Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham introduced to Crisler crowd
Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham introduced to Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.
Michigan football has set its first spring practice schedule under new coach Kyle Whittingham.
The Wolverines, who have been in winter conditioning for 18 days, will start work for 2026 on March 17, with just over a month of time – 15 practices and the annual spring game at Michigan Stadium on April 18, according to a release from the program on Monday, FEb. 2.
The kickoff time for that game, and the exact format, have not been specified. Last season, U-M aired its spring game on a tape delay on Big Ten Network so as not to expose its players to potential transfer portal suitors. This season, the lack of a late spring transfer portal windo, there’s a good chance the game will air live on the network.
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U-M also named four “spring captains”: quarterback Bryce Underwood, running back Jordan Marshall, defensive lineman Trey Pierce and defensive back Rod Moore Jr.
Underwood completed 60.3% of his passes as a true freshman in 2025, finishing with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 392 yards and six TDs. He will look to improve his efficiency in a new offense led by coordinator Jason Beck and assisted by quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr., filling a position Michigan did not have last season.
Marshall, who will be a junior, figures to be the lead running back after Justice Haynes transferred to Georgia Tech. After Haynes was injured, Marshall averaged 6.1 yards per carry en route to 932 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Pierce, 6-foot-2, 310-pound defensive tackle who will be a senior, was a big piece of U-M’s solid run defense last season, starting all 13 games with 30 tackles (including one for loss). His brother, Christian, joined the team as a transfer from FCS Western Illinois.
Moore, meanwhile, returns for his sixth and final season. A two-time captain, Moore nearly left U-M for the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, he returned to boost his draft stock, only to suffer an ACL tear in spring 2024. Injuries have limited him to three games since the Wolverines’ 2023 College Football Playoff championship season.
Michigan football spring 2026 leadership council
The Wolverines will also have a leadership council for the spring, which includes 11 other players who all returned from U-M’s 2025 team. All but one of them are upperclassmen as of the 2026 season. Formal captains and leadership council for the 2026 season will be elected during fall camp:
S Nico Andrighetto, fifth-year senior.
CB Zeke Berry, fifth-year senior.
DE Cameron Brandt, senior.
S Mason Curtis, junior.
DT Enow Etta, junior.
OL Blake Frazier, junior.
OL Jake Guarnera, junior.
CB Jyaire Hill, senior.
WR Andrew Marsh, sophomore.
TE Zack Marshall, senior.
OL Andrew Sprague, junior.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
