Ten Michigan players (besides Bryce Underwood) to watch in spring game

New York Times

17-04-2025

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Let's start by stating the obvious. The player everyone wants to see at Michigan's spring game is Bryce Underwood, the five-star quarterback who will make his unofficial Michigan Stadium debut in Saturday's scrimmage.
No matter what Underwood does, the takes will flow. If he backs up the glowing reports about his performance in practice, the hype train will be approaching terminal velocity by the start of preseason camp. If he struggles, it will be a modest reality check for a freshman with massive expectations. Either way, there will be plenty to discuss.
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Michigan's spring game isn't all about Underwood, though. Here are 10 other players to watch when the Wolverines take the field at noon Saturday.
It's always nice when visual evidence backs up secondhand reports about players who are standing out in practice. Browder, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Lake Worth, Fla., has been mentioned a few times this spring, and he showed up in practice highlights tipping a pass to himself for a touchdown.
Michigan freshman WR Jamar Browder 📈📈 pic.twitter.com/cq8WnZPI3l
— uofmcoverage (@uofmcoverage) April 12, 2025
Browder, a three-star prospect ranked just outside the top 500 in the 247Sports Composite, wasn't the biggest name in Michigan's 2025 recruiting class, but he's one of Michigan's biggest wide receivers in stature. Given Michigan's emphasis on putting bigger targets on the field, there could be a role for the freshman.
'When you're starting to roll out 6-3, 6-4, 6-5 guys, most of those guys have basketball backgrounds,' wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy said. 'The ball's in the air, it's rebounds to them, boxing people out, using their big bodies. That's something we didn't have last year, and we do now.'
Sullivan, a second-year player from the Class of 2024, came to Michigan with the reputation as a freaky athlete. He appeared in 12 games as a freshman, mostly on special teams, and could be in line for a spot in the rotation.
'What we've seen this spring, that page has really turned,' linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said. 'He's turned into one of the guys we're going to be counting on on defense to be a major contributor. He's had some practices where I would say he's one of the better players on the field.'
Michigan brings back both starting linebackers in Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham, so the most likely role for Sullivan would involve a platoon situation. The more Michigan plays Barham on the edge, the more snaps would be available for Sullivan at inside linebacker.
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The first pick in Michigan's spring game draft wasn't Underwood, Justice Haynes, Derrick Moore or any of Michigan's returning starters. It was freshman tackle Andrew Babalola, the No. 2 prospect in Michigan's 2025 recruiting class. Read into that what you will, but it can't be a bad sign.
The teams have been selected. Now, the battle is on.
Maize vs Blue » Spring Game » Saturday at noon » Michigan Stadium pic.twitter.com/iXbfHLm6SM
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) April 16, 2025
It would be a reach to project Babalola as a day one starter at left tackle. Michigan has older players who are ahead of him on the developmental curve, but Babalola's natural talent could help him close the gap. The spring game should provide a baseline to see what Babalola needs to do to play his way onto the field as a freshman.
Jyaire Hill ended last season on an odd note, with a number change and a demotion from the starting lineup. Defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan said he's been encouraged by Hill's response this spring, but it's fair to assume that Michigan wants to create as much competition as possible at cornerback. Earls, a top-100 prospect who signed with Michigan after decommitting from Georgia, can do his part by showing he's ready to play as a freshman.
At 6-2, Earls has Will Johnson-like length that he can use to his advantage. He's still getting up to speed after missing his senior season of high school with an injury, but that hasn't tempered his expectations.
'There's a lot on Shamari,' Morgan said. 'He has a lot of confidence in himself, but he also doesn't want to let anybody down. … He puts a lot of pressure on himself, which is a good trait if he can balance it all.'
Haynes made a quick impression after transferring to Michigan from Alabama, where he rushed for 616 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons. A 5-11 running back who can go rep for rep with linemen in the weight room is going to earn the respect of his teammates in a hurry, and that's what Haynes has done.
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Pairing Haynes with Jordan Marshall gives Michigan two powerful runners who can split carries in Chip Lindsey's offense. The appeal of playing for Michigan, a program known for its downhill running game, fit what Haynes was looking for when he decided to leave Alabama.
'I love the way we run the ball,' Haynes said. 'It starts at the top with coach (Sherrone) Moore. He preaches all the time that we're going to be physical. I'm all about that physicality, all about imposing our will, all about that mindset.'
With Rod Moore still sidelined, Michigan has a chance to evaluate other players who might factor in the rotation at safety. TJ Metcalf, who transferred from Arkansas alongside his brother, Tevis Metcalf, should get a long look. He's the 2025 version of Wesley Walker, a veteran safety who started games in the SEC and should have a smooth transition to the Big Ten. He had three interceptions last season, the most of any player on Arkansas' roster, and he's brought the same playmaking instincts to Michigan.
'Every practice, one or both of them is going to make a play,' Morgan said. 'It's like, 'Oh, it's just the Metcalf boys again.' That's pretty cool to see.'
Davis Warren had the best performance of any quarterback in last year's spring game and ended up winning the starting job over Alex Orji, the perceived favorite. I'm not predicting the same thing will happen for Davis, but if he plays well, at least we'll be able to use the word 'competition' without putting it in scare quotes.
Davis' unorthodox throwing motion has been a topic of conversation since he was a high school recruit. Given how little they've seen of Davis, you can't be too hard on Michigan fans for turning into experts on quarterback mechanics and critiquing a single social media clip of him throwing a football this spring. At this point, it's well past time to get Davis on the field and evaluate him based on actual quarterback play, not just warmup throws or highlights.
These days, it's expected that blue-chip quarterback recruits will enter the transfer portal if they don't have a clear path to the starting job. That could be the right move for Davis at some point, but he also has reasons to play this out. Michigan used three different starting quarterbacks last season. Given Mikey Keene's health questions and Underwood's inexperience, it's not hard to imagine Davis getting on the field next season. Most teams aren't shopping for a starting quarterback in the spring, so Michigan might be the best spot for Davis in 2025 — especially if he plays well Saturday.
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Michigan likes to rotate as many players as possible at nickel, which allows the Wolverines to experiment with different skill sets and body types. At 6-5, Curtis is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Mike Sainristil, who starred at nickel for Michigan's national championship team. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale prioritizes tackling ability at the nickel spot and got good results from moving Makari Paige into that role late last year. If Martindale likes the idea of playing a bigger DB at nickel, Curtis is the player on Michigan's roster who would make the most sense.
'Some of the limitations you might have because you're so tall, there are advantages as well,' Morgan said. 'You might not be 4.40, but he's 6-4-plus and has long arms. It's like a weighted scale for him. He's a little longer, so he might not be as twitchy as a smaller guy, but he can cover a lot of ground.'
Michigan hasn't had a big-bodied wide receiver who could consistently win jump ball situations since Nico Collins, and the Wolverines no longer have Colston Loveland to pick up the slack if the wide receivers aren't producing. For this offense to hit its potential, Michigan needs McCulley, a 6-5 transfer from Indiana, to fill that void.
Michigan hasn't released the spring game rosters yet, so it's unknown which quarterback will be throwing to McCulley on Saturday. For the sake of everyone in the crowd, seeing Underwood connect with McCulley for a touchdown would put a lot of minds at ease.
'When he gets out of the pocket, he's looking to throw the ball down the field,' McCulley said. 'I'm always going to be where he needs me to be. That's what I told him.'
Norton, a transfer from Cal Poly, added a bit of tinder to the Ohio State rivalry this week, telling reporters that the Buckeyes 'ghosted' him after showing initial interest, then tried to get involved again after Michigan offered him a scholarship. At that point, Norton was set on playing for the Wolverines. Based on his sentiments about Ohio State — 'F— those guys,' Norton said — he'll fit right in.
As for where he fits, tackle appears to be the priority, though Norton has the flexibility to play guard as well. As one of the top pass blockers in the FCS last season, he was listed at 6-3 and 275 pounds when he arrived at Michigan, smaller than the prototypical Big Ten tackle. But Michigan likes his athleticism and footwork, and he'll have an entire offseason to bulk up. If he plays well Saturday and makes the most of summer workouts, he could challenge for a starting job in camp.
(Photo of Mason Curtis: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)