Imago
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Southern California at Michigan Jan 2, 2026 Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Michigan Wolverines football head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks to the crowd during a time out in the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Crisler Center. Ann Arbor Crisler Center Michigan USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRickxOsentoskix 20260102_lbm_aa1_099
Imago
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Southern California at Michigan Jan 2, 2026 Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Michigan Wolverines football head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks to the crowd during a time out in the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Crisler Center. Ann Arbor Crisler Center Michigan USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRickxOsentoskix 20260102_lbm_aa1_099
Michigan’s spring game will look a bit different this year. Rather than putting the spotlight on established starters, Kyle Whittingham is planning to use the Maize vs Blue scrimmage to closely assess the second and third-string players in a more competitive setting.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“The main thrust is a great chance for us to get a good in-depth, concentrated look at the twos and threes,” Michigan’s head coach Kyle Whittingham said to the media at Schembechler Hall. “There’s going to be a lot of ones that don’t participate. We’re not going to put a guy in there that we know what he can do, and he’s where he needs to be, and he’s played hundreds of snaps here − there’s no reason for that. It’s a chance to showcase the twos and threes in as close to a game environment as we can structure.”
Under Whittingham, Michigan’s team formation is changing this year. Instead of traditional individual player drafts, position coaches will split their rooms into two evenly matched groups. The head coaches for the Maize and Blue squads will then draft these entire blocks. It’s a faster process designed to keep talent balanced across both sidelines.
Top Stories
For example, one team might pick the offensive line’s first group, and the other team gets the second group, then they switch for the next position. Now, what’s interesting is that some important players may not play in the spring game, especially starters and experienced players who have already proven themselves. The coach has not given exact names, but players like running back Jordan Marshall and some key defenders might sit out.
This marks a noticeable shift from past spring games, where fans expected to see starting veterans trading hits. By keeping proven talent in street clothes, the staff guarantees themselves a pressure-tested look at the backup units they’ll inevitably need this fall.
“If we get low on bodies, you know, right now, we’re fine, but you know [if] we have some guys that aren’t able to go at that point for whatever reason, we can always revert to an offense versus defense scrimmage,” Whittingham said. “Have a point system. That’s kind of our bailout if things go south, but if things continue as they are, then we should be able to be okay with a Maize and Blue team.”
Since joining Michigan, Kyle Whittingham has been making major moves to ensure that the team stays intact and performs well. He got Underwood a dedicated QB coach, Koy Detmer Jr., and he also made it pretty clear that Michigan will be a more physical team under him. The same approach that won Michigan consecutive Big Ten championships and a national championship in 2023. It turns out that his team is responding well to the changes.
Kyle Whittingham doubles down on his team’s progress
Michigan’s head coach, Kyle Whittingham, is bringing in new ways to play on both offense and defense, while also focusing on discipline and helping the team bond better. So far, he feels happy with how things are going, as the team is improving and adjusting well.
“Two-thirds through, 10 down, five to go,” he says. “It’s been a very productive first 10 practices. A lot of positives. Offense is progressing, defense is progressing. Everything’s on track to where you would hope it would be. There’s new schemes on both sides of the ball. So that was the first order of business to get those schemes installed and up and running, which we have done.”
The injury-prevention mindset leading up to the scrimmage is even bleeding into their daily schedule. The staff has intentionally cut down practice times over the last few weeks, prioritizing fast, focused reps so players aren’t completely drained before taking the field on Saturday.
“We’re not out there as long as we were last spring or practices in the past,” Frazier said. “There’s a lot more focus on getting more work done in less time. Less taxing on the body, but still making sure we’re getting as much work done and work at the things we need during that time.”
With all these major offseason changes, it will be interesting to see how the team performs in the 2026 season.
