Why Michigan Football’s edge room can actually be a strength in 2026

His 85.2 PFF tackling grade ranks 2nd among returning Wolverines. pic.twitter.com/Hm2OCl19gh

— Matt Hartwell (@matthartwell_) January 18, 2026

Following the spring game, Whittingham even went as far as to saying he believes Nichols has future All-Big Ten potential. The physical tools are obvious as well — he has a long frame, an explosive first step, and legitimate traits as both a pass rusher and a run defender. If there’s actual smoke to his development, Michigan may already have one player that’s able to replace some of the production from last season.

Then there’s Nate Marshall, who barely scratched the surface statistically. There’s even a world where he’s the player in this room with the highest ceiling outside of Daley. Formerly a Top 50 overall recruit, Marshall’s athletic upside has been talked about pretty much nonstop since he arrived on campus. The sophomore leap conversation has only grown louder this spring.

Cam Brandt is another interesting piece here, and if last year’s snap counts mean anything, he is the most experienced returning Wolverine at the position. He’s probably become oddly underrated among fans after an uneven 2025 season, but the staff seems genuinely encouraged by the progress he made this spring. Whittingham specifically mentioned that Brandt trimmed weight this offseason, which helped his burst and explosiveness off the edge. Sometimes that stuff actually matters more than people think for defensive ends trying to turn pressures into sacks.

Even beyond the top names, the Wolverines keep talking about having legitimate depth there. Lugard Edokpayi continues generating buzz because of his freakish length and athletic traits, while five-star freshman Carter Meadows could force his way into the conversation sooner rather than later.

Most importantly, the staff itself seems extremely confident in the room. Whittingham has repeatedly referred to the defensive line as a whole as the deepest and strongest unit on the roster, even mentioning Michigan could realistically rotate close to 10 players up front this season. That’s not coach-speak you usually hear unless a staff genuinely feels good about what it has.

Now, does that automatically mean Michigan is suddenly fielding another 2021-caliber edge group? Not at all. There are still real questions — Daley is coming off a major injury, Nichols hasn’t done it over a full season yet, and Marshall is still largely projection at this point. But there’s also a very real path where this ends up being one of the more disruptive edge rotations in the Big Ten.