Last season, the Michigan Wolverines faced a 27-9 defeat against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This game became the tipping point of the rivalry. 

While the loss is still fresh in Michigan’s memory, the 2026 NFL Draft turnout has resulted in an unexpected take from one of its alumni.

John Spytek, the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders and a Wolverines alumnus, has praised Ohio players.

“The draft doesn’t always go the way you want it to, and I’ve got to get rid of my biases,” Spytek said on the Up & Adams Show on April 30. “I tell people all the time, I’ll take a bunch of Ohio State guys ’cause they can play football. You get a little bump if you’re a Michigan Man, but not too much. We’re not running you up the draft board.”

In the 2026 Draft, 11 players from Ohio State were picked, the highest this year, like Carnell Tate, Arvell Reese, and Caleb Downs. It was the program's second consecutive year leading the draft.

Meanwhile, only six Michigan players were selected this year, like Derrick Moore, Marlin Klein, and Jaishawn Barham, and none of them went in the first round. 

Despite Spytek’s stance on the Buckeyes, the Raiders did not pick any players from the program. The franchise made 10 picks, and they were headlined by Indiana Hoosiers’ star quarterback Fernando Mendoza. 

The Wolverines, who ended the 2025 season with a 9-3 record under former head coach Sherrone Moore, are beginning a new chapter with a new HC. 

Wolverines Have A New Direction With HC Kyle Whittingham

Kyle Whittingham, who arrived at Michigan in December 2025, spoke to reporters, setting the tone for the team ahead of fall camp. 

“They’ll have the month of May off, nothing going on in May, and come back June 1st for the summer conditioning cycle,” Whittingham told reporters after Michigan’s April 18 spring game. “It’ll be key, and critical, that players do a good job in the player-run practices and things this summer so that they stay sharp and we can hit the ground running in fall camp.”

The 66-year-old veteran coach spent four decades at the Utah Utes as a defensive line coach and defensive coordinator before eventually becoming their head coach.

However, Whittingham was announced as the Wolverines’ HC on December 26, 2025, after tense negotiations over a new contract. 

With Whittingham’s arrival at the Wolverines, the program is expected to revamp itself, hopefully, for a better turnout at next year’s draft. What are your thoughts? 

Read more at the Michigan Football Community

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey