It's always interesting to see not only preseason rankings of teams, but of players expected to be among the best in college football any given year. What's equally as interesting are those who don't make the cut.
CBS Sports put together its preseason top 150 players entering 2026, and a trio of Michigan football players made the cut, starting with All-American edge rusher John Henry Daley, who transferred from Utah to the Wolverines this offseason.
50. John Henry Daley, EDGE, Michigan
Utah's coaching staff brought one of its most productive defenders with it to Ann Arbor. Daley recorded 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss last season by pairing physicality against the run with polished pass-rush technique. He wins with speed-to-power, active hands and a relentless motor. The Achilles injury is worth monitoring, but if healthy, Daley could outperform this ranking.
Perhaps the good news for Michigan is that not far behind Daley is the player Michigan needs to be at his absolute best. CBS ranked Bryce Underwood as the No. 73 player in the country, and the 17th-best quarterback nationally, as well. Interestingly, he was ranked one spot ahead of Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who will face off against the maize and blue in Week 2.
73. Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan
Underwood began flashing the talent that made him one of the nation's top recruits, and it's time for Michigan to fully turn him loose in 2026. He completed 60% of his passes for more than 2,400 yards while adding another 392 rushing yards. Underwood has a quick release, a live arm and the ability to fit throws into tight windows. Ball security remains the next step, but another year of experience should help one of college football's most gifted young quarterbacks.
While the thought would be that another lineman, another transfer player, or a running back would make the cut from the Wolverines, the third inclusion is actually sophomore wide receiver Andrew Marsh, getting the nod over fellow wideout JJ Buchanan on the list.
104. Andrew Marsh, WR, Michigan
Marsh put together an excellent freshman campaign and quickly became Bryce Underwood's most reliable weapon. He produced 18 explosive plays, dominated the short and intermediate areas of the field and did not record a drop all season. Marsh also has the long speed to stretch defenses and is difficult to bring down with arm tackles in space.
Michigan having three players on the list isn't particularly low, considering rival Ohio State, thought by many to be the top team in the country, has just five players on the list (albeit it has the No. 1 overall in WR Jeremiah Smith), but Michigan's third-to-last opponent, Oregon, has nine (we believe Oregon should be the No. 1 team given how much talent it has returning). What's particularly interesting, however, is that though the Wolverines don't have a tailback on the list, Ohio State does, as Bo Jackson was included, but Jordan Marshall (who, yes, had 158 fewer yards than Jackson, but with two fewer games) was not.
If the Wolverines are going to turn the corner this year, it would mean that several players who are not on CBS Sports' radar end up finishing as much better than anticipated nationally. If we were to choose who could outperform current expectations, it would be:
- OL: Andrew Babalola, Blake Frazier, Jake Guarnera, Andrew Sprague
- RB: Jordan Marshall, Savion Hiter
- WR: JJ Buchanan, Salesi Moa
- EDGE: Dominic Nichols, Lugard Edokpayi
- DT: Trey Pierce, Enow Etta
- LB: Chase Taylor
- S: Rod Moore
- CB: Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, Smith Snowden
While our earlier consternation was that Marshall wasn't on the list, the most egregious omission is Moore, who was once considered among the top safeties in the country before his ACL injury and the subsequent setback. Additionally, Jyaire Hill has been on some early mock drafts, even before last year. The Michigan offensive line has the look of potentially being one of the better units in the conference, if not the country. There are quite a few candidates who seem to be flying under the radar. But, they play games for a reason, so the aforementioned Wolverines can change public perception in a hurry.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Three Michigan players land on CBS top 150 list