Michigan Football named Big Ten offensive breakout candidate in 2026

Michigan’s offense has been a major talking point this offseason, and that’s something you can probably count on until we see the new-look unit in action for the first time on Sept. 5.

More recently, CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli wrote an article about Big Ten bold predictions for the fall, and he has Michigan as a team primed for a significant offensive resurgence. In the article, his bold predictions for the Wolverines is that the offense averages 35 points or more per game. Here’s what he had to say about it:

That kind of jump would be notable, but it’s not exactly unprecedented in Ann Arbor. From 2021-23, Michigan was one of the more efficient scoring units in the country by averaging 37.3 points per game. However, the last two seasons saw a sharp drop-off, with the Wolverines putting up just 24.8 points per game. Now, with a new staff in place led by Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck, there’s a growing belief Michigan can return to that type of production.

Beck, in particular, brings a track record that oozes success. His work at Utah last season was one of the more impressive turnarounds in college football, transforming a struggling offense into a unit that averaged more than 40 points per game in just one year.

Perhaps the biggest factor in Fornelli’s projection is Bryce Underwood. After a freshman season that showed flashes but was often constrained by a conservative approach, he now enters 2026 with a full offseason in Beck’s system. The expectation is all this will be a recipe for improvement for all angles of the offense.

And if this past weekend’s spring game is any indication, the Wolverines may still have some work to do. While the final score (7-6) and overall stat sheet didn’t exactly scream “offensive explosion,” there were still a handful of flashes that align with the idea of a higher ceiling.

Around Underwood, we saw the pieces starting to fall into place as well. The run game remains a strength with Jordan Marshall and true freshman Savion Hiter, while additions to the receiving corps like Salesi Moa, JJ Buchanan and Jaime Ffrench look as advertised.