Dan Lanning Fires Back at Michigan Coach Kyle Whittingham's NIL Comments

Michigan Wolverines coach Kyle Whittingham drew attention on Monday night for his comments about the No. 16 Oregon Ducks ahead of their matchup at Autzen Stadium. Whittingham joined the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show and provided his unfiltered thoughts on the Ducks’ Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and recruiting.

“(Coach Dan Lanning) really does a great job recruiting. It doesn't hurt that you have $50-plus million dollars at your disposal to, in essence outbid everybody,” Whittingham said. “Not everybody, but a lot of people. But that's not his fault. That's a credit. I mean, that's a credit to their program and their dedication and desire to win and the support they have.”

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field before the game as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Lanning responded to Whittingham’s comments on Wednesday, and he seemingly took a shot at the Wolverines’ recent offensive coordinator change in the process.

“Man, I got nothing to say to Coach Whitt other than I think he's an unbelievable coach, and I get it. They're spending more of their money right now on their coaches they're letting go, so maybe it makes it hard to sign players,” Lanning said.

“But I know they've signed a couple guys that we weren't able to compete with what they decided to do, and maybe a lot of that money's tied up for them in another player,” he added. “I don't know, but Coach Whittingham is an unbelievable coach. He's a Hall of Fame coach. Got nothing but respect for him.”

Lanning continued his press conference by discussing the growth he’s seen from freshman safety Devin Jackson, freshman tight end Kendre Harrison and outside linebacker Nasir Wyatt, as well as quarterback Dylan Raiola’s preparation and the latest College Football Playoff ranking.

What Dan Lanning Said

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the sideline as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7, 2026, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Safety Devin Jackson Getting Snaps as a Freshman:

“Yeah, one, it just starts with getting extra. Devin's a guy that's always coming up to watch extra film, do more, right? He's become really coachable. Understands like when his level of communication goes up, his level of play goes up, and realizing how quickly that can help him have success on the field, and he has a lot of skill. He's a talented player.”

Outside Linebacker Nasir Wyatt’s Development:

“Yeah, I mean, Nas has grown as a player every single year he's been here, every moment he's been here. He's gotten better and better and better. And we've asked him to do so much. Like his position is one of the more challenging positions to play because the amount of volume that they have and have to stimulate right every single snap, and that's really leveled up for him. So, he's grown.”

“Yes, everybody sees that value he has as a pass rusher, but he's grown as a player in every facet, including run, including coverage. He's gotten a lot better, and there's still room to improve. But he's gotten a lot better there, and the things that Nas really attacks, he gets a lot better at.”

Michigan’s Receiving Core:

Oct 31, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver JJ Buchanan (6) reacts after making a catch against Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Kevyn Humes (4) during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, you said it. I mean, I think I mentioned it on Monday that their skill – have really good skill. They have good players out there. Big catch radius, contested balls, like you mentioned. They have speed. They can create separation, and then their run game sets up opportunities and play action game as well. So those guys do a good job of attacking the ball, and there are certainly threats when they touch it.”

Recruiting Devin Jackson From Across the Country:

“Yeah, I mean almost all the guys we are recruiting from somewhere else, and I think Devin's just a great example of a guy that came here and kind of fell in love with what the opportunity was in front of him. Really like the people he's around and realized, ‘Hey, I can change what's comfortable and maybe grow the most.’”

“So obviously, it'd be really comfortable for him to go somewhere that's local. But to have the opportunity to go somewhere that's a little further away, but an opportunity for great growth is what he was looking for. And then he's been a great a great fit.”

“And there's a lot of coaches on our staff that did an unbelievable job with him, and in the secondary with Coach (Chris Hampton), Coach Pleasant, Coach (Kyle Cogan) does an unbelievable job meeting with him, building relationship with him. Som there's a lot of people that pour into him and knew he would be a great fit for us. So, I think all those things kind of came together to allow him to be here with us.”

Not ‘Packing It In’:

“In football, you have so many limited opportunities. And you're just trying to paint the picture for guys that ‘I know my body couldn't, but man, it would be fun to go play football right now.’”

“When you start to recognize that those opportunities are really limited, and you have a chance to take advantage of opportunities that are in front of you, it's like, what do you want that to look like? And I think it's that illusion of choice that Coach (Nick) Saban used to talk about of I can either grow and get better and add value, or I can't, or I won't.”

“I can, and it feels like a choice, but it's really not a choice. I think what's happened within our team is a lot of guys making the choice of, ‘Hey, let's not worry about the outcome. Let's focus on adding value and getting better, and taking advantage of the limited opportunities you have when it comes to football.’”

Defense Stepping Up Emotionally Without Teitum Tuioti:

Oct 17, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Teitum Tuioti (44) warms up before a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, every one of our players love Teitum, and he's in the team meeting with us, watching some of the plays that he made this past Saturday and what the impact that has. Like I said, you don't replace that. You don't replace even the leadership standpoint, but I think those guys want to go out there and play really hard for him. And respect the sacrifice that he's made for this program and what he's done for this program.”

Approach to the College Football Playoff Ranking:

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“Yeah, ultimately, I would say we got to go take care of business on the field. That's where it starts, and I think we showed. I talked to our team about closing the gap. Like we showed that we're capable of being one of the best teams in the country, and I'm certain that people wouldn't want us in there.”

“Especially if we start to click, and we had to overcome a lot of adversity early in the season. I think we've kind of figured out a little bit who we are. Let's see if that's true when we come out here and play Saturday, because that's what we control is what's right in front of us right now on the field with the next opportunity.”

Quarterback Dylan Raiola’s Preparation:

Nov 7, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) celebrates his touchdown catch with quarterback Dylan Raiola (8) during the third quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I think he's been a really good preparer throughout the season. But I did feel like I saw a difference when we're watching one reel. It's like our opportunity to play a game before the game in front of the offensive unit, and coaches will put a clip up there, and then they'll talk about this call, this call, this call, and every time that happened last week, Dylan immediately is calling out the coverage before the balls even snap, recognizing alignments. I think that's really helped him.”

“And all that said, he's had that same prep and that same mindset this week, but he also looks back at that game and says, ‘Okay, here's a really big growth moment. Here's where I can really be better.’”

“So, if he keeps sharpening his tools and continues to make himself better and continues to prepare like he's prepared, and then realize that he doesn't have to make every play. Let the guys out there that you have around you go make the plays, and you just do your job. That he's going to be able to operate in a really high level. So, his prep, I've really liked watching it and seeing how he does it. He's really developing his process, and it's growing.”

Tight End Andrew Olesh’s Injury Status:

“I don’t think it's long-term. He's got knocked in the head, and we'll see when we can get him back here. I'm certainly anticipating having him back soon.”

Atmosphere Conditions on Saturday:

A full crowd at Autzen during the game against Oklahoma State. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, I mean, we just pour a lot of water on the footballs. I was hoping for bad weather on Tuesday and Wednesday to where we got to kind of experience a little bit of that. But we just like basically we just dump buckets of water on the football at practice, and then make sure that your game plan, protects ball security, ball security options.”

“But yeah, we've been in weird conditions before, so it's nothing new. It's hard really recreate out there on the practice field. So, the only thing we know to do is just have a lot of water bottles going around and spraying people with it.”

Most Number of Peeps He’s Eaten:

“I don’t know if I've ever eaten a peep, which I think is a good thing.”

Tight End Kendre Harrison’s Growth:

“Yeah, I'm so proud of Kendre because I think the tight end is one of those examples of a position that it requires really a lot of different skill sets. You got to be a route runner. But the reality is, even if you pass the ball 30 times a game, not all 30 of those are going to the tight end. What do you do the majority of the game?”

“You got to control the C-Area. You got to be able to win on the edge and win on the perimeter, just like our edge defenders on the other side of the ball, and that's really stepped up the willingness, the attack, the technique. Because he's always wanted to.”

Oregon tight end Kendre Harrison makes a catch during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“He's not afraid to bite; like, he'll throw his head in there. But to do it at the level that he's been doing it lately here in practice, I'm excited to see that continue to show up in a game.”

“And it's just going to be honing in on that technique a little bit more, lowering my pad level, hands inside hands, and continuing to push. But he's really gotten better and better. And even though it doesn't necessarily always show up on game day, he's really improved in that area.”

Scheduling 10 Power Four Opponents Under 24-Team Playoff:

“Yeah, we're in the process right now of making sure that we're set up for that in the future, and really our athletic department works on that, and they communicate with me on where we're at.”

Importance of Protection for Dylan Raiola to Not Be in a Precarious Position:

“Yeah, I've always thought the sack position, the sack statistic is put on the O-line a little bit too much at times. I always feel like that's a quarterback stat. It's an O-line stat. It's a scheme stat.”

“I think we've been better schematically. I think our O-lines improved, and I think our quarterbacks improved in those categories and the decisions you make, the timing of when the ball is supposed to be out. But I think back to when we had Bo (Nix) here.”

Nov 7, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola (8) drops to throw during the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I think we're the least sacked team in the nation, and as much as that was an O-line stat, made a really good O-line. That was also a Bo stat in the way that he played. And I think he's probably – I don't know what he is in the NFL right now, but if you look at some of the best quarterbacks to ever play, that's a stat that the quarterback shares right with the O-line.”

“I know Tom Brady was one of the guys that had the lowest sack rate. Dan Marino was one of the guys that had the lowest sack rate. I think great quarterback play combined with an offensive line that strains and understands where their eyes are supposed to be, and then a scheme that makes sure that you're not always on islands and providing opportunities to help.”

“I think all that stuff contributes to us being able to protect the ball, make great decisions, and play on time, and leads to us being successful and not in protecting the quarterback.”

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