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Michigan’s
revamped
roster
faces
major
challenge
against
Oklahoma
Parker
Sinclair
- Sports
Tell Us
Detroit
News
Bureau
ANN
ARBOR -
Michigan’s
youth
movement
and
revamped
roster
will
face an
early
measuring-stick
game
Saturday
when the
Wolverines
meet
Oklahoma,
a
program
that has
won both
previous
matchups
between
the
schools.
The game
marks
the
third
meeting
in the
series.
Oklahoma
defeated
Michigan
in the
1976Orange
Bowl and
again in
2025.
The
Sooners
enter as
one of
five
Michigan
opponents
this
season
that won
at least
10games
a year
ago,
joining
Indiana,
Oregon,
Ohio
State
and
Western
Michigan.
Michigan
opened
its
season
with a
dramatic
victory
over
Western
Michigan,
capped
by
quarterback
Bryce
Underwood’s
47-yard
touchdown
pass to
wide
receiver
JJ
Buchanan
as time
expired.
The play
gave the
Wolverines
their
first
walk-off
victory
on a
non-field-goal
scoring
play
since
Chad
Henne
connected
with
Mario
Manningham
to
defeat
Penn
State in
2005.
Buchanan,
making
his
first
start at
Michigan,
finished
with
career
highs of
six
catches
and
126receiving
yards.
Underwood
accounted
for two
touchdowns,
scoring
on a
one-yard
run
during
the
opening
drive
before
delivering
the
game-winning
throw.
The
Wolverines
also
unveiled
several
new
contributors.
Tight
end
Jalen
Hoffman,
linebackers
Troy
Bowles
and
Chase
Taylor,
defensive
end Dom
Nichols
and left
guard
Evan
Link
made
starts.
Link had
started
17previous
games at
tackle
before
shifting
inside.
Five
transfers
with
prior
college
starting
experience
also
made
their
first
starts
for
Michigan:
safety
Chris
Bracy,
punter
Cam
Brown,
Buchanan,
defensive
end John
Henry
Daley
and
cornerback
Smith
Snowden.
Ten
first-year
players
made
their
collegiate
debuts,
including
offensive
players
Mason
Bonner,
Savion
Hiter,
Travis
Johnson
and
Salesi
Moa.
Offense
vs.
Oklahoma
defense
Michigan’s
offense
is led
by
coordinator
Jason
Beck,
whose
offenses
at New
Mexico
and Utah
ranked
among
the FBS
top five
in both
rushing
and
total
offense
over the
past two
seasons.
Beck’s
2024New
Mexico
offense
averaged
253.6rushing
yards
and
484.3total
yards
per
game,
while
Utah
averaged
266.3rushing
yards
and
482.9total
yards in
2025.
That
approach
will be
tested
quickly.
Michigan
ranked
14th
nationally
last
season
at
210.2rushing
yards
per
game,
but
Oklahoma
ranked
third in
the FBS
in run
defense,
allowing
only
77.3yards
per
game.
Running
back
Jordan
Marshall
remains
a focal
point
for the
Wolverines
after
recording
932yards
and
10touchdowns
on
150carries
last
year. He
has
surpassed
100rushing
yards in
four of
his six
career
starts.
Marshall
had
11carries
against
Western
Michigan,
while
Hiter
added
five
attempts.
Underwood
enters
his
second
season
after
throwing
for
2,428yards
and
accounting
for
17total
touchdowns
as a
freshman.
His
passing-yardage
total
was the
second-highest
by a
freshman
starter
in
Michigan
history,
behind
only
Henne’s
2,743yards
in 2004.
Michigan
also
returns
receiver
Andrew
Marsh,
who
established
a
freshman
program
record
with
651receiving
yards
last
season.
Buchanan’s
breakout
opener
gives
Underwood
another
potential
target
after
the
receiver
produced
the
biggest
play of
the
Western
Michigan
win.
New
faces on
defense
Michigan
defensive
coordinator
Jay Hill
brings a
track
record
of
physical,
turnover-oriented
defenses
from
BYU. His
units
produced
17interceptions
and
30sacks
in 2025,
following
a
22-interception
season
in 2024.
Nichols
made an
immediate
impact
in his
first
career
start,
posting
nine
tackles,
2.5tackles
for loss
and
1.5sacks
against
Western
Michigan.
Bowles
added a
career-high
12tackles,
including
seven
solo
stops
and two
tackles
for
loss.
Bowles
and
Taylor
were new
starters
at
linebacker
and
combined
for
15tackles.
Nathaniel
Staehling
added
nine
tackles,
while
Aisea
Moa
broke up
a pass.
In the
secondary,
Zeke
Berry
moved to
nickelback,
where he
made his
eighth
career
start.
Jyaire
Hill and
Snowden
started
outside,
with
Snowden
recording
two pass
breakups.
Berry
leads
Michigan’s
roster
with
22career
passes
defended,
while
Rod
Moore
has a
team-best
seven
career
interceptions.
Daley
enters
the
matchup
as
Michigan’s
career
sack
leader
among
active
players
with
12.5.
The
Wolverines
have
12defenders
on the
roster
who have
recorded
at least
part of
a sack
in their
college
careers.
Special
teams
reset
Michigan
also has
new
leadership
across
its
kicking
units.
Trey
Butkowski,
a Lou
Groza
Award
watch-list
selection,
takes
over at
kicker
after
converting
19of
22field-goal
attempts
during
his lone
season
at Pitt.
Brown, a
transfer
punter
from
Utah,
debuted
with six
punts
against
Western
Michigan.
He
averaged
42.9yards
per punt
as a
Utah
freshman
and
forced
five
fair
catches
in his
Michigan
debut
without
allowing
a return
yard.
Jacob
Baggett
serves
as the
Wolverines’
kickoff
specialist.
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