One Wolverine Primed for a Big Season

This Michigan player was singled out by a Big Ten insider heading into 2026

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There are going to be a lot of new names and unfamiliar faces taking the field for Michigan this upcoming season. The Utahan overhaul of the program, an influx of transfers, and an impactful freshman class amount to a roster that, while maintaining several key pieces from last year, is starkly different than what Michigan fans grew accustomed to the past season.

With such an amount of turnover, it may be hard to predict which players are going to step up and become impact pieces versus those who may take another year or two to blossom in maize and blue. Certainly, however, there are players among this crop of fresh faces and new-to-Ann Arbor athletes who will leave their stamp on the field this season. 

Recent feedback from insider sources in the Big Ten highlights one such Wolverine poised for a breakout season, one of the many who will hopefully turn the tide this year. 

JJ Buchanan, WR

The insider called Buchanan a stud, and did so with good reason. Buchanan logged a consistently productive freshman year at Utah, where the 6-foot-4, 225 pounder tallied 427 and 5 touchdowns in his collegiate debut.

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Buchanan is listed as a wide receiver for the Wolverines after establishing himself at the tight end position last year. His strong hands and large frame should make him a problematic matchup for opposing defenders, especially if he is able to iron out his footwork and improve his agility when running routes. 

Buchanan will not be a down field target as often as an intermediate or short-route option, nor will he be the recipient of a plurality of targets from Bryce Underwood. Rather, Buchanan’s value will be derived from his consistency and availability in compressed field situations. 

A shored-up receiver room

Last season, Michigan lacked a sure-handed close field option - even if Marlin Klein and Zack Marshall’s impact when combined approached such a status. They also generally lacked a core of viable targets for Underwood to trust when throwing to. 

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Buchanan can be a solution to both problems. If he can successfully take the leap into Big Ten play, which will remain a question for all the Utah transfers until the rubber hits the road this fall, Buchanan will ease the burden on Underwood in pressure situations, ones in which Underwood struggled last season. 

With Buchanan joining the ranks from Utah, Michigan’s aerial attack should be far more developed, deeper, and productive this season as compared to last.