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aThe college football season is set to get underway with Week 0 matchups this weekend, and that includes an intriguing top-25 matchup between Iowa State and Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland. That is the marquee matchup of the week, and then the Week 1 slate will pack quite a punch the following weekend. There are three top-10 matchups during Week 1, and that is also when the Michigan football team will begin its season. The Wolverines are ranked No. 14 in the country to start the year, and they open the season under the lights at home against New Mexico.
Michigan's season opener is right around the corner, and there are definitely some intriguing position battles to pay attention to before Week 1 rolls around. After going 8-5 last season, there are a lot of question marks surrounding this team, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. We know that the Wolverines are going to be strong defensively, and that unit overall isn't a concern. The offense is a different story.
The Wolverines had one of the worst offenses in the country last year, and the inability to throw the football was a big reason why. The Michigan football team didn't have a reliable quarterback, and the wide receivers struggled as well. If Michian is going to have the season that it wants, the offense needs to be a lot better than it was a year ago.
Offensively, it starts with the QB, and that was Michigan's big problem last year. There are only 10 days until the Wolverines begin the season, and they haven't named a starter yet. We think we know who it will be, but let's still discuss the competition and pick the winner.
Will Bryce Underwood be Michigan's starting QB?
Right now, all signs point to true freshman Bryce Underwood being QB1 for the Michigan football team. Underwood was the top player in the 2025 recruiting class, and he is expected to be one of the best QBs to ever wear the Michigan uniform. The only issue is the fact that he's a true freshman. He has no college experience, but it's very hard to imagine him not being a major upgrade from last year's disaster. The Wolverines possessed zero threat in the passing game, and that won't be the case with Underwood.
The other option for Michigan at QB is Mikey Keene, who transferred from Fresno State. Keene has a ton of experience, but his ceiling isn't as high, and he spent the spring injured. He is doing better now, but after his injury, his momentum to win the starting job lost a ton of steam. It would be very surprising if he ends up starting over Underwood.
Keep an eye on Michigan's WR room
Another important Michigan position battle involves the wideouts. The WRs struggled last season, but it was hard to tell if the blame was more on them or the QB. Either way, there needs to be more production this season. Coming into Week 1, we know that Michigan's top target at the WR position will more than likely be Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley. McCulley has a big frame and the potential to make for a special duo after Bryce Underwood. After him, it will be interesting to see who steps up.
Semaj Morgan doesn't have great size, but he should be another WR who gets a lot of targets this season. He had a very promising freshman season, but last season was quiet. Morgan is quick and elusive, and the 2023 offense found a lot of ways to get him involved. It will be interesting to see how he performs in this new offense under offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.
McCulley and Morgan are expected to be the top guys, but we will have to wait and see who else has a big role. Some players to watch are junior Fred Moore, UMass senior transfer Anthony Simpson, redshirt freshman Channing Goodwin and true freshman Jamar Browder.
OL battle halted due to injury
One huge position battle going on in camp was along the offensive line, but it sounds like the competition is over as there have been reports about true freshman Andrew Babalola going down with an ACL tear that would keep him out for the entire season. Babalola was a five-star recruit in the 2025 class, and he was already pushing for a starting job. Losing him to an injury is crushing, but he has an incredibly bright future. His time will come.
After the injury news, it looks like Michigan's offensive line will more than likely be Evan Link, Giovanni El-Hadi, Greg Crippen, Nathan Efobi and Andrew Sprague. Link, El-Hadi and Crippen are all coming in with a lot of good experience.
Not everything is set in stone for the Michigan football team with Week 1 approaching, but the Wolverines will soon have all of their starters ready to go. College football is almost back.
