After spending 21 seasons at Utah Utes, Kyle Whittingham stepped into the Michigan Wolverines as the head coach. After a 9-4 season, Whittingham is staring at a steep mountain for the 2026 college football season. 

One way to predict how strong a college football team could be is by looking at how many important players are returning from the previous season. According to the latest returning production list released by CBS Sports, the Wolverines come in ranked No. 29, with the seventh-ranked offense and the 68th defense.

While the rank is decent for Whittingham’s squad after losing head coach Sherrone Moore, the Big Ten rivals’ rankings stir fear. 

The Ohio State Buckeyes are at No.11, followed by the Oklahoma Sooners at No.13, the Minnesota Golden Gophers at No.14, and Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks at No.16. 

Whittingham and the Wolverines will play all four of those teams that currently have better rosters this season. However, amidst the rankings, there could be an upside to this for Whittingham and his roster.

The CBS returning production list does not ‌take incoming transfers into consideration. So when Whittingham came to Ann Arbor, three of his starters from Utah followed along.

Wide receiver JJ Buchanan, edge rusher John Henry Daley, and nickelback Smith Snowden could feature in 2026 for Michigan. Amidst this pressure, Whittingham has set a high bar for himself and his team by setting a key goal for 2026.

Kyle Whittingham Sets Clear Expectations With 2026 Goal

In the 2023 season, under Jim Harbaugh and quarterback JJ McCarthy, the Wolverines went on to win the national title. That was also the last year the Wolverines won the Big Ten Championship, having also won it in 2022 and 2021.

Whittingham has now taken up the challenge to break the drought.

"Michigan is a special place -- a legitimate opportunity to win a national championship," Whittingham said. "It has happened here. So, I looked at it as a final challenge."

A major topic throughout the spring was Whittingham bringing discipline back to the program, which has reportedly created a positive change. In his view, a Big Ten Championship is the minimum expectation.

“Well, at Michigan, I believe every year you’ve got to be challenging for the Big Ten Championship, that’s expected," Whittingham kept things straight.

Harbaugh has won three consecutive Big Ten titles. At the same time, Whittingham is no stranger to conference championships. He led the Utah Utes to two Pac-12 conference titles.

Will the returning production factor come in Whittingham’s way to achieve his goal? Share your thoughts.

Read more at Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar