The Wolverines left no doubt in their latest outing, dismantling Central Michigan 63–3 in a game where they controlled every phase. Bryce Underwood once again showed why he’s the future of the program, rushing for a career-high 114 yards with two scores and adding 235 yards and a touchdown through the air. But while Underwood’s star power shone, the lopsided win also underscored a growing concern about the gap between Michigan’s front-line talent and its backups.

That’s why Michigan’s roster building, particularly on the defensive side, has become a top priority. The program’s recruiting push is beginning to pay dividends, highlighted by the rise of EDGE rusher Julian Walker. Walker, a 6-foot-6, 252-pound pass rusher from Dutch Fork High in South Carolina, has surged more than 40 spots in national rankings since committing to Michigan. Now the No. 80 overall prospect in the country, his decision marked a significant recruiting victory for the Wolverines, especially given the competition from schools like USC, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Michigan still has a lot of work ahead of it, though. Walker has made several recent trips to South Carolina, including two this fall, and will go on a visit for the Wisconsin game following the bye week. The Wolverines are aware of his worth and are making every effort to keep him in the fold. “Similar to Carter Meadows, he has high-end physical traits,” rankings director Charles Power pointed out. “We were the first ones to rank him as a four-star in May… he’s playing with more confidence. What he’s shown early in the season is very encouraging. You love the size, the athletic ability, and the play strength.”

With schools like South Carolina making a strong push to get him back, keeping Walker committed is crucial. Losing him would hurt Michigan’s defensive line depth and make it harder to find another elite cornerback in the 2026 class. Landing Walker this summer was one of Michigan’s biggest recruiting wins. “Walker possesses great overall size and length that correlates well to the next level…Walker has the strength and toughness to be disruptive against the run and make plays as a true 3-down player,” said  247Sports’ Clint Brewster, pointing out how impactful Walker is. Walker’s arrival provides much-needed depth to Michigan’s defense, but the team’s overall depth is still put to the test at the quarterback room, where rankings and performance concerns continue to rise.

Rivals rankings reveal challenges for Michigan’s backup QB

It was always going to be crucial to have a strong backup quarterback behind star player Bryce Underwood because Michigan’s quarterback room has lacked depth despite the star power. This is where Brady Smigiel comes in, even though his season debut hasn’t been as good as fans had hoped. “Based on the first three or four games of his season, I think he’s a very high usage player,” said Rivals rankings director Charles Power. “His whole offense runs through him. He’s a high-volume passer. But to stay in the Rivals300 and have that four-star rating, we wanted to see more growth early on in his senior year. He has eight picks already — some of those weren’t his fault. His physical tools are what they are. They’re good. When we’re projecting for an NFL Draft pick, we want to see more from an arm talent perspective and an athletic perspective.”

Power described Smigiel’s style of play as that of a gunslinger who is overworked. Despite his impressive stats, analysts have been left wanting more from his consistency and decision-making. Nevertheless, Power thinks there’s a good reason to wait. “He’s a great high school player… a guy who has put up a lot of raw stats,” he added, “You want to see him be more consistent in efficiency and decision making with how experienced he is.” Michigan is definitely counting on Smigiel to develop into a reliable choice in the future with coaching and time.

Despite his early setbacks, 6-foot-5, 210-pound California prospect Smigiel was truly overjoyed when he joined the Wolverines. “I knew Michigan was the spot for me,” he told ESPN, expressing his respect for the team’s training staff and discipline. Michigan thinks his size and experience make him a good choice to add depth, even though he isn’t an elite recruit anymore. As Power put it, “To bring him in behind a player like Bryce Underwood, I still think it’s a quality get,” and the hope is that with time, Smigiel’s potential will finally catch up with his talent.