Ranking Michigan football's 12 most important players for 2026

There are players, and then there are players. And though some decry Michigan football as not having the same talent as some other teams (though 247Sports' team talent rankings indicate otherwise), there are several Wolverines who could or should be on preseason watch lists.

With the 2026 season just a week away, there are important players on this team who will determine the success or failure of the impending year. The players who aren't just the ones Michigan needs to step up; they're the ones who Michigan can't afford not to step up. They're the players the Wolverines can't afford to do without.

There's one week until the season opener, and here are the 12 Michigan football players who are the most important to team success in 2026.

12. LB Chase Taylor

If you've tuned out for much of the offseason, then this name might be a surprise to you. Taylor is beloved by the new coaching staff, despite the fact that the sophomore linebacker was a three-star coming out of high school with scant experience.

The Wolverines need a game-changer at the second level of the defense, and though transfer Nathaniel Staehling is coming on strong in fall camp, it's Taylor who's most likely to emerge as a strong player in the middle.

11. RB Savion Hiter

The run game will make the Michigan football offense go, and the true freshman should figure in greatly in his first year. A bulldozer with excellent vision, the former five-star was the top-rated tailback in the 2016 class. He'll split time with starter Jordan Marshall and fellow backup Bryson Kuzdzal. But if last year proves anything, in a run-heavy scheme, you need a competent, starting-caliber backup running back if something happens to your starter. And given that Marshall had injury issues each of his first two seasons, Hiter will need to be ready to play, because he could see more time than even anticipated now in the preseason.

10. LT Blake Frazier

Technically, the job hasn't been officially won at left tackle, but we're projecting Frazier to hold onto it after starting at the tail end of last year, replacing the injured Evan Link. Tasked with protecting Bryce Underwood's blind side, his role is as crucial in pass protection as it is in the run game. Michigan's offensive line tends to be gauged by both the left tackle and center positions (however, in the national championship run, it was arguably the guards who did most of the heavy lifting). Though stalwart right tackle Andrew Sprague may the bigger name, the legacy at left tackle, wearing the legendary No. 77 will have a lot to prove this season. And if he rises to the occasion, there's a good chance Michigan is in a better spot than many might think.

9. CB Jyaire Hill

The Wolverines are overjoyed with what they have in the secondary, and the likely breakout star here is Jyaire Hill, who has reportedly taken a big step forward this offseason.

While the linebacking corps has a lot of inexperience, and thus isn't the position giving the most confidence on the defensive side of the ball, with a strong defensive front and secondary, the maize and blue could be just fine. And it's Hill expected to be tasked with covering the top wideouts that Michigan will see this season.

If Hill can live up to his offseason billing, it will give the new-look defensive front more time to put quarterbacks under duress. Though Zeke Berry, Smith Snowden, and Shamari Earls will all have their say, it's Hill who has the biggest task, but also the highest ceiling at the position.

8. C Jake Guarnera

The heart and soul of the offensive line, Guarnera played guard last year, but returns to his natural center. A former three-star prospect, even in just one year of playing college football (he redshirted his first year), he proved that he's much more capable than his recruiting ranking.

If Michigan can get him to play up to his expectations, the offensive line will certainly be among the nation's best. But he's also important in terms of depth. If the Wolverines have to rely on a backup -- either transfer Houston Ka'aha'aina-Torres or interior swingman Brady Norton -- it could devastate the offense. Thus, Guarnera may come in at No. 8, but he's likely even more important than that.

7. EDGE John Henry Daley

It's odd that the sole All-American on the team comes in at No. 7, but Daley's success -- or potential lack thereof -- wouldn't devastate the team by any means. Coming off a ruptured Achilles, Daley had 11.5 sacks last year in 11 games. He was ahead of the pace set by current Michigan record holder Aidan Hutchinson in a single season. So, if he can return to form, it would go a long way not only for the Wolverines' pass rush, but also for the edge rushers on the other side of him, and the secondary behind him.

6. WR JJ Buchanan

Though Buchanan isn't the top wideout on our list (you can guess who that is), the Utah transfer may end up being more important overall. Because while Andrew Marsh is expected to be WR1, Buchanan should be the beneficiary of when Marsh is covered downfield. Likewise, he should be able to open up more opportunities for Marsh due to his ability to make contested catches.

The word out of fall camp is that Buchanan is borderline unguardable and comes down with pretty much every 50-50 ball thrown his way. Michigan hasn't had a player like that in some time. Though there are other talented receivers beyond Buchanan and Marsh, there's a drop-off after the duo. If he ends up living up to the newfound lofty expectation, the Wolverines may have an upper-tier pass game on their hands.

5. S Rod Moore

The big question this offseason on defense is: is Rod Moore truly healthy enough to return to form after missing the bulk of the past two years after a torn ACL and the subsequent setback? If he is, those two years on the sideline, becoming a player-coach, could be very beneficial for the already intuitive, heady player.

Moore was already seen as one of the more instinctive players on the defense, so now we'll just have to see if his body will allow him to play at or near the same level that he was able to before his injury. Though there is some depth at safety, none could compare to a healthy version of Moore roaming the middle of the defense. He's been somewhat snubbed from the preseason lists, but he has potential All-American written all over him should he be able to overcome his injury issues.

4. WR Andrew Marsh

While Buchanan could end up being the stat leader, Marsh is a star in the making -- the type of player who takes the college football world by storm. He was the fourth-most prolific receiver in the month of November last year, up from seventh the month before. He was ranked fifth in yards per game within the Big Ten schedule amongst all receivers in-conference, just two spots behind prolific Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. His stats would have looked better had he not seen little action in the first month of the season, while having disappeared in a few other games (like The Game, where he was never even targeted).

The biggest barometer of a revamped pass game will be if Marsh becomes the star he looks to be. Receivers usually make a big jump from year one to year two, so all indications are that he will burst onto the scene in a very real way.

3. DT Trey Pierce

Kyle Whittingham is known for having elite trench play during his tenure at Utah, and Pierce is the star on the defensive side of the ball in that regard. If Pierce (or Enow Etta) are as advertised, Michigan should be able to control the line of scrimmage, making life difficult for opposing offenses. Word is that he's adept not only at stopping the run, but also in rushing the passer from the middle. It's that type of capability that raises a defense from being solid to potentially elite.

2. RB Jordan Marshall

Michigan has mostly been snubbed from preseason running backs lists, and yet, Marshall returns after having just shy of 1,000 yards rushing last year, despite spending half the year as the backup and the latter few games injured and either limited or out altogether. Now, he's the bona fide starter and has shown that he has similar capabilities to both former running back Justice Haynes -- who could break the big one -- and freshman Savion Hiter, who can run over the opposition.

Marshall appears like he's being overlooked, but Jason Beck's offense is very running back-friendly, having been the No. 2 rushing attack two years running. And Marshall stands to benefit more than anyone else in the offense. If he can stay healthy this year, he should certainly be one of the top tailbacks in the country.

1. QB Bryce Underwood

It should come as no surprise that Underwood is No. 1. The team will likely win if he's successful and lose if he's not. The entirety of the pass game is reliant on him, but with Jason Beck leading the offense, his legs will factor in greatly.

The scuttlebutt from fall camp is that he's taken a massive step forward in the final week, looking more like the former No. 1 overall recruit than the true freshman who took the field last year. If his numbers even somewhat reflect what Devon Dampier did under Beck at either New Mexico or Utah, Michigan will have a fighting chance, from an offensive perspective, in every game.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Ranking Michigan football's 12 most important players for 2026