The Michigan Wolverines are back! Well, sort of.
For one afternoon every spring, Michigan football returns for a few glorious hours with a televised scrimmage to whet the appetite of fans across the country. Even in years without a coaching change and a returning starting quarterback, the spring game is must-see TV. But the 2026 installment is the most anticipated in years with the Kyle Whittingham era upon us.
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Although no major answers will be provided on Saturday, with the majority of participants being non-starters, the annual scrimmage will offer a trailer of sorts for the upcoming season. Expectations and concerns will be formulated, as optimism and pessimism build their respective cases.
In anticipation of the future discourse, here are three things I want to see from the Wolverines on Saturday.
The next step from Bryce Underwood
The over/under at the Bailey Sportsbook for the amount of Bryce Underwood series played at the spring game is 0.5, and I do not care. The Underwood speculation remains the biggest line of questioning facing the Wolverines this year and is the only place to start.
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Where is he in his development? Has he taken strides under new offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterback coach Koy Detmer Jr.? Is he more advanced pre-snap? Has his decisiveness improved in this modern option offense? Has he fully grasped the offense? Is he playing confidently? How is his footwork? Release? Is he throwing with more touch? How is his chemistry with his new targets? Does he trust his offensive line?
On and on, Underwood faces more questions than any player on the roster because he plays the most important position in sports and possesses a ceiling only rivaled by the Artemis II crew. Underwood’s development could be the difference between a College Football Playoff berth and the Pinstripe Bowl. I get it — Underwood is as locked in to a starter’s role as any player in the country, but is one to series too much to ask for?
Depth to emerge
In addition to the spring game, this weekend is also the annual showcase of the immortals, WrestleMania. The stage where glass breaks trigger Millennials like the Winter Soldier. A place where streaks end. And a place where unknowns enter the mainstream, a similarity that will be shared in Ann Arbor.
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Who are the names after the names? The supporting actors — the players who unexpectedly, or in a rotational capacity, will have to step in and provide meaningful minutes. Players such as Bryson Kuzdzal and Jayden Sanders from last year’s team or Josaiah Stewart, Keon Sabb and Trente Jones from the national championship squad in 2023. These players could become unlikely stars, author an origin story, or they could simply keep the ship afloat when an injury occurs.
As mentioned, this is a scrimmage designed for the backups to shine, and every position group has questions that need answering. On offense, who is going to back up Jake Guarnera at center? Watch for transfer Houston Ka’aha’aina-Torres (or Houston from Nebraska for the phonetically challenged). Just how good is freshman quarterback Tommy Carr? What do the pass catchers look like beyond the top targets? For the first time since the Lloyd Carr era, this could be an exciting answer.
Defensively, who are the guys after John Henry Daley at defensive end, and Trey Pierce and Enow Etta at defensive tackle? Is there a hierarchy or enough talent to establish a rotation, or is this going to be a 2025 Miami case of starters shouldering the bulk of the work? Both feel like the latter.
At linebacker, expect everyone to play on Saturday. There are no established starters — although some of us might have called our brokers about a Chase Taylor investment weeks ago — and the door is open for anyone to burst through.
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In the secondary, the starters are the strongest position group on the defense and the backups could be the weakest, as identified by Whittingham last week. This is a perfect opportunity for Shamari Earls to justify rocking the No. 2 and for veterans like Jo’Ziah Edmond to prove he can do more than hold opposing receivers.
RB Savion Hiter
Listen, I am a simple man. I could sit here and pontificate about the nuanced blocking techniques required to efficiently execute Beck’s offense, or we could discuss one of the most exciting Michigan prospects of all time, running back Savion Hiter.
The true freshman will likely be the single biggest talking point coming out of the spring game. Hell, he has been the biggest talking point going into the game. Like a newlywed continuously bringing up his spouse, Whittingham has not stopped gushing about Hiter since arriving in Ann Arbor.
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Most recently, “Savion Hiter, he’s another bright spot,” Whittingham said when discussing his offense. “We’ve talked about him several times during the course of spring. But he’s really a great fit for this offense and has really impressed me with his blitz pickup. You got to be able to pass protect if you’re a running back. That’s part of the job description. And he is, for a true freshman, he is really doing a good job in that respect.”
There have been other five-star running back recruits — Sam McGuffie, Derrick Green, and, more positively, Donovan Edwards — but Hiter feels a head above the field. Maybe that is me being a prisoner of the moment or maybe there is a unique electricity and maturity surrounding his presence that feels special. Either way, we get our first glimpse on Saturday.
