Michigan’s season has taken a different direction since Kyle Whittingham made the call to change QBs. Now, the Wolverines have another position worth reconsidering. Michigan beat Rutgers 28-21 on Saturday, but the victory came with another uncomfortable reminder that not every problem has disappeared. This time, it’s the kicking game.

Kyle Whittingham acknowledged after the game that Michigan could reopen its kicking competition, with other options already on the roster.

“We may do that,” he said when asked whether Trey Butkowski’s place should be reconsidered. “We have a couple other kickers in the program that are pretty good. So we’ll see how we handle that going forward.”

Trey Butkowski remains Michigan’s kicker for now, but the coaching staff is clearly running out of room to overlook missed opportunities. The latest trouble came against Rutgers, where he failed on attempts from 47 and 35 yards. 

The first miss arrived in the second quarter with Michigan leading 14-10. Tommy Carr had moved the offense into scoring territory with three consecutive completions, but a third-down incompletion forced the Wolverines to attempt a field goal. Trey Butkowski pushed the kick wide right.

The second opportunity was considerably shorter. Michigan had taken over near midfield late in the third quarter and worked its way into position for a 35-yard attempt. A successful kick would have given the Wolverines an 11-point advantage. Instead, Trey Butkowski hooked it left.

Michigan remained ahead 21-13, but another scoring chance disappeared. Kyle Whittingham offered some context for the misses without trying to excuse both of them.

“Well, you know, the one was fairly tough,” he said. “It was just around 50 yards, 48 yards with the wind. The wind was a factor down there.”

The shorter attempt was another matter.

“Short one was disappointing,” he added. “That’s something we need to make, and he needs to make. He knows that. And that was a big miss at the time.”

The issue is that Saturday’s performance was not a one-off event. Trey Butkowski had previously failed to convert two field goals against Indiana when Michigan suffered a 13-6 loss in extra time. Those missed chances were from distances of 53 and 32 yards.

Although he later successfully made kicks from 29 and 26 yards during the game, including the crucial field goal that extended the matchup into overtime, his erratic performance could not be overlooked. Between these two consecutive games, he has now failed to connect on four of his previous six field goal attempts.

Kyle Whittingham now has a decision to make with four regular-season games remaining. Continuing with Trey Butkowski gives the transfer an opportunity to regain his earlier form. Opening the competition could provide another kicker with a chance to take over before the situation becomes even more costly.

Freshman kicker Jacob Baggett has handled kickoffs and brings a strong high school record, making six of seven field goals in 2025 with a long of 48 yards. But he hasn’t attempted a field goal for Michigan yet. Stuart Blake is another option, though he hasn’t played this season. 

Michigan found a new gear after Kyle Whittingham replaced Bryce Underwood with Tommy Carr. The QB switch worked, and the Wolverines have started winning again. Carr showed why against Rutgers, throwing for 266 yards and scoring twice on the ground in a 28-21 win. He helped Michigan escape. So can something similar happen with the kicking game?

Michigan cannot afford to keep wasting scoring opportunities, particularly against stronger opponents. If Trey Butkowski doesn’t rediscover his early-season reliability, Kyle Whittingham may have to consider going for it on fourth down more often or handing the job to someone else.

The Rutgers victory gives Michigan some breathing room in the standings. It doesn’t solve the kicking problem. And after Kyle Whittingham’s comments, Trey Butkowski may have another competition to worry about before the Wolverines take the field again.