Michigan Football Stock Report: Who is Rising and Who is Falling One Week Into Fall Camp

Fall camp is in its second week, and football season is just around the corner. The Michigan Wolverines are looking to work their way back to national prominence after a 9-3 season saw them lose their three most important games a season ago.

In order to do that, they’ll need contributions from the entire roster. Some guys are going to need to take steps forward after getting extended playing time a season ago. Other guys are going to have to make their mark as newcomers to the program.

Who is rising and who is falling as the team makes its way through fall camp? We take a look.

Stock Up: WR JJ Buchanan

It can never be a bad thing for a skill position player if the head coach calls you unguardable.

That’s the exact word that Kyle Whittingham used to describe JJ Buchanan earlier this week. Buchanan was a bit of an unknown coming into Ann Arbor as a transfer from Utah, but plenty of opportunity was going to be available for him as Michigan’s receiving corps was undergoing a transition.

Nov 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Andrew Marsh (4) makes a catch as Northwestern Wildcats cornerback Fred Davis II (2) defends him during the first half at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, he’s gone from afterthought to a potential WR1 alongside super sophomore Andrew Marsh, who expects to take a big leap this season as a full time starter.

Michigan needs more from its passing game in 2026, and Buchanan proving to be another reliable option will certainly help in the growth of Bryce Underwood.

Stock Up: CB Shemari Earls

Jyaire Hill, Smith Snowden, and Zeke Berry appear to be the leaders in the clubhouse with a rubber stamp to start on opening weekend against Western Michigan.

That’s a dynamic group if they are all healthy. This is football, however, so odds are they will not be healthy for the duration of the season. That means someone else is going to have to step up, and Shemari Earls was someone under a lot of pressure as fall camp began.

Earls came to Michigan with the five-star label, and the pressure that comes with being a big time recruit like that.

With some of the attrition in the secondary and lack of overall experience, Michigan needed someone to step up as that top reserve corner behind the big three. It appears early in camp, Earls has done just that as Kyle Whittingham noted that Earls is just behind those guys. Earls is unlikely to find his way onto the field unless there is an injury, or Michigan is rotating players, but the more star power that is in the secondary, the better off Michigan will be with late-season dates against Dante Moore and Julian Sayin.

Stock Up: DE John Henry Daley and S Rod Moore

Simply put, these guys being on the field is such a boost to Michigan’s defense. Earlier in camp, Jay Hill noted that both players were going to be on a snap count early in camp as they work their way back from significant injuries.

Rod Moore had an interception in practice, and Daley provides a stable presence at defensive end that Michigan has not had since the departure of Aidan Hutchinson into the NFL.

Both players appear to be fully back from their injuries, and the hope is that they’ll be full go by the time Michigan faces off against Oklahoma in Ann Arbor on September 12.

Stock Up: LB Nathaniel Staehling

Michigan is thin at linebacker and needed some younger players to emerge, and it sounds like one of those players has started to come on in camp.

Nathaniel Staehling is a transfer from North Dakota State and had 33 tackles one sack, and three interceptions for the Bison a season ago.

He transferred to Ann Arbor in the spring, but missed most of spring ball with a shoulder injury.

With Jimmy Rolder, Ernest Hausmann, and Cole Sullivan all departing the program at the end of the season 2025 season, Michigan needs help in the middle of their defense.

Staehling has experience, albeit not in the Big Ten to give them a steady presence in the middle of their defense.

Stock Down: Rivalry Talk

I cannot be the only one who is tired of debating whether or not Michigan and Ohio State sufficiently hate each other.

Ohio State used to use fake hatred as a way to motivate themselves for the game at the end of the year.

Then they lost to Michigan in 2024 and went on to win a national championship. Fans, players, and media alike claimed a loss to Michigan did not matter anymore as long as they won a national championship.

On Michigan’s end, I understand. Michigan was clobbered by the Buckeyes for a decade before finally breaking through in 2021 with a new approach. That approach led to four straight victories over their rivals in Columbus.

Now, the most prevailing storyline coming out of camp with a new head coach is not whether or not his team is ready to play, but whether or not he hates a team enough.

See how silly that sounds?

Yes, The Game matters. It matters more than any other game on the schedule. Whittingham has noted as much.

The reality is the only approach that’s going to be the right one is the one that works. Michigan has to win that game at the end of November.

If they win, their approach is fine. If they don’t, everything is on the table.

Stock Down: Tight Ends

Does Michigan have one? This is a position group that is typically loaded with talent in Ann Arbor, but they’ve struggled to replace Colston Loveland since he left for the NFL.

That would be true of any program, but none of the guys one the roster have emerged. Marlin Klein had a disappointing season last year thanks to both injuries and performance issues.

Hogan Hansen is more hype than substance at this point. Zack Marshall and Deakon Tonielli did some nice things last year, but have yet to emerge in camp.

Mason Bonner is a big presence as a freshman, but asking a true freshman to be a primary contributor can lead to disastrous results. There is still time between now and the beginning of the regular season, but Michigan needs to find some contributors at tight end, otherwise we may need to see offensive coordinator Jason Beck get more creative with his personnel groupings.

A week of fall camp is in the books and there are a few questions regarding #Michigan's defense.

But piecing things together, here is how the Wolverines' starting defense might look for Week 1.

STORY:https://t.co/see5uPjOqM pic.twitter.com/SSnptKr0vl
— Trent Knoop (@TrentKnoop) August 12, 2026

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