The Michigan football team has usually been able to rely on a consistent, well-drilled special teams unit. But last year, as turmoil enveloped the program, even that wasn’t safe, as a blooper reel of punter and kicker gaffes haunted the Wolverines at some costly moments.
Entering 2026, though, Michigan has revamped its special teams room at both the coaching and player levels. Wrapping up our weekly look at the Wolverines’ roster, position group by position group, Maize and Brew takes a look at Michigan’s
special teams.
Kicker: Trey Butkowski
The Wolverines have seen some turbulence from the spot in the last two years, with Dominic Zvada becoming a fan favorite in 2024 followed by a much more difficult 2025 campaign. In 2026, Michigan will rely on Pitt transfer Trey Butkowski to provide that sense of stability. Butkowski went 20-for-23 on field goals last season, while going 6-for-9 from 40-49 yards out. Stuart Blake, who has been on the roster since 2024 but has not seen any game action, will be his backup.
Punter: Cam Brown
Tommy Doman and Hudson Hollenbeck both struggled mightily in 2024 and 2025 respectively, leaving the door open for a change this year. Enter Cam Brown, an Australian native and transfer from UNLV. Brown played all 14 games for the Runnin’ Rebels last season, averaging 42.9 yards per punt. Backing him up is Hollenbeck, the graduate student who held the starting role last year.
Returners
The Wolverines’ return room is currently an open competition, but Michigan has a bounty of skill players to choose from who could potentially answer the call. Receiver Andrew Marsh and transfer cornerback Smith Snowden are both candidates to return punts, while exciting true freshman running back Savion Hiter is expected to return kicks.
Verdict
This is one of the harder units on the team to assess. I think the personnel turnover is one thing, but the biggest change comes on the coaching side, with Kerry Coombs taking over for J.B. Brown. I think I’ll go with a cautious optimistic grade for now, based simply on the fact that the Wolverines get a fresh approach in a problem area — but I wouldn’t be shocked if it rises.
GRADE: B+
