Michigan enters the 2026 season with an abundance of optimism on the offensive side of the ball. New head coach Kyle Whittingham brought offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him from Utah, where the Utes ranked fourth in the nation in yards per game (482.9) and points per game (41.3). Backed by the number two running game in all of FBS, Beck brings a breath of fresh air to a Michigan offense in need of a revamp.
Beck has orchestrated elite offenses at Utah and New Mexico over the last few seasons. He is known for a creative scheme that utilizes mobile quarterbacks and generates explosive plays on the regular. While the running game has been his calling card, Beck promises to open up the passing game more than Michigan fans have seen in recent seasons. Here is a look at the offense entering the season and what to expect from each position group.
Quarterback
Starter: Bryce Underwood
Backups: Tommy Carr, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi
Bryce Underwood entered his freshman season with unfairly high expectations, which he did not meet. A combination of factors, many outside of his control, resulted in a disappointing first season where he threw only 11 touchdown passes, nine interceptions, and did not seem to progress as the year went on.
Underwood’s raw talent cannot be doubted. Now, in a system that should play to his strengths, he has everything he needs to break out in 2026. All reports indicate that Underwood is having an excellent fall camp. Kyle Whittingham said of Underwood, “we feel that he’s markedly better through fall camp than he was at any point in spring.”
Surrounded by improved talent at receiver (more on that later) and an offseason of proper development, Underwood’s growth is the key to unlocking Michigan’s ceiling this season. Better utilizing his legs in the running game feels like a sure thing given Jason Beck’s history with mobile quarterbacks. Improved footwork, timing, and decision-making as a passer have been areas of improvement during the offseason. Just how much improvement Underwood makes will dictate how good the offense will be.
Whittingham named true freshman Tommy Carr, grandson of Lloyd Carr, the backup quarterback to Underwood. That means Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi will be QB3 on the depth chart.
Running Back
Starters: Jordan Marshall, Savion Hiter
Backup: Bryson Kuzdzal
If there is one position on this Michigan team to have supreme confidence in, it is the running backs. The duo of Jordan Marshall and five-star freshman Savion Hiter may well end up being the best in the entire country. Marshall burst onto the scene last season while splitting backfield duties with Justice Haynes, rushing for 932 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 6.2 yards per carry. The junior back will be the starter, but I expect a fairly even split between Marshall and Hiter.
Savion Hiter comes to Ann Arbor as the number one freshman running back in the country and a consensus five-star recruit. He should be an instant-impact player with an outstanding combination of speed, power, and vision. Hiter finds his name on multiple watchlists for freshman of the year recognition as the season starts, and for good reason.
Bryson Kuzdzal will be RB3 on the depth chart behind Marshall and Hiter. He stepped up with a 100-yard performance against Maryland last season with Marshall and Haynes out. With Kuzdzal returning, he offers security should one of the top duo suffer an injury. Beyond the third spot on the depth chart, there is a steep drop-off in talent.
In a scheme that produces elite running games, Marshall and Hiter are in line for big seasons. It is not out of the question that they each rush for 1,000 yards.
Wide Receiver
Starters: Andrew Marsh, JJ Buchanan, Channing Goodwin
Rotation: Travis Johnson, Salesi Moa, Jamie Ffrench
A position that has burdened Michigan for several years, the wide receiver room is loaded with talent this season. Andrew Marsh burst onto the scene in October of last season and finished the year with 651 yards and four touchdowns. His 12-catch, 189-yard performance against Northwestern was the best for a Michigan receiver since Jehu Chesson in 2014. Beyond Marsh, the only other noteworthy receiver on the roster was Donaven McCulley.
That is significantly changed for 2026. Kyle Whittingham brought sophomore JJ Buchanan with him from Utah, where he caught 26 passes for 427 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman. Marsh and Buchanan are the clear top two receivers on the depth chart and are among the best duos in the Big Ten. It is exciting to see a legit 1-2 punch at receiver, especially when both are only sophomores.
The depth at wideout is better than it has been in recent memory. Whittingham named junior Channing Goodwin WR3 this week, a surprise given the other names brought in this offseason. Goodwin caught only 12 passes for 148 yards in 2025, but a strong camp has earned him playing time to start the season. Texas transfer Jamie Ffrench, a top-100 recruit in 2025, redshirted last season in Austin. Freshman Salesi Moa, ranked as a top-50 recruit in the country, transferred from Utah and Travis Johnson, a top-150 freshman, are both fighting for playing time.
Between Goodwin, Ffrench, Moa, and Johnson, Michigan is flush with depth at wide receiver for the first time in years. Who emerges as the third target behind Marsh and Buchanan remains to be seen, but all four should get reps. A position that struggled to make an impact in 2025 and dropped 18 passes underwent a total transformation and is now a strength under new positional coach Micah Simon.
Tight End
Starter: Zack Marshall
Rotation: Hogan Hansen, Deakon Tonielli, Mason Bonner, Jalen Hoffman (H-back)
Michigan’s tight end room is full of program veterans, but has a combined 654 snaps in their careers. Senior Zack Marshall is the leading producer of the group after catching 18 balls for 199 yards and a touchdown last season. Both he and Hogan Hansen are coming off of injuries. There is no clear standout among the tight ends, but Marshall figures to start against Western Michigan.
Under Jim Harbaugh, veteran tight ends seemed to produce every season. Ideally, one of Marshall, Hansen, or Tonielli continues that trend. At Utah, Kyle Whittingham heavily utilized tight ends over the years and developed multiple into NFL players, including Dalton Kincaid.
Lush with talent at running back and wide receiver, Michigan does not need a Colston Loveland-like superstar to emerge at tight end this season for the offense to flourish. Instead, it simply needs a couple of reliable targets as safety nets and red zone targets for Bryce Underwood. Jalen Hoffman could play a role as a blocker as well, similar to Max Bredeson in years past. His role in Jason Beck’s offense is unknown, but he could be another asset.
Offensive Line
Starters: LT- Blake Frazier, LG- Evan Link, C- Jake Guarnera, RG- Nathan Efobi, RT- Andrew Sprague
Backup tackles: Andrew Babalola, Malaki Lee
Backup guards: Brady Norton, Avery Gach
New offensive line coach Jim Harding is regarded as one of the best positional coaches in the country. He comes to Ann Arbor after producing two first-round picks in the NFL Draft last season at offensive tackle and inherits an offensive line room loaded with talent. Last season, the offensive line found success in the running game, but did not hold up nearly as well in pass protection. Utah’s line ranked top-10 in both pass and run blocking grades last season under Harding’s tutelage.
The Wolverines return plenty of experienced talent to the starting line. Center Jake Guarnera is a potential All-American. Right tackle Andrew Sprague was the second-best lineman last season and can be even better in 2026. Blake Frazier will start at left tackle, but his spot is not entrenched as the season goes on thanks to former five-star Andrew Babalola. The sophomore Babalola missed all of last season due to injury and will not play against Western Michigan, but might be Michigan’s most talented lineman when healthy. Expect left tackle to be a positional battle if Frazier struggles against Oklahoma.
At guard, Evan Link will start on the left side while the battle at right guard is still open. Jim Harding made it very clear he is looking for the “best five” up front. While Kyle Whittingham said he will not release a depth chart ahead of the opener, he did indicate the lineup is all but set. My guess is that junior Nathan Efobi will win the job over Brady Norton.
With improved strength and conditioning over the offseason and a significant coaching upgrade, the offensive line should find itself back in the conversation to win the Joe Moore Award this season. With a few potential All-Americans and several others with breakout potential, I am confident this line returns to Michigan’s tradition of elite play in the trenches.
Overall thoughts
There is high-level talent everywhere you look across the 2026 Michigan offense. Improved coaching and playcalling should bring out the best in that talent. I have no doubt the running game will be among the best in America. Behind an improved offensive line, Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter will establish themselves as an elite duo. The wide receiver room is as good, and deep, as it’s been in years. The overall strength of the offense comes down to one question: how much has Bryce Underwood improved? If it is only a marginal jump, the ceiling of the offense will be capped. If he makes a big jump, as some rumblings out of camp have indicated, Michigan could find itself with one of the best offenses in all of college football.
For a look at the defense, click here.
All photos via MGoBlog
