Michigan
‘He’s been phenomenal’: Michigan Football has its second starting cornerback opposite Will Johnson
Michigan has arguably the best cornerback in all of college football in first team All-American Will Johnson, but one of the few question mark on the Wolverines’ defense heading into 2024 was who would start opposite Johnson at the second corner spot.
It appears we have our answer with ‘game week’ underway ahead of Michigan’s season-opener against Fresno State this upcoming Saturday. At his weekly press conference on Monday, head coach Sherrone Moore said redshirt freshman Jyaire Hill, nicknamed “Sugar” for his affinity for candy, is expected to start for the Wolverines in the opener.
“Yeah, right now it would be Jyaire,” Moore said. “Jyaire’s really taking hold of that position and doing a really good job. Sug, he’s been phenomenal, tough, just a gritty dude. One of Kankakee’s finest. And he’s been great. So I think it would be him on Saturday that would line up across from Will Johnson.”
Hill appeared in four games for the Wolverines in 2023 to preserve a redshirt year, totaling eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss in limited action. A former four-star prospect and Top 175 recruit, the native of Kankakee, Ill. was one of Michigan’s most coveted prospects in the 2023 recruiting class. The Wolverines beat out the homestate Illinois Fighting Illini to earn Hill’s commitment in that cycle. If Hill starts and performs well for Michigan this season, that will prove to be one of the program’s biggest recruiting wins of the past several years.
This offseason, Michigan brought in two transfer cornerbacks out of the portal, 2023 FCS All-American Aamir Hall (Albany) and UNLV starter Ricky Johnson. It appears that duo will provide depth at the position behind Johnson and Hill, at least to begin the season.
Moore also gave insight on how the Wolverines’ outlook at the safety position. Michigan returns one half of its starting duo at the position in senior Makari Paige, but lost fellow senior Rod Moore to an ACL injury during spring practice. The Wolverines return rotational safety Quinton Johnson from last year’s squad, but also added Tennessee’s Wesley Walker and Michigan State’s Jaden Mangham at the position, each of whom were starters at their previous schools. Redshirt sophomore Zeke Berry is expected to start at nickelback.
“Right now, obviously, Makari’s been phenomenal,” Moore said. “Quinten Johnson’s been great. But you’ve got Zeke Berry in there. You’ve got Wes Walker in there. You’ve got Jaden Mangham. You’ve got Brandyn Hillman, who’s really, really taken his level of play to the next level because he’s got some elite traits and ability that people haven’t seen yet, and we’re super excited. It’s finally getting there for him. But him and a guy like Zeke Berry, who’s really all he needed was the confidence. And, you know, it would be funny because I’m talking to Rod, I’m talking to Will. I was like, who’s the guy in the background? And this was in the spring. Like, who are you guys most excited about? They said, Zeke. Zeke. And to watch his evolution as a player, he’s made some plays in camp, just wild plays. And they’re like, yeah, that’s routine of his skill set. So he’s really stepped up. So that room’s super deep and ready for it.”
– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –
One Michigan football player listed in ESPN’s top 100 incoming transfer list
‘Sign Stealer’: Four questions Connor Stalions must answer in Netflix documentary
Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin throws shade at Ohio State, Ryan Day after Buckeyes spend big on roster
For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:
In a game Michigan had to have by any means, it found a way. The Wolverines trailed for over 36 minutes at home on Tuesday night, gave up 50 points in the first half, and made just one of their final 15 3-point attempts. Somehow, Michigan won anyway, knocking off No. 5 Nebraska to keep its Big Ten title hopes healthy.
The Wolverines survived the barrage of early threes and outlasted the undermanned Huskers, recording stops on eight of the final nine possessions of the game to pull away with a game-winning 6-0 run down the stretch.
Writing this recap, I can’t help but feel like I’m on the other side of a script that I’ve written routinely on this site over the years. We’ve all seen this story before: a five-out team spreads out a bigger, more talented team and makes them look like they’ve never played basketball before with a barrage of threes and cutting layups.
In the end, the threes go cold, and the bigger team wins the game by overwhelming its opponent in areas that are impossible to outscheme: offensive rebounds, defense, and free throws.
When John Beilein’s teams lost, this is usually what it looked like. Tonight, Michigan wore the other shoe.
Nebraska played the better game, but Michigan was the bigger, deeper, and more talented team. The Wolverines went to the free-throw line 23 times, knocking down 14 of 17 in the second half, and scored 14 of their 27 second-half points on second-chance opportunities to escape with the crucial home win.
Join the UM Hoops Community
Join the only community dedicated to Michigan basketball
Get ad-free articles, recruiting, advanced stats, member-only discussion, and the most complete Michigan hoops analysis anywhere.
Michigan
Michigan football releases 2026 schedule for first season under head coach Kyle Whittingham
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan Athletic Department and the Big Ten Conference announced the 2026 football schedule for the first season under new head coach Kyle Whittingham and his Michigan Wolverines.
The schedule, which features eight home games, including all four in September, was announced on Tuesday (Jan. 27).
Michigan will kick off its 147th football season with three non-conference home games: Western Michigan on Sept. 5, Oklahoma on Sept. 12, and UTEP on Sept. 19.
Following these, the Wolverines will begin their nine-game Big Ten schedule.
The conference opener will be at home against Iowa on Sept. 26, marking Michigan’s 120th Big Ten conference opener at Michigan Stadium.
Michigan’s first road game of the season will be Oct. 3 at Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium.
The Wolverines and Golden Gophers will compete for the Little Brown Jug, college football’s oldest trophy, in the 100th meeting of this historic rivalry.
Michigan holds a commanding 74-23-2 record in the previous 99 contests.
After a bye week, Michigan returns home for back-to-back games against Penn State on Oct. 17 and defending national champion Indiana on Oct. 24.
The Wolverines will then travel to Rutgers for an Oct. 31 game.
The annual rivalry game against Michigan State has been pushed back a week and will take place Nov. 7 at Michigan Stadium.
The two teams will battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy in the 74th meeting of this series.
Michigan leads the series 42-29-2 and holds a 75-38-5 advantage overall in the rivalry, which dates back to 1898.
The Wolverines will then travel to Eugene, Oregon, for their first matchup against the Ducks as conference opponents on Nov. 14 at Autzen Stadium.
A week later, the Wolverines will host new Big Ten opponent UCLA at Michigan Stadium on Nov. 21.
The regular season will conclude with the 122nd meeting of “The Game” against Ohio State on Nov. 28 at Ohio Stadium.
Michigan has won its last two trips to Columbus, 45-23 in 2022 and 13-10 in 2024, and holds a 62-53-6 advantage in the all-time series.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | Western Michigan |
| Sept. 12 | Oklahoma Sooners |
| Sept. 19 | UTEP |
| Sept 26 | Iowa Hawkeyes |
| Oct. 3 | at Minnesota Golden Gophers |
| Oct. 10 | BYE |
| Oct. 17 | Penn State Nitanny Lions |
| Oct. 24 | Indiana Hoosiers |
| Oct. 31 | at Rutgers Scarlett Knights |
| Nov. 7 | Michigan State |
| Nov. 14 | at Oregon Ducks |
| Nov. 21 | UCLA Bruins |
| Nov. 28 | at Ohio State Buckeyes |
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Michigan
Michigan student who left frat party in just T-shirt and jeans found dead in ‘extreme cold’
A missing University of Michigan student has been found dead more than a day after he was last seen leaving a fraternity party in just a T-shirt and jeans in bone-chilling storm temperatures, according to police.
Engineering student Lucas Mattson, 19, was last seen walking without a jacket at around 1 a.m. Friday, as temperatures plummeted as low as 0 degrees, WILX reported.
His body was found Saturday night following a 20-hour search in “extreme cold conditions,” police said.
Mattson is one of at least 34 to die from Winter Storm Fern, which impacted more than two-thirds of all Americans.
“At this time, we can share that prior to disappearing, Lucas was attending a party at a fraternity house as a guest; he was neither a member nor a pledge,” University of Michigan interim president Domenico Grasso said in a statement, warning against “misinformation” spreading about his death around the school community.
“We must let the investigators complete their work and refrain from speculation until the facts are known.”
Mattson was reported missing at 4:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Ann Arbor Police Department. Officers spent the whole night searching but were unable to find him.
His body was later located Saturday night on Cambridge Road, cops said.
“The nearly 20-hour search effort to locate him took place in extreme cold conditions and included officers from AAPD and University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security, as well as the University of Michigan Police Department Drone Unit,” police said in a press release.
There were no signs of trauma and foul play is not suspected at this time, cops said.
The Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, police said.
Grasso said he’s asked school officials to retrace the events of the night Mattson disappeared “to better understand what transpired and identify possible steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.”
“I am grateful for the outpouring of support from so many people worried about Lucas’s welfare, including those who searched for him in extremely difficult weather conditions,” the university president said.
Free trade or fair play? MEPs go head-to-head on Mercosur in The Ring
The FBI conducts a search at the Fulton County election office in Georgia
Knife-wielding nut allegedly asked Christian his religion – then stabbed him and dog before police shot him
House Republicans blast Noem impeachment resolution as ‘partisan stunt,’ as Dems fail to reach across aisle
Brother killed after teen becomes ‘enraged’ over video game, stabs sibling: police
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Free trade or fair play? MEPs go head-to-head on Mercosur in The Ring
The FBI conducts a search at the Fulton County election office in Georgia
Graham pushes back on Tillis’ criticism of Noem, Miller for labeling man killed by Border Patrol a ‘terrorist’
North Korea’s Kim to outline plans to boost nuclear arsenal
Rep. Ilhan Omar rushed by man on stage and sprayed with liquid at town hall event
-
Illinois6 days agoIllinois school closings tomorrow: How to check if your school is closed due to extreme cold
-
Pittsburg, PA1 week agoSean McDermott Should Be Steelers Next Head Coach
-
Pennsylvania2 days agoRare ‘avalanche’ blocks Pennsylvania road during major snowstorm
-
Lifestyle1 week agoNick Fuentes & Andrew Tate Party to Kanye’s Banned ‘Heil Hitler’
-
Sports1 week agoMiami star throws punch at Indiana player after national championship loss
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoNortheast Ohio cities dealing with rock salt shortage during peak of winter season
-
Technology6 days agoRing claims it’s not giving ICE access to its cameras
-
Science1 week agoContributor: New food pyramid is a recipe for health disasters