There aren't many expecting Michigan football to make major waves this season, but there are some who think that the Wolverines may be better than a lot of people are expecting. And among them are college coaches.
With Kyle Whittingham taking over the program after a successful 21-year head coaching stint at Utah, there are hopes in Ann Arbor that his ability to get more out of less in Salt Lake City will translate to him getting more out of more at The Big House. And given that this might be the most talent he's ever worked with, it's an intriguing prospect that he could make a big impact right away.
The Athletic polled coaches anonymously across college football, and though there weren't the highest of expectations for the maize and blue, Michigan
topped the entire landscape with three votes from coaches indicating that the Wolverines could be the biggest sleeper in the country.
One coach off the record oversees tight ends in the American Conference, and another was an offensive line coach from the Mountain West.
“I really want to see what Whittingham does at Michigan. They’re so creative in the run game. I wouldn’t be shocked if you blinked and they’re 10-2.” — American Conference tight ends coach
“I could see him with some of those Michigan guys with the Utah culture make them really good, really good fast. They have an identity, and it’s the type of identity that they’ve wanted there.” — Mountain West offensive line coach
Yes, the schedule is an absolute bear, but there's a reason why teams play the games -- because often preseason expectations don't equal regular season results. So while we can look at Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State on the schedule as a daunting slate, any of them could be worse than expectations, in concert with Michigan actually being better than expected. Last year, Penn State and Clemson were considered top-five teams in the preseason, and both finished unranked. LSU often starts in the top 10 and has struggled mightily since winning the national championship following the 2019 season.
But then there's the case of 2021 Michigan. The Wolverines were much better than anyone anticipated that year, having gone 11-1 that year, beating what was considered to be among the best Ohio State teams in recent history, 42-27, at The Big House. Could 2026 be a reprise of 2021? Given that this is a reset under Whittingham, and the team reportedly has solid player-led leadership, it could mirror that season perhaps -- though the road to Indianapolis and beyond is certainly much tougher than it appeared to be that year.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: College coaches name Michigan football top sleeper team for 2026
