Longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham will be leading the charge for the Blue and Gold for the first time this season after 22 years with the Utes. His Utah teams typically overachieved, capturing eight double-digit win seasons for a program that only had one in its history prior to his arrival. With more resources and exposure at Michigan, it’s fair to expect that he will bring the team back to prosperity. A successful stint with the Wolverines could shoot Whittingham up the all-time coaching wins list and carve and even greater legacy for him.

Offensive player to know: Bryce Underwood, Quarterback

There were massive expectations placed on the shoulders of 18-year-old, five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood ahead of the 2025 season. The 6-4, 228-pound kid from Detroit has a rocket arm to go along with tremendous athletic ability, but he just wasn’t able to put it all together last year. The offensive game plan typically seemed to focus on keeping the ball out of Underwood’s hands and limiting his attempts as a passer. He’s still raw because of how young he is, so he has to work on his accuracy and the consistency in his mechanics. It’s hard to imagine a young man with this many physical gifts being unable to succeed, and now Whittingham will be tasked with making sure he squeezes everything he can out of Underwood.