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Michigan Wolverines

Big Ten·2-0·
Elo
1686#26
SP+
12.2#26
FPI
11.8
AP
#16
Nextvs UTEP · Wk 3Win prob 99%Model -32.7
Talent #11 (890.0)Recruiting class #1269% production returning

Roster · 118 players

FR 27SO 28JR 25SR 38
#PlayerPosClHtWt
14Tommy CarrQBFR6'4"185
15Chase HerbstreitQBSO6'1"198
16Brayden Fowler-NicolosiQBSR6'3"212
17Brady SmigielQBFR6'5"215
19Bryce UnderwoodQBSO6'4"228
5Savion HiterRBFR6'0"210
23Jordan MarshallRBJR5'11"216
24Bryson KuzdzalRBSR5'11"210
25Micah Ka'apanaRBJR5'11"190
26Donovan JohnsonRBSO6'0"215
29Jonathan BrownRBFR6'3"200
32Gary StacyRBSO6'1"202
36Tomas O'MearaRBJR5'10"192
0Kendrick BellWRSR6'2"205
3Andrew MarshWRSO6'0"190
6JJ BuchananWRSO6'3"225
9Channing GoodwinWRJR6'1"197
10Jaime FfrenchWRSO6'1"185
12Salesi MoaWRFR6'2"175
13Travis JohnsonWRFR6'2"185
20Jaylen PileWRFR6'0"195
22Braydon AlfordWRJR5'8"180
38Bryce WilcoxWRSR5'11"191
81Jamar BrowderWRSO6'5"215
84Jacob WashingtonWRSO6'3"197
85Logan ForbesWRSR6'2"195
89Kaleb SchlechtWRSR6'4"205
18Mason BonnerTEFR6'7"229
40Jimmy PisaniTEFR6'4"236
42Jalen HoffmanTESR6'3"245
44Eli OwensTESO6'1"244
46Crandall QuinnTESR6'2"238
80Hogan HansenTEJR6'5"240
83Zack MarshallTESR6'4"245
88Deakon TonielliTESR6'5"246
50Luke HamiltonOLJR6'5"319
52Ace HamiltonOLFR6'3"295
53Jake GuarneraOLJR6'4"311
54Andrew SpragueOLJR6'8"315
55Nathan EfobiOLSR6'3"312
58Malakai LeeOLFR6'7"359
60Brooks BahrOLSR6'5"312
64James KavouklisOLSR6'1"295
65Andrew BabalolaOLSO6'6"315
66Dan TaraboiOLSR6'7"328
67Houston Ka'aha'aina-TorresOLSO6'3"300
70Brady NortonOLSR6'4"312
71Evan LinkOLSR6'6"324
72Peter DoniniOLSO6'9"270
74Avery GachOLSO6'5"308
76Manuel BeigelOLJR6'5"312
77Blake FrazierOLJR6'6"295
78Marky WalbridgeOLFR6'6"285
79Tommy FraumannOLFR6'8"279
8Dominic NicholsDEJR6'5"255
9Cameron BrandtDESR6'4"270
14Carter MeadowsDEFR6'7"252
37Julius HollyDESO6'4"230
41Tariq BoneyDEFR6'1"243
51Mchale BladeDEFR6'4"245
88Lugard EdokpayiDEJR6'7"250
90John Henry DaleyDESR6'4"255
93Benny Patterson IIIDESO6'2"270
94Nate MarshallDESO6'3"240
17Enow EttaDTSR6'5"320
54Deyvid PalepaleDTJR6'2"335
56Alister VallejoDTFR6'3"307
57Travis MotenDTSO6'6"315
91Jonah Lea'eaDTSR6'5"285
92Ted HammondDTJR6'5"294
95Trey PierceDTSR6'2"310
97Titan DavisDTFR6'4"286
99Bobby KankaDTSO6'4"305
12Nathaniel Owusu-BoatengLBSO6'1"217
13Aisea MoaLBSR6'2"238
15Aden ReederLBFR6'2"215
18Troy BowlesLBSR6'0"230
23Markel DabneyLBFR6'1"225
29Chase TaylorLBSO6'2"237
30Max AlfordLBSR6'1"230
33Kaden CatchingsLBFR6'1"220
34John WeidenbachLBSR6'0"215
35Ndi EttaLBFR6'1"215
43Zach LudwigLBJR6'2"225
44Nathaniel StaehlingLBSR6'2"238
49Adam BazziLBJR5'11"205
52Christian PierceLBSO6'0"235
0Jyaire HillCBSR6'2"190
2Shamari EarlsCBSO6'2"205
3Smith SnowdenCBSR5'10"185
10Zeke BerryCBSR5'11"196
16Jo'Ziah EdmondCBJR6'1"185
20Jeremiah LoweCBJR5'11"180
24Jamarion VincentCBFR6'2"170
28I'Marion StewartCBJR5'11"180
36Joshua NicholsCBSR5'10"205
38Sam BaronCBSR6'1"188
42Jeffrey ChukwuCBJR6'2"195
1Rod MooreSSR6'0"198
5Jacob OdenSJR6'1"205
6Jordan YoungSSO6'0"195
7Chris BracySJR6'1"195
22Jordan DeckSFR6'2"190
25Mason CurtisSJR6'5"211
27Ernest NunleySFR6'0"180
28Kainoa WinstonSSO5'11"204
31Nico AndrighettoSSR5'9"190
39Max ReyesSSR5'11"203
30Jacob BaggettPKFR6'1"190
35Stuart BlakePKJR6'1"181
99Trey ButkowskiPKSO6'0"170
33Cam BrownPSO6'3"185
90Hudson HollenbeckPSR6'2"206
93Hunter RobertsonPSR6'4"205
43Jack TreutelaarLSFR6'0"210
46Gavin MagorienLSSO6'0"202
49Nico CrawfordLSSR6'2"235
67Trent MiddletonLSSR6'2"225

Team Statistics · per game, with national FBS rank

Points / game
15.0
scoring offense
Points allowed
11.0
scoring defense
Differential
+4.0
per game
Offense
Total yards / game
269.5#130
Yards / play
5.1#118
Passing yards / game
140.5#126
Rushing yards / game
129.0#102
First downs / game
13.0#133
3rd down %
30.4%#121
4th down %
100.0%#1
Time of possession
26:35#118
Defense
Yards allowed / game
255.0#31
Yards / play allowed
4.0#25
Pass yards allowed / game
139.0#22
Rush yards allowed / game
116.0#70
3rd down % allowed
35.5%#71
Sacks
5#38
Tackles for loss
14#29
Turnovers & Discipline
Turnover margin
-1#89
Takeaways
2#75
Giveaways
3#77
Penalties / game
10.0#133
Penalty yards / game
85.0#128

Rank is national among all FBS teams (#1 = best), oriented so higher rank = better even for defensive and discipline metrics. Bars show percentile.

Scouting Report · 2026 projection

balanced

Michigan is in year 1 under Kyle Whittingham, whose offenses have been balanced. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 6th at staying out of the backfield. The way in is 127th at hitting chunk plays.

On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (+1.1%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −23.7% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.

Michigan has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.

Projected strengths

  • Offensegetting stopped at the line
    #6
    projected
  • Offenserunning it
    #8
    projected
  • Defensehitting chunk plays
    #9
    projected

Projected soft spots

  • Offensehitting chunk plays
    #127
    projected

Each bar is where this team sits in the country. Before the season has produced enough football these are PROJECTIONS — last season regressed to the mean, plus talent, returning production, recruiting and whether the staff is the same one — and the season replaces them as it is played. Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.

2026 Season Projection

model win prob · 10 to play
7.34.7
projected final record (now 20)
Exp. wins left
5.3
of 10 games
Bowl odds
93%
reach 6 wins
Best odds
99%
vs UTEP
Toughest
11%
vs Ohio State

How the season could finish · 2026 · chance of each final win total · 10 games left

Every remaining game simulated from the model's win probability for it. Tallest bar is the single likeliest finish, not a prediction that it happens.

23456789101112
final winstallest bar = 30% chance
Likeliest finish 7-5 (30%)Bowl eligible 93% · marked on the axis at 6

Player Value

EPA contribution by position group + estimated NIL market value (derived from position rates and on-field production — not actual deal figures).

Unit Value — Total EPA
QBBryce Underwood
+17.2 EPA
WRChanning Goodwin, Andrew Marsh +2
+9.7 EPA
RBJordan Marshall, Bryson Kuzdzal +1
+1.5 EPA
TEJalen Hoffman, Mason Bonner
-0.3 EPA

Total EPA produced by each positional group this season. OL value is captured via the rush/pass efficiency of skill players; OL-specific EPA isn't separately reported.

Estimated NIL Market Value
ESTIMATED
EPA +17.20.261/play66 snaps

Estimated from position-group market rates and on-field EPA contribution. Actual NIL valuations depend on social media following, brand fit, and market negotiations — these figures are directional only.

The Five Factors

ranked vs. FBS · bar = better
Efficiency (PPA)
Off0.1223rd#106
Def-0.0281st#27
Explosiveness
Off1.3261st#55
Def1.0486th#20
Field position
Off79.699th#1
Def71.558th#58
Finishing (pts/opp)
Off2.6715th#118
Def2.2082nd#25
Turnovers
Won 2Lost 3
Margin -1

Opponent-adjusted efficiency

EPA/play vs. schedule
Offense
Defense
Off · pass
0.1721st#109
Off · rush
0.1037th#87

Pass vs. rush (PPA)

Rushing
Off0.1037th#87
Def-0.0563rd#52
Passing
Off0.1720th#110
Def-0.0393rd#10

Trenches & disruption

Line yards (off)
2.93#90
2nd-level / open-field
0.84 / 0.74
Power / stuff (off)
71.4% / 11.3%
Havoc — total (def)
16.4%#63
Havoc — front 7 / DB
13.4% / 3.0%

Standard vs. passing downs

Pro
Std downs
Off-0.08
Def-0.09
Pass downs
Off0.55
Def0.12

PPA on each down type (off vs. def).

Opponent-adjusted by down

Pro
1st2nd3rd
Offense-0.13#1240.15#860.41#90
Defense-0.07#60-0.20#160.44#81

Elo Trajectory

Western MichiganFinal
Elo rating 16901698+8 over season

Team Fingerprint · 2026 · 43 opponent-adjusted metrics · percentile vs 138 FBS teams

Plot these →
worst in FBSbest

Efficiency

  • Offense EPA/play0.2450th
  • Defense EPA/play allowed-0.0466th
  • Offense success rate44%45th
  • Defense success rate allowed33%65th

Downs

  • Offense success — standard downs50%49th
  • Offense success — passing downs29%34th
  • Defense success allowed — standard downs38%67th
  • Defense success allowed — passing downs24%57th

Explosiveness

  • Offense explosiveness1.126th
  • Defense explosiveness allowed1.172nd
  • Offense explosiveness — standard downs0.716th
  • Offense explosiveness — passing downs2.693rd

Trenches

  • Offense line yards3.469th
  • Defense line yards allowed2.755th
  • Offense highlight yards0.3322nd
  • Defense highlight yards allowed0.0585th
  • Offense power success0.7550th
  • Defense power success allowed0.6761st
  • Offense stuff rate0.0885th
  • Defense stuff rate0.1842nd

Third down

  • Third down conversion30%18th
  • Third down distance faced6.561st
  • Third down conversion allowed47%23rd
  • Third down distance forced7.250th

Halves

  • Net success rate — first half0.1660th
  • Net success rate — second half0.0345th

Drives

  • Points per drive0.7816th
  • Points per drive allowed0.9081st
  • Average starting field position161st
  • Opponent starting field position3512th
  • Available yards gained26%13th
  • Available yards allowed37%77th
  • Scoring opportunities per drive67%25th
  • Scoring opportunities allowed90%33rd
  • Points per scoring opportunity1.214th
  • Points allowed per opportunity1.089th
  • Three-and-out rate56%5th
  • Three-and-outs forced20%38th

Roster

  • Returning usage71%86th
  • Returning EPA21379th
  • Team talent composite89093rd
  • Recruiting class rank12.092nd
  • Recruiting class points27092nd

Every metric is opponent-adjusted and ranked so that higher is always better — a defensive rate that is good when low is ranked accordingly. Sack and tackle-for-loss composition are deliberately absent: their relationship to team quality is a measured null, so they carry a style rather than a rank, and they appear in the pressure signature instead.

Intelligence Report

Offensive DNA

Balanced offense — below average EPA/play nationally
EPA/play
+0.125#106 · below avg
Pass EPA/play
+0.166#110
Rush EPA/play
+0.099#87
Explosiveness
1.319#55
Pts/opportunity
2.67#118
Success rate
34.9%

Pass efficiency edge: 0.067 EPA/play

🛡

Defensive Identity

Disruptive defense suppressing opponents below the national average
EPA/play allowed
-0.018#27 · top 20%
Havoc rate (total)
16.4%#63
Front-7 havoc
13.4%
DB havoc
3.0%
Big play rate allowed
1.039#20
Success rate allowed
34.3%

Disruption comes primarily from the front seven.

📊

Season Signature

Points per game
15.0
Points allowed/game
11.0
Scoring margin/game
+4.0
Turnover margin
-1won 2 · lost 3
Production returning
69%
Talent rank (247)
#11

2-0 record through 2 games.

Team Shape · percentile vs. FBS · dashed = 50th

OFFENSE23thEXPLOSIVENESS61thFINISHING15thFIELD POS100thDEFENSE81thHAVOC55th50th100th
Offense
23th
Explosiveness
61th
Finishing
15th
Field Pos
100th
Defense
81th
Havoc
55th

Each axis = national percentile rank. 100th = best in FBS, 0th = worst. Defense and Havoc are oriented so higher = better.

CORE efficiency · situation and opponent removed

Points per 100 plays above average, after the game state is regressed out of every snap and the schedule is solved out across the whole league. The version of this team’s efficiency that can be compared to a team it never played.

Overall
+17.0
#19
Offense
+7.5
#27
Defense
-9.4
#18
Full CORE ratings →

What a possession is worth · 9 drives

MeasureOffenseDefense
Points per drive0.780.90
Starting field positionown 16.4own 34.8
Available yards25.9%37.5%
Scoring opportunities66.7%90.0%
Points per opportunity1.171.00
Three-and-out rate55.6%20.0%
Every team’s drive efficiency →

Play-calling identity

Against what the league calls from the same down, distance, field position, score and clock — so this is the staff, not the game script.

Pass rate
52.2%
Expected, given the spots
49.6%
Over expected
+2.5
Fourth down vs peers
-5
Fourth down vs the model
-33
All play-calling tendencies →

National Landscape · 2026 FBS · offense vs. defense EPA/play

Each dot = one FBS team. Michigan is highlighted. Tap or hover a dot for details.

ELITEDEF. FORTRESSOFF. POWERHOUSEREBUILDING-0.100.00+0.10+0.20+0.30-0.050.00+0.10+0.20Offensive EPA/play← worsebetter →Defensive EPA allowed/play← worsebetter →

Similar Programs

Teams with the closest offense + defense efficiency profile to Michigan in 2026

by EPA/play distance
Florida InternationalSP+ -13.5
Off EPA/play +0.147Def EPA/play -0.003Elo 1385
Match
98%
TulsaSP+ -2.3
Off EPA/play +0.099Def EPA/play +0.010Elo 1268
Match
98%
IowaSP+ +18.0
Off EPA/play +0.166Def EPA/play -0.040Elo 1847
Match
97%
BaylorSP+ +4.9
Off EPA/play +0.166Def EPA/play -0.043Elo 1506
Match
97%
AuburnSP+ +7.0
Off EPA/play +0.174Def EPA/play -0.007Elo 1613
Match
97%
Iowa StateSP+ +3.1
Off EPA/play +0.178Def EPA/play -0.004Elo 1586
Match
97%

Similarity = normalized Euclidean distance on season offensive and defensive EPA/play. Teams within ±0.02 EPA/play on both units score >90%.

Program Trajectory · CORE rating · 20152026 · points per game vs an average FBS team

2015: +20.2, #10 of 1282016: +27.3, #7 of 1282017: +17.0, #17 of 1302018: +24.6, #6 of 1302019: +21.4, #12 of 1302020: -7.9, #90 of 1242021: +17.9, #11 of 1302022: +30.2, #4 of 1312023: +35.0, #3 of 1332024: +6.4, #43 of 1342025: +17.4, #22 of 1362026: +17.0, #19 of 138
20152026
Now +17.0 · #19 of 138Best +35.0 in 2023Worst -7.9 in 2020

Program History

recent seasons
YearOverallConfWin %xWLuck
20261-00-0
100%
0.6+0.4
20259-47-2
69%
8.1+0.9
20248-55-4
62%
7.6+0.4
202315-010-0
100%
14.1+0.9
202213-110-0
93%
12.6+0.4
202112-29-1
86%
11.7+0.3
20202-42-4
33%
2.2-0.2
20199-46-3
69%
9.2-0.2
201810-38-1
77%
9.6+0.4
20178-55-4
62%
8.0+0.0

xW = expected wins from per-game dominance. Luck = actual − expected (positive = won close games).

8.5%of 50,000 simulated 2026 seasons end with them in the field

1-0 so far, projected to finish 6.6-5.4. Top-four bye in 1.6%. Wins the Big Ten in 1.0%.

If they finish with…

100%
1 loss
97%
2 losses
28%
3 losses
0.1%
4 losses

Their chance of making it at each final loss count. Better than even up to 2.

down 12.9 points since preseasonwon 13-12 over Western Michigan against an expected margin of +25, so 24.4 against the number.

  • At 2 losses they are 97% where the average Big Ten team is 72%.
  • The Big Ten takes 3.19 bids in an average season, and four or more in 37%.

Michigan’s own turning points

Points of playoff probability between winning and losing.

  • wk13at Ohio State26.5
  • wk11at Oregon21.7
  • wk8vs Indiana19.1
  • wk2vs Oklahoma16.8
  • wk7vs Penn State15.0
  • wk4vs Iowa13.2

Who to root for

Games Michigan is not in that move its odds most. Same units, much smaller scale.

  • wk4Northwestern over Indiana1.7
  • wk3Rutgers over USC1.7
  • wk2Colgate over Central Michigan1.7
  • wk9Purdue over Penn State1.4
  • wk2Temple over Penn State1.3
  • wk5North Carolina over Notre Dame1.3
The full playoff picture →

Big Ten

0-0 in league play, projected 4.2-4.88 of 18 by title odds
1.0%
Wins the Big Ten
3.0%
Reaches the title game

The Big Ten sends its top two by conference winning percentage, head-to-head breaking a tie. The last berth is level on percentage in 50% of simulated seasons, so a tiebreaker decides it about that often.

  • wk13Michigan at Ohio State5.7
  • wk11Michigan at Oregon3.8
  • wk8Indiana at Michigan3.0
  • wk7Penn State at Michigan2.2

Points of title probability riding on each result. The whole Big Ten race →

If not the playoff, then

71%
Bowl eligible
63%
Placed in a bowl
8.5%
In the playoff
28%
Season over in November

Michigan is 1-0 and needs 5 more wins from 11 games to reach the six that make a team eligible — at most one of which may come against an FCS opponent. In 1.7% they go with five wins, as a 5-7 fill-in — which in reality is decided by academic progress rate, not by anything modelled here.

  • Rate Bowl8.4%
  • Pinstripe Bowl8.3%
  • Las Vegas Bowl8.2%
  • GameAbove Sports Bowl7.6%
  • Music City Bowl6.7%
  • ReliaQuest Bowl5.9%

Every bowl, and how each one picks →

Recruiting Pipelines

since 2010

Of the 170 high-school programs with a pipeline page here, 16 have sent Michigan a player since 2010 — 49 signees between them. Where they signed, not where they were offered, and not a complete list of Michigan's feeder schools: only these 170 have the outcome history to measure.

High schoolSignedDrafted
IMG AcademyFL93
Cass TechnicalMI83
Paramus CatholicNJ42
St. Frances AcademyMD41
FlanaganFL32
Brother RiceIL30
GonzagaDC30
St. John's CollegeDC30
All 170 high-school pipelines →
✓/✗ = whether our pregame model picked the winner. Win % & projections from the Gridpex model. Data: CollegeFootballData.