If you told Michigan football fans before the 2024 season that the Wolverines would finish 8-5, they would've been disappointed. They also probably wouldn't think that Michigan would end the year with wins against #2 Ohio State and #11 Alabama. It wasn't the season that the Wolverines were looking for, but ending the year with those two wins made it a whole lot better.

The Michigan football team is coming into the 2025 season with a lot of momentum after finishing 2024 strong. The Wolverines' defense is especially feeling good after holding the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide to 23 points combined.

“We went from whooping Ohio State to whooping Alabama too,” defensive end Dom Nichols said, according to a post from Alejandro Zúñiga. “You just roll into the spring ball with that, and you go in feeling confident about yourself.”

The 2024 season was the first of Dom Nichols' career. He didn't have a big role as he finished with just three total tackles, and he also added one forced fumble. The Wolverines lost a lot of talent from their defensive line, however, so Nichols should see his role grow this season. A lot of players on that side of the football will need to step up to make up for the lost production.

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Michigan has momentum on offense as well

The Michigan football team ended the season strong on the field, and they had a lot of recruiting success as well. The Wolverines landed the top overall player in the 2025 recruiting class as quarterback Bryce Underwood ended up flipping his commitment from LSU to Michigan. The QB position was the biggest problem last year, and there is a very good chance that Underwood will earn the starting job next season.

Michigan should have one of the best defenses in the country again, and they should have much better QB play as well. If everything comes together, the Wolverines should be a College Football Playoff team.