One Battle After Another deservedly won the Best Picture Award at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, and ironically, it also describes Michigan’s 2025 football season. Whether it was putting the sign-stealing saga to bed, falling flat against premier opponents, surviving the mediocre ones, getting stomped by Ohio State, or the former head coach spending more time at Washtenaw County Jail than Schembechler Hall during bowl prep, last season was truly a historic stretch of battles.
Moving forward with
a new regime and a replenished roster, the Wolverines are now in a better position this spring than they ever could have possibly imagined back in December. Even with the program back under competent management, there are myriad questions facing head coach Kyle Whittingham and the Wolverines. Most will have to wait until the fall to be answered, but these five, which will ultimately define success or failure in 2026, will reveal context clues starting today with the beginning of spring ball.
Where is QB Bryce Underwood in his development?
The biggest leaps in quarterback development often come between year one and year two as a starter, which begs the obvious — how far along is Bryce Underwood?
Late in the season last year, Underwood showed moments of growth — the Maryland performance felt like a true “A HA” step — but he also continued to show his spots with frequent forced turnovers while the coaching staff demonstrated a lack of trust in the biggest games. It was an underwhelming season for the decorated five-star recruit, but if you squint, did he actually overachieve?
Factoring in the lack of a designated quarterback coach, a mediocre pass-protecting offensive line, a limited number of receiving targets, a depleted backfield, conflicting offensive play-calling philosophies, a toxic field house, and whatever Sherrone Moore was doing day to day, could any teenage quarterback succeed? With all these issues now either completely resolved or greatly mitigated, he is positioned for a massive step forward.
However, keep in mind Underwood is once again learning an entirely new offense. Albeit a relatively simple scheme, Jason Beck’s offense puts the onus on the quarterback to be sharp and decisive, and it will take him time to master everything. Although the stability around him should serve as a catalyst this season, compared to the deterrent from last year, there is still an inevitable learning curve.
If Underwood is showing control in spring ball, this offense will be one of the best in the Big Ten. But if there is a repeat in freshman growing pains (predetermining reads) or a regression of fundamentals (footwork, footwork, footwork) as he learns the new scheme, it could be a bumpy first month of the season.
What do these new schemes look like?
Beck and defensive coordinator Jay Hill are bringing two completely new schemes to Ann Arbor. Beck is looking to implement a more modern spread attack, while Hill’s versatile 4-3 scheme will cross familiarity with innovation; think Jesse Minter with more man-to-man.
Beck is bringing a high-octane spread offense that was second nationally in rushing and fourth in total offense last season. A shoot-first, ask-questions-later scheme, Beck wants to attack opponents where they are weakest with a combination of physicality — Beck loves to utilize gap schemes and extra offensive linemen — and multiplicity, as almost every play has an RPO tag or an option baked in to adjust to any look.
Lifelong Michigan fans probably remember reading a similar paragraph when Rich Rodriguez was hired. Although a scheme looks good on paper and works for one program, it does not guarantee success at another. However, it is time for Michigan’s offense to evolve. I understand apprehensions with Michigan’s roots, but Beck’s love of extra beef and power running as a foundation should serve as the perfect bridge from the past to the present.
Unlike Beck’s scheme, Hill’s defense is complex. A 4-3 that can morph into a 4-2-5 on second downs or a 3-3-5 on third, it will take time for the players to adjust to the new calls and vernacular after spending five years inside variations of the Baltimore Ravens’ scheme.
In his first year at BYU, Hill’s defense actually regressed from his predecessor’s run in both total and scoring defense (both units were ranked 99th or lower nationally). But in year two, his defense was ranked in the top-20 in both categories. With Michigan’s experience in the secondary, the transition should be quicker, but questions persist across the front seven.
How fast will Beck and Hill be able to teach their philosophies? And which personnel will they deploy in key positions? We won’t have all the answers, but we should have a clear lean toward “We are so back” or “We are so f—ked” by the end of spring ball.
Which newcomers are going to have an impact this season?
The six weeks following the Moore fiasco were like doing your taxes while skiing backwards down a mountain while an avalanche crashes down behind you. Whittingham was tasked with filling a coaching staff, preserving a roster, re-recruiting a freshman class and adding new pieces via the transfer portal. And yet somehow, at the bottom of the mountain, Michigan came away with a better coaching staff, the vast majority of returning production and recruits, and several new potential impact pieces across the board.
A few of the biggest names include defensive end John Henry Daley, cornerback Smith Snowden, wide receiver J.J. Buchanan and freshmen Salesi Moa, Savion Hiter, Carter Meadows, Travis Johnson, Malakai Lee and Marky Walbridge. In hindsight, it was nothing short of a miracle. Now, with these pieces coming to Ann Arbor, who will have the biggest impact this season?
Daley is the obvious answer, but are expectations too high for a player coming off an Achilles injury? Can any team ever truly rely on multiple freshmen in their rookie season? Spring will be the first chance for most of these players to leave a lasting first impression and get a jump on the depth chart before the fall.
Who are the starting specialists?
The old adage requires a team to win two of the three sides of the ball to win a game. And with the “retention” of Kerry Coombs, a competent adult who does coach like he uses Claude for play calls, Michigan will have a chance to consistently win the third side of the equation for the first time since Jay Harbaugh ran the show in 2023. Not unlike key positions on the offense and defense, everything for special teams begins with the spring personnel evaluation. But the special teams are even more of a blank slate.
Kicking and punting should take care of themselves. I wish I could offer insider insight into kicking angles and punting biomechanics, but I prefer to have a wife. That said, what about the returners? Andrew Marsh is the best option; however, he is probably too valuable on offense and we all (unfortunately) remember what happened to Ronnie Bell in 2021. Could a freshman be trusted? Moa and Hiter bring juice and excitement, but do they also bring decisiveness and ball security?
With an unrelenting schedule in 2026, Michigan will be in many one-score fourth-quarter games where field position could be the difference. The strength of Michigan’s special teams could be the difference between 10 wins and eight.
What does a Whittingham-led Michigan program look like?
The broadest question of all, but the one that will have the largest impact on the present and future. Rich Rod’s program was fueled by ego and totalitarianism; Brady Hoke was a vibes guy; Jim Harbaugh’s was built upon physicality and reached new heights due to player-empowerment; and Moore’s program was a Harbaugh cosplay with a misuse of weapons.
For months, we have heard about Whittingham’s abilities as a coach and leader. But this isn’t Utah. No disrespect to our friends out in Salt Lake City, but the pressure cooker of Michigan football is an entirely different animal. Whittingham has to revive a storied program that, despite winning nine games last year, is miles away from its national championship form displayed just three years ago.
Can a coach of his advanced age — the silver fox that he is — rebuild a modern culture? How is Whit going to handle the constant media pressure? What happens after this team loses a game? How does he blend personalities between the returners, newcomers and the new coaching staff? Every question that faces the program this season begins and ends with Whittingham. Viewed as a home run hire, he steps up to the plate for the first time today.
