Michigan loses another 2026 prospect who requests release from NLI

One of the first things that Kyle Whittingham and Kerry Coombs did once the transfer portal opened was to build up the unit. The Wolverines made three moves right away and that was to land a new kicker, punter, and long snapper.

However, the Wolverines had lost 2026 long snapper Colton Dermer, who asked for a release of his NLI. And now on Wednesday, kicker Micah Drescher has done the same.

"After careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw my NLI. I greatly appreciate the University of Michigan and all they have done for me," Drescher posted on X.

pic.twitter.com/JCdeEG7apR
— Micah Drescher (@MicahDrescher) January 14, 2026

He is now the sixth 2026 prospect to leave Michigan since Sherrone Moore was fired.

Drescher leaving Michigan

The three-star kicker committed to Michigan back on June 18 and picked the Wolverines over both Air Force and Northwestern. He was the 12th-ranked kicker according to the Composite.

Per Kohl's Kicking, Drescher was graded as tied for 100th in the 2026 cycle.

"Drescher recently competed at the 2023 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp. He again competed in all three disciplines and had a solid overall showing at camp. He scored 19 points in the field goal charting and was impressive with his kickoffs. He connected with a big ball of 60 yards with 3.65 seconds of hang time. He flashed solid potential in punting as well and charted a big ball of 42 yards with 3.85 seconds of hang time. Drescher competed at the 2023 Kohl's Midwest Spring Showcase Camp. He's got excellent leg speed and advanced ball striking at his age. He competed in all three disciplines at camp and had an excellent overall showing."

Michigan's kicking situation in 2026

Michigan went out and landed kicker Trey Butkowski from Pitt, who was one of the top kickers in the country as a true freshman.

The Orlando, Florida prospect was a three-star kicker coming out of high school. In 11 games for the Panthers, Butkowski made 20-of-23 kicks for Pitt. All three of his misses come from beyond 40 yards on the year. He also made 43-of-44 extra points this year. He made Pro Football Focus' Freshman All-American team.

The Wolverines also signed his long snapper Nico Crawford from Pitt.

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