Michigan landed one of the best pound-for-pound recruiting classes in the 2025 cycle. Headlined by the No. 1 overall player, QB Bryce Underwood, Sherrone Moore went and surrounded him by some top-notch talent. But how likely is it that there will be multiple freshmen seeing the field this football season?
Recently, coach Moore was asked about which freshmen are standing out. Moore named four defensive players and four offensive freshmen who are showcasing their skills early.
"Nate Marshall on the defensive line—freakish pass rush ability. Chase Taylor keeps climbing. Shamari Earls is another guy. Jayden Sanders flashes and does a lot of great things," Moore said.
"On offense, Andrew Babalola—pushing for the starting tackle spot, day-to-day competition with Evan Link, who’s playing much better. Blake Frazier in the mix, moving around. Receivers Jamar Browder and Andrew Marsh—dynamic athletes ahead of schedule. Bryce—obviously in that group. Really good freshman class.
What hurts Marshall and Taylor -- the Wolverines are loaded at both positions. Michigan is at least four deep at edge, and extremely deep at linebacker. Marshall was a borderline 5-star player, so he could work his way into the rotation. But it's likely that Michigan fans see both Taylor and Sanders more in 2026 than they will in 2025.
Clearly, Michigan will play Underwood in 2025. The others? Andrew Babalola has a legit shot. Both receivers do as well. The Wolverines had the 131st-ranked passing offense last year, so Michigan needs playmakers to step up. If the freshmen are among those that do -- they will play.
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