B1G 2025: Michigan Wolverines – Cocktail Party Season Preview

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14 hours ago

A year removed from a national championship, Michigan hit rough waters in 2024. Have the Wolverines righted the ship? More to the point, what can be expected of Sherrone Moore's Wolverines in 2025?
About Last Season
2024 was a strange season for Michigan. Plagued by a passing game that ranked among the nation's worst, the Wolverines struggled to move the ball all year. Just one year removed from an undefeated season, Michigan lost five games, including four in a five-game span. Needing to beat Northwestern in the regular season's penultimate game just to ensure bowl eligibility, there was not a lot of good cheer in Ann Arbor. Nor was there much optimism about the future.
That all changed quickly, however.
After defeating Northwestern, Michigan shocked the recruiting word by landing the nation's top high school recruit in quarterback Bryce Underwood – and then shocked the sports world by going to Columbus and defeating the three-touchdown favorite Buckeyes. Add to that a bowl victory over an Alabama team many believed was worthy of a place in the College Football Playoff, and you have a season that ended on a most positive of notes.
In fact, given the way the season ended, you'd be hard pressed to find a team – or fan base – as excited about an 8-5 season – or about its future.
Looking Ahead
Offense
Michigan's biggest problem last season, the biggest reason the Wolverines struggled as much as they did, was an offense that simply couldn't move the ball through the air.
It was always going to be difficult replacing J.J. McCarthy, but Michigan had no answers. Head coach Sherrone Moore alternated three quarterbacks throughout the year, but regardless of who was under center, the results were largely the same, as the Wolverines finished the season ranked 131st in the nation (out of 134 teams) in passing offense.
Michigan was able to do with it did, was able to win eight games, largely because of the efforts of senior running back Kalel Mullings. Despite seeing – and running into – a steady diet of stacked boxes and loaded fronts, Mullings was able to make something out of nothing often enough to propel Michigan to the season it had.
Mullings has moved on, but Michigan will still lean on its running game.
With returning sophomore Jordan Marshall and incoming junior Justice Hayes (Alabama), the Wolverines have one of the better running back duos in the conference. Add to that an offensive line that's a year older and more experienced than the one that took the field last season and with the best blocking fullback in the country, and there's every reason to believe that Michigan will continue to pound the rock, so to speak. But for Michigan to improve upon last season's performance, it will need more than just a solid running game, it will need much improved quarterback play.
Enter Bryce Underwood.
Granted, Underwood is a true freshman, and a young true freshman, at that. Growing pains are certainly inevitable. But freshman or not, Underwood will be a significant upgrade over what Michigan had last season. But don't just take my word for it.
'Bryce Underwood is going to be so much better than what they (Michigan) had last year,' Former Alabama quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said recently. 'Regardless of what the circumstances are surrounding his growth and development as a first-year player,' McElroy continued, 'He's going to be improved over anybody that took the field last year for the Michigan Wolverines at quarterback.'
That's not to say the starting job is automatically Underwood's. Michigan added a pair of veterans at quarterback this offseason in Mikey Keene (Fresno State) and Jake Garcia (East Carolina). But hearing how Michigan's coaches and players talk about Underwood, both his physical ability and his practice habits, it's hard to imagine him not ascending to a starting role at some point this season. And probably sooner than later. So, while who starts the season might anyone's guess, expect Underwood to take the reins at some point during the season.
And expect a more dynamic offense when that happens.
Defense
Last season, Michigan was led by its defense, and that defense was led by its defensive front. In fact, if there was a driving force behind Michigan's victory over Ohio State, it was Michigan's dominant play up front. Led by Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Michigan bottled up the Buckeye run and kept pressure on quarterback Will Howard all afternoon.
Despite losing both Graham and Grant to the NFL, along with Josiah Stewart and his 8.5 sacks, Michigan coaches believe there won't be a significant drop-off in play up front this season. And that's due to Michigan's depth.
After three years in a supporting role, Rayshaun Benny will step to the forefront and lead the Wolverine defensive line, where he's joined by a pair of defensive tackles from the transfer portal, Tré Williams (Clemson) and Damon Payne (Alabama). On the edge, Michigan returns Derrick Moore and T.J. Guy, a duo that combined for 9.5 sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss last season and looks primed for a big season in a starring role. And beyond its starting four, Michigan has enough top-line depth at both tackle and end to be able to rotate its players up front and keep its big men fresh.
Defensive line isn't the only position at which Michigan looks to be loaded. You could say the same about linebacker, where all-conference-caliber performers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham lead a deep group of 'backers that, combined with the defensive line, give the Wolverines a stellar front seven.
If Michigan has questions on the defensive side of the ball, they're in the secondary. However, led by cornerbacks Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry and likely-nickelback T.J. Metcalf, the secondary has the potential to exceed expectations. An outcome that's much more likely if senior safety Rod Moore is able to successfully return from a knee injury that kept him in street clothes last season.
With the combination of front-line talent and depth that Michigan possesses on defense, if the pieces fall into place in the secondary, Michigan could once again field an elite defense. Something that will certainly come in handy with an offense that may take some time to come together.
Special Teams
If you've followed Michigan over the years, you know that other than a few blips here and there, Michigan has always struggled in the kicking game. It was a constant for nearly half a century. All that changed, however, with the emergence of Jake Moody. Over his final two seasons in Ann Arbor (2021-22), Moody connected on 52 of 60 field goals and made 50-yarders seem almost commonplace. Moody not only graduated as Michigan's all-time leading scorer (with 355 points), but also as the greatest kicker in program history.
That honor may not last long, however, because returning kicker Domonic Zvada put together one of the greatest seasons in NCAA history last year. Zvada not only converted 21 of 22 field goals (Zvada's 95.5% conversion rate topped the Big Ten), but connected on ten-of-ten from beyond 45 yards – and was a nearly preposterous seven-of-seven from beyond 50 yards.
For a Michigan team that looks to have a dominant defense and an offense that's a bit of a work in progress, having a weapon the likes Zvada is a luxury, indeed.
The Schedule
After playing one of the nation's most difficult schedule last season, one that included three of the top four teams in the final rankings (Ohio State, Oregon and Texas) and four playoff teams (add Indiana), Michigan has an easier path this season, missing Illinois, Indiana and Penn State in conference. This year's schedule is highlighted by games against Oklahoma (away), Washington (home) and USC (away) before closing out the season at home against Ohio State.
Final Word
Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon appear to the class of the Big Ten this year. But with another elite defense, if Michigan's Underwood proves precocious and the offense can generate a more consistent and less one-dimensional attack, the Wolverines could challenge for a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
If a Michigan Man Deigns to Talk to You…
Do Mention
Sherrone Moore, Chip Lindsay and Wink Martindale. Dusty May and the Big Ten Champion Michigan basketball team. Dusty May and the 2025-26 pre-season top ten Michigan basketball team. Freshman All-American Syler Swords and the Michigan women's basketball team. Defeating Ohio State for a fourth consecutive season. Defeating Alabama for the second year in a row. NFL rookies Colston Loveland, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Will Johnson. First-year Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
And did I mention Bryce Underwood?
Don't Mention
Last season's passing game.