Kyle Whittingham looks to marry blue-collar development, blue-blood talent at Michigan
Armed with one of the nation's most talented QBs in Bryce Underwood, Whittingham isn't afraid to set big expectations for Year 1
Kyle Whittingham knows what it takes to build a championship team, but he's never had resources like those at his disposal at Michigan. As the Wolverines open spring practice, Whittingham feels particularly confident about the quarterback position.
The last major hire of the 2025-26 coaching carousel, Whittingham is charged with pushing Michigan forward amid unexpected turbulence while maintaining elite expectations at a blueblood program loaded with talent.
"I would expect at Michigan, you challenge for the Big Ten title every single year. That should be a given," Whittingham told 247Sports Tuesday. "Every single year, you should be in the hunt. And deep in the season, you should be right there with the top teams. Playoffs, obviously, is a lofty goal, but you can't get there, most likely, unless you do well in the Big Ten, so you've got to take things a step at a time. But at Michigan, I would say if you're not thinking Big Ten championship every year, then something's wrong."
Whittingham confirmed that returning quarterback Bryce Underwood is Michigan's unquestioned starter, noting positive momentum in his development this offseason. Underwood was Whittingham's top priority after accepting the job in December. He traveled to Florida to the former five-star, top-rated player prior to Michigan's bowl game last season.
Underwood's only losses as a true freshman came against Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State and Texas. He totaled 2,820 yards of offense and 17 touchdowns, helping Michigan remain in Big Ten title and at-large playoff conversations through rivalry weekend.
"He has performed very well in the workouts and not only with his athleticism but leadership-wise," Whittingham said of Underwood. "He was voted one of our team captains, and so he's a guy that everyone looks to. The top 10% of your football team is critical because if they're hard workers and doing things right, everyone else seems to follow along. They set the pace. Bryce has done a nice job of setting the pace."
Whittingham arrives in Ann Arbor after 20 seasons at Utah, where he went 177-88 overall, including three conference championships and 10 finishes inside the national rankings. Michigan's 2026 signing class ranks 12th nationally and includes two five-star prospects and 10 four-star players.
At Utah, Whittingham signed just one top-20 class in 2023. Over the last five recruiting cycles, Michigan has nearly tripled that number, bringing in several true freshmen likely to contribute immediately.
"Utah was more of a development program," Whittingham said. "We had the two- and three-star guys, a rare four-star, and needed time to develop them, but here, these guys are more ready-made. I can tell you that. The freshman class that came in, they're not all here yet. There's about seven or eight, maybe nine that will be here in the summer, but a lot of those guys are going to help out right away.
"The tailback, Savion Hiter, is special. I believe he's going to be a special player. There's another handful of guys in that freshman class who we think are going to be real contributors, major contributors, right away. Didn't have that luxury at Utah very often. You usually had to wait a year or two to develop those guys."
No attitude adjustments needed
College football has changed significantly during the NIL and revenue-sharing era. Whittingham said Tuesday he wasn't sure what to expect this offseason while getting to know Michigan's players. A handsomely-paid roster was not something he was necessarily used to at his previous stop and he worried that buy-in could be an issue that needed to be rectified if egos emanated from the program.
Whittingham was greeted with pleasant attitudes and noticeable leadership from the program's veterans.
"I said nothing surprised me, but you get a bunch of four- and five-star athletes that are going to be entitled, spoiled guys, or what are you going to get there? Because we haven't had that before," Whittingham said. "These guys are far from it — furthest from it. These guys have got a great work ethic. They've been asked to do some pretty difficult things this winter conditioning, and they've answered the bell to everything we've asked and really have a lot of toughness. And that's encouraging."
Whittingham's Utah teams were known for their trademark of holding a physicality-first mindset. Players displaying mental and physical toughness were program staples that helped establish annual success, and that's not changing at Michigan. However, there's updated terminology to learn for the Wolverines' two-deep with a new coaching and philosophical change.
Whittingham's hoping to learn more about his squad over the next 15 spring practices that will conclude on April 18 with the annual spring game inside Michigan Stadium.
