Every year in fall camp, you can tell who the emerging players are by a mix of those who are mentioned officially in press conferences as players standing out, as well as some of the behind-the-scenes buzz. And this year, there are several players and position groups who are getting some hype with the season fast approaching.
One position group that appears to be on the ascent is the wide receiver corps, as Jason Beck's offense appears to be much more amenable to the pass game, intertwined with an influx of new players who appear to have the goods. But they're not the only ones.
Cutting through some of the noise, here are the players who appear to have turned the corner in fall camp and are getting a palpable amount of buzz with the season fast
approaching.
WR JJ Buchanan
A transfer from Utah entering his second year in college football, there's a lot of talk about Buchanan matching or perhaps exceeding what fellow second-year wideout Andrew Marsh could do this season. A veritable jump-ball threat, Buchanan is tall, capable, and barely scratched the surface of his talent. Like Marsh, he had some decent performances early, but started to hit his stride late in the year, with his best coming against one of the nation's best pass defenses, Nebraska, when he managed four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
In fall camp, Buchanan has gotten the most mentions (though Marsh's productivity is considered to be a bit of an afterthought, given that he's known as WR1), and reports from practice indicate that he's borderline unguardable (head coach Kyle Whittingham said as much).
WR Travis Johnson
A true freshman who didn't get the hype in the spring (such a distinction went to fellow first-year receiver Salesi Moa), Johnson's name is starting to heat up.
He's been featured on several of Michigan's social media posts, and he's also been mentioned as the fastest wide receiver in the room, and perhaps the fastest on the team. He had more than 1,200 yards in his senior season and showcased weekly that he's a veritable downfield threat. He also has the capability of making downfield catches and snagging jump balls. The competition for WR3 is fierce, but Johnson should be in the mix regardless. The question is, more so, will he be able to do it in college in actual games, considering it's a big jump from high school to the next level.
The secondary
Yes, the whole secondary is getting mentioned, to some degree. At corner, Michigan has a veritable trio of lethal defenders in Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, and Smith Snowden, with Shamari Earls getting a lot of mention of being right there with those three. The first three, the starters, will be essentially interchangeable, so there may not be a set nickel, though Snowden was thought in spring to be the likely player to platoon there.
The starting safeties also have gotten a lot of praise, with Rod Moore returning fully healthy and Chris Bracy being penciled in as a starter alongside him.
The group has gotten praise in press conference, but even some behind the scenes have noted that this could be one of the best secondaries in the conference, if not the country.
QB Bryce Underwood
While there have been reports that Underwood is still making some questionable throws in fall camp, that's to be expected for literally any quarterback in the country. Regardless, all indications are that the sophomore signal-caller has taken a big step forward this offseason.
Praised for his work ethic, Underwood has said in recent weeks that he's much calmer and becoming a better leader. The latter was confirmed as he was voted a team captain on Monday evening. But there are also reports that his mechanics have been much improved and that his decision-making is much better than it was a year ago.
DT Bobby Kanka
While he might not be a top-of-line defensive tackle, Kanka appears to be in the rotation, as the fifth D-tackle likely to be in the mix. He's been mentioned frequently, dating back to Big Ten media days by Kyle Whittingham, and appears to be continuing his ascension in fall camp. Don't be surprised if you see the second-year lineman out of Howell find himself on the field early and often this season.
WR Channing Goodwin
Though he was a bit of a hypebeast last fall camp, Goodwin didn't make good on his potential last year, dropping several balls in critical moments early in the season. He lost his job to Andrew Marsh, and then was injured this spring, so the new coaching staff couldn't get much of an eye on him. However, now that he's healthy, he's mentioned frequently as a player who is in the mix for that WR3 position, and will likely see time in rotation, regardless.
Tabbed as 'Mr. Reliable' last year, Goodwin appears capable of showing his ability in practice, but we need to see it translate to games. Still, it's an encouraging sign that he's mentioned every time there are any questions answered about who is showing up in fall camp.
EDGE Benny Patterson
We haven't heard much about some of the other edge rushers behind John Henry Daley, Dominic Nichols, and Cam Brandt compared to earlier in the offseason (Lugard Edokpayi and Nate Marshall were names making waves in the spring and summer), but a few times in fall camp, Patterson's name has come up.
The second-year defensive end was mentioned for what may be the second or third time this fall camp by tackle Trey Pierce, who brought him up on Tuesday.
"The guy that people don't know about that they're going to know this year is Benny Patterson," Pierce said. "He's been working, and he's a freak out there. He's pretty good."
It will be interesting to see if that comes to fruition this season or if the others mentioned above end up being on the field more.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football fall camp buzz: Rising stars turning heads in 2026
