Utah in the 2026 class, but once Kyle Whittingham left for the Wolverines, Moa entered the portal and landed with Michigan for his first season of collegiate football.

Moa is a two-way player, playing both receiver and defensive back, but he will play offense for Michigan. He impressed with a one-handed catch in the spring game, and Moa is expected to be the No. 3 or No. 4 WR this fall for Underwood.