College football season is rapidly approaching, with fall camp underway. We’re going through Indiana’s schedule to look ahead at all 12 opponents for 2026.
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- Opponent: Michigan
- Date/Time/TV: Saturday, October 24, TBD
- Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- 2025 record/postseason result: 9-4, 7-2 Big Ten (41-27 loss to Texas in the Citrus Bowl)
- Overall returning production: 63 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN) (20th in the country, eighth in the Big Ten)
Returning production, offense: 72 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN) (sixth in the country)
Offensive outlook: Michigan finished 59th in the country in total offense last season, but the program overhauled its coaching staff after the Sherrone Moore debacle this offseason. New head coach Kyle Whittingham brought offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him to Ann Arbor, which could bode well. The Utes ranked fourth in the nation last season with 482.9 yards per game, bolstered by the second-best rushing offense in the country at 266.3 yards per game. Of course, they’ll face tougher defenses in the Big Ten than they saw in the Big 12.
Highly-touted quarterback Bryce Underwood returns for a second year with the Wolverines. He had a rougher freshman year than many anticipated, finishing ninth in the Big Ten with 2,428 yards and 14th in the conference with a 60.3 completion percentage. He threw 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions, a ratio he’ll look to improve this season. Underwood is productive on the ground, though, as he picked up 392 yards on 88 rushing attempts with six touchdowns. That rushing ability could be a good fit with Beck’s run-heavy offense.
Redshirt sophomore Jordan Marshall leads the backfield after a very strong 2025 campaign. He suffered a season-ending injury late in the year, but still rushed for 932 yards on 150 carries with 10 touchdowns — and that includes a first half of the season operating as the No. 2 option behind Justice Haynes. Marshall is one of the top returning running backs in the Big Ten. Five-star true freshman Savion Hiter is also a player to watch.
Michigan’s receiving corps could be a little light. Converted tight end JJ Buchanan followed Whittingham’s staff from Utah and can play inside and outside, and posted 26 receptions for 427 yards and five touchdowns last year. Andrew Marsh had a solid freshman year at UM, with 651 yards on 45 receptions and four touchdowns. But there isn’t much returning production outside of that duo. Five-star true freshman Salesi Moa could turn into an impact player.
The Wolverines have four returning offensive line starters from last season. They finished 21st in the nation in PFF run block grade, but their pass blocking struggled and ranked 71st. A bigger emphasis on the run game could help that, but the pass protection has to improve.
Returning production, defense: 55 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN) (55 in the country)
Defensive outlook: Former BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill will run Michigan’s defense. He worked with Whittingham for nine years as an assistant at Utah, and then became a rival for three seasons with the Cougars. BYU ranked 35th in the country last season in total defense, allowing 332.4 yards per game.
UM has three returning starters on defense, along with safety Rod Moore, who started in 2022 and 2023 for two straight College Football Playoff appearances and a national title. Moore missed most of the last two seasons with injuries, but should slot in at safety again and be a big-time playmaker.
Michigan will turn to several returning non-starters to step into bigger roles this year. But the defense could be anchored by the secondary, led by Moore and All-Big Ten selection Zeke Berry, along with some portal additions. Memphis transfer Chris Bracy will line up at safety alongside Moore; he recorded 81 tackles last season, with 9.5 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, one QB hurry, and one forced fumble. Utah transfer Smith Snowden looks to be Michigan’s nickel back; in 2025, he recorded two interceptions and nine PBUs.
Defensive end John Henry Daley may be the Wolverines’ headliner of the portal class. The 2025 All-American is recovering from an Achilles injury, but is trending in the right direction. Daley was a beast last season, with 17.5 TFLs, 11.5 sacks, one PBU, and two forced fumbles in 11 games. PFF graded him as the sixth-best edge defender in the country, with the second-best pass-rush grade at the position.
Special teams outlook: Michigan boasted the second-best special teams grade in the country in PFF last season, but has entirely new personnel and coaching this year. UNLV transfer Cam Brown averaged a solid 43.8 yards per punt last season, and he’ll hold on field goals as well. Pitt transfer Trey Butkowski will serve as placekicker, after going 20 for 23 on field goals and 43 for 44 on extra points last year.
Overall Outlook: Michigan has some unknowns with its new coaching staff, along with some position groups that may have some question marks. But overall, this should be a good team. The offense could be dangerous if things click, and there’s enough to like on defense to hold up that end. This will be Curt Cignetti’s first road game in Ann Arbor, which should draw a raucous Big House crowd. That’s always a tough place to win. On paper, Indiana looks the better team, but this will be a big challenge for the Hoosiers.
Previous Outlooks:
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