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
Watch What’s Trending Now!
When the transfer portal window closed, the Wolverines weren’t exactly making headlines. With just 19 transfers, the class ranked somewhere in the 60s. But if you look back, Michigan at its best has never really been about winning in January. And now Kyle Whittingham is following that same old blueprint that once Jim Harbaugh leaned on.
“It may not be the most high-profile recruiting class or most high-profile roster, but just watch out for these guys,”J.D. PicKell said on the February 22 episode of On3. Now that line is important because Michigan didn’t chase stars for the sake of show. Instead, Whittingham leaned into familiarity and culture.
Top Stories
“It’d be one thing if those players were following Kyle Whittingham from Utah to Michigan and they had won like seven games last year. It’s a 10- win football team,” PicKell said. And these are players choosing continuity. They followed a coach who spent 21 seasons as Utah’s head man and 32 years total inside that building. He has a 177–88 record and delivered three conference championships, eight 10-win seasons, and an undefeated 2008 run that ended with a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.
And Whittingham was Utah’s HC when both the Rich Rodriguez and Jim Harbaugh eras began at Michigan. That’s how long he’s been around. Utah wasn’t built on five stars. Michigan under Harbaugh ended up looking a lot like that.
“Recruiting stars aren’t relevant to us. We want guys who really love football. Who really want to get better at football,” Harbaugh once said.
In fact, when the Wolverines won the national title in 2023, that roster sat 14th nationally in overall talent, the lowest of any playoff-era champion. That’s wild because they weren’t stacked the way Alabama or Georgia typically are.
“We’re looking for the right kind of guys… it’s not just about talent, it’s about who they are as people,” Harbaugh said back then. So when five Utah players pack up and head to Ann Arbor, it’s like a culture migration. And if Whittingham is bringing that same infrastructure, then Michigan’s 19-man portal class could do a whole lot more in August.
And now, that development starts with Bryce Underwood.
Michigan’s offensive reset
Bryce Underwood’s first year as Michigan’s starting quarterback was rough and messy. Honestly it was plagued by a system that just didn’t seem to fit him. The offense under Chip Lindsey last season was one-dimensional, ranked 100th nationally in passing, and didn’t offer the protection or balance Underwood needed.
Adding on to the trouble was injuries to key RBs Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall that only made things worse. It forced Underwood to try to carry too much himself. Twenty sacks and a handful of missed opportunities later, it was clear he needed a system built around him.
That’s why Kyle Whittingham is bringing much of his Utah staff and a whole new approach. “A quarterback’s got to have an ‘it’ factor — and he’s got it,”Whittingham said. OC Jason Beck is now running a run-heavy offense designed to support Underwood, and Whittingham added quarterback coach Koy Detmer Jr. to give him dedicated mentorship.
Michigan RBs coach Tony Alford has already noticed the difference: “It’s wild because the way they call it, I’ve never seen it… But the more I’ve studied it in constant conversation with the staff, I love it. The way it pieces together, I think it’s very user-friendly to learn, especially since it allows young players to get up and play fast.”
So the strategy is pretty simple. They will give Underwood a stable foundation and let the offense complement his strengths.
Already, the pieces are starting to click. Alford says, “I think it’s a dynamic offense because we’ve got enough playmakers here that you can put guys in spots and match up issues, and it’s very easily adjusted where multiple guys are going to touch the ball… I think Bryce Underwood, with his skill set… we can use them, and they’re at our disposal in a lot of different ways.”
With Alford retained as the only holdover from Sherrone Moore’s staff, it’s clear that Whittingham is changing the culture and identity of Michigan football.
Written by
Edited by
Sagarika Das